Dual Sport fairings from Britannia Composites

[plumber mike]

Originally Posted by notmybikemodelname

I would say that most people don't like it because it doesn't look like it belongs on this bike. The lines are much harder than the stock fairing and body lines. And myself, I would question the gap between the Lexan and the fairing itself. It seems that it would shoot a stream of wind right into your face from below when cruising at speed.

Maybe it was engineered that way. Kinda like a Laminar Lip. If it blocks the wind well and dosen't whistle or knock your head around, then it could be a winner amongst the F650 owners who really wished they had gotten a KLR. It doesn't matter what it looks like if it works.

Another vote for

[notmybikemodelname]

Originally Posted by rc mad

... notmybike WAS going to, but they probably won't be suited to most 650's without drastic weight reductions

Corrected

[rc mad]

guess i should have read the thread huh

[Ian B]

Originally Posted by notmybikemodelname

I would say that most people don't like it because it doesn't look like it belongs on this bike. The lines are much harder than the stock fairing and body lines. And myself, I would question the gap between the Lexan and the fairing itself. It seems that it would shoot a stream of wind right into your face from below when cruising at speed.

I guess I'm making presumptions here, but the 'gap' you describe is the very reason that this (and all our other fairings) don't cause that awfull bufeting of the helmet that is usually associated with screens. The air is driven up behind the screen and pushes the air over your helmet. It's called a laminar airflow. The result is 100mph cruising in bufet free zone.

I guess it's a pity there aren't any guys who already ride with this system (on other bikes) on here to comment on the huge difference this makes to comfortable riding at speed.

[GB]

Here we go again... yet another Britannia thread moving to Vendors because the vendor is now here to talk about his products.

[notmybikemodelname]

Originally Posted by Ian B

I guess I'm making presumptions here, but the 'gap' you describe is the very reason that this (and all our other fairings) don't cause that awfull bufeting of the helmet that is usually associated with screens. The air is driven up behind the screen and pushes the air over your helmet. It's called a laminar airflow. The result is 100mph cruising in bufet free zone.

I guess it's a pity there aren't any guys who already ride with this system (on other bikes) on here to comment on the huge difference this makes to comfortable riding at speed.

Great! Thanks for that lesson. I wonder why in the 22 years that I spent in the high-tech composites biz I never learned that. After the 3 years I spent working with Nissan Electramotive with the Mears and Jeff Brabham on their GTP cars, and 5 years I spent working with Mickey Thompson (RIP) being the sole provider of Ultra-stock bodies for MTEG for the first two years, Co-designing and building two offshore racing yachts (45' Cat, "White Knuckler", and 44' ULDB, "Shazam"), sole designer of the a 20' Mod VP, building 3500+ Carbon/Kevlar/EPS/EPoxy/Scrimped sailboards, over 30,000 Slalom and Speed Course sailboard fins, and Dog know what else, you'd think I would've learned that.

A properly designed fairing ( or any other laminar/hydro surface) does not need this. The buffeting that you describe is caused by (1) poor entry design. This is the same effect know as cavitation on boats. An improper entry, which would then lead to an equally improper exit will cause the wind to act on any following bodies. The buffeting is caused by a low pressure system behind the fairing, but in front of the rider being filled and then quickly released, as it becomes a high pressure zone, only to be filled again. This all happens in microseconds. (2) The other kind of buffeting would be caused by an a-symetrical profile shape.

But whatever works for you is fine by me.

[Ian B]

Originally Posted by notmybikemodelname

Great! Thanks for that lesson. I wonder why in the 22 years that I spent in the high-tech composites biz I never learned that. After the 3 years I spent working with Nissan Electramotive with the Mears and Jeff Brabham on their GTP cars, and 5 years I spent working with Mickey Thompson (RIP) being the sole provider of Ultra-stock bodies for MTEG for the first two years, Co-designing and building two offshore racing yachts (45' Cat, "White Knuckler", and 44' ULDB, "Shazam"), sole designer of the a 20' Mod VP, building 3500+ Carbon/Kevlar/EPS/EPoxy/Scrimped sailboards, over 30,000 Slalom and Speed Course sailboard fins, and Dog know what else, you'd think I would've learned that.

A properly designed fairing ( or any other laminar/hydro surface) does not need this. The buffeting that you describe is caused by (1) poor entry design. This is the same effect know as cavitation on boats. An improper entry, which would then lead to an equally improper exit will cause the wind to act on any following bodies. The buffeting is caused by a low pressure system behind the fairing, but in front of the rider being filled and then quickly released, as it becomes a high pressure zone, only to be filled again. This all happens in microseconds. (2) The other kind of buffeting would be caused by an a-symetrical profile shape.

But whatever works for you is fine by me.

Couldn't disagree at all. The only problem is trying to get the 'clean' entry bit sorted in the space available

[Ian B]

Originally Posted by Gadget Boy

Here we go again... yet another Britannia thread moving to Vendors because the vendor is now here to talk about his products.

I quite agree and will not continue with any further comments here.

[xymotic]

Regardless of the looks, at least you guys get to keep the crappy stock headlight.

[notmybikemodelname]

Originally Posted by xymotic

Regardless of the looks, at least you guys get to keep the crappy stock headlight.

Oh Aaron! Such a cynic

[xymotic]

Originally Posted by notmybikemodelname

Oh Aaron! Such a cynic

Well, after having the lynx HID on the husky, ain't no way I'd go back to the Stocker on the husky OR my ol Dakar

[Gravel Seeker]

Originally Posted by Ian B

In the meantime, here's another awfull photo of the ugly duckling for you amusement !

My biggest question is why you/ they didn't remove the headlight and make a new headlight housing incorporated in the new fairing. Either just to mount the crappy OEM headlight or, much better, with the Lynx lamp options.

And it's not just the round against the angles it's also the flat against the glossy black.


Notmybike...... - on my old F650ST a few rubber washers to lift the screen off the dash to make a tiny slit removed all buffeting on that bike. I was happy even if it wasn't the textbook way to go about it

[Ian B]

Originally Posted by Gravel Seeker

My biggest question is why you/ they didn't remove the headlight and make a new headlight housing incorporated in the new fairing. Either just to mount the crappy OEM headlight or, much better, with the Lynx lamp options.

And it's not just the round against the angles it's also the flat against the glossy black.


Notmybike...... - on my old F650ST a few rubber washers to lift the screen off the dash to make a tiny slit removed all buffeting on that bike. I was happy even if it wasn't the textbook way to go about it

We did consider that, but felt that guys would have to end up changing the OEM clocks as well, turning the whole thing into more money than guys would spend on this bike. Perhaps we were wrong and it's certainly a consideration when looking at the new model which also has a crappy light and no screen. Quite a difference from the Mirage 2 for the twin, that we can't make fast enough !

Your idea with lifting the OEM screen sounds like a good solution though

[notmybikemodelname]

Originally Posted by Ian B

We did consider that, but felt that guys would have to end up changing the OEM clocks as well, turning the whole thing into more money than guys would spend on this bike. Perhaps we were wrong and it's certainly a consideration when looking at the new model which also has a crappy light and no screen. Quite a difference from the Mirage 2 for the twin, that we can't make fast enough !

Your idea with lifting the OEM screen sounds like a good solution though

If you look at the the average amount that most FF's spend on seats, GPS's, panniers, etc for F650's, I think you'll find that you underestimate the average F650 rider.

Hell, they own BMW's not KLR's

I'd go back to the drawing board on this one. Some of the other ones look pretty good. I agree with GS, go the Lynx route.

[rc mad]

I still want to see better pics of it