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[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Okay, so here's where I admit I've been off in the deep end for a few months.

In September, I put down an order for an Airtech DBL2 dustbin fairing for my 2016 DSR (along with user togo here who got a DBL1 for his 2014 SR, we had them shipped together). By October, I finally got a fabricator set up with a sketchy plan and the fairing and bike. That took a good deal longer than expected, and I have been working on the bike since mid-December to fix issues with the mount and develop solutions to complement the dustbin.

Here's my top level summary:

• The Vetter (or Corbin) fairing would be better. Much better. It's painful trying to make an integrated airflow solution from parts. I've inquired about buying one of them but of course they're still not available for a lot of complicated mostly unfortunate reasons.
• The dustbin pushes a lot of air, and Airtech's dustbins are for low, classic racing bikes so that air aims at your chest even if you're crouching.
• The Airtech fairings are 20-21" wide, shielding one's legs from full speed airflow.
• The DBL2 is more snub-nosed and has vertical walls, where the DBL1 is more round-profiled. I went with the DBL2 because of the challenge of enclosing the DSR front fork and wheel in its full swing.
• The inside of the dustbin gets very dirty. I want to switch my DSR front fender to a low fender as soon as possible to reduce that spray.
• Drag reduction is around 15% but that's only if everything is aligned right. It is far too easy to negate most of the benefit very quickly.
• Tail fabrication is next on my mind, of course. I'm looking at techniques for framing and forming composites (fiberglass) around an aluminum box structure that slides on over my top rack and very sturdy Happy Trails side racks. Without the Happy Trails racks, this would be much more difficult.

My immediate activity is doing research on another windscreen since I have a fairing installed now which massively changes the airflow profile leading up to the windscreen, and my Parabellum is going to retire from the DSR to the DS since I can't make it work any more. Right now, I get great mileage if I allow a ton of air to hit me at full speed, so clearly there's something to solve.

I'm debating the VStream versus a CalSci windscreen, which may come down to whether I can get a used-price version of either that is close enough. I'm getting nutty enough now that I might cut my own NACA ducted windscreen if I can arrange the tooling right, but CalSci is just a long jaunt away from me in Sacramento, so maybe that's the solution.

I'm attaching a recent shot that does not include the lower windscreen over the headlamp, which has been its own fabrication story. I'm using a thin piece of polycarbonate that flexes too much but I could fit without an oven session. I'll get a final version made based on it.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

The mount is based on a hack-job of the crash bars, plus some custom work to support the fairing up forward. The DBL1 is easier to mount because it lacks the large front cutout, and I'm inclined to design a very simple solution that fits both fairings based on lessons learned here.

[mrwilsn]

It's about time you posted some pics.  I've been waiting since said you were showing up at Alice's with a fairing!

Can you explain more about the mounting brackets you had fabricated and post some pictures of them?  Did you have them welded to the frame? Or did you work out some other solution?

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Can you explain more about the mounting brackets you had fabricated and post some pictures of them?  Did you have them welded to the frame? Or did you work out some other solution?

The crash bar mount is how it joins to the frame. The frame is not welded or modified in any way - my explicit goal is for this project be non-destructive and use existing hardware as much as possible.

The crash bars themselves were cut to shorten to the 21" width. There's a lot of complication I want to explain as I show the pictures, because the point is to illustrate what a simpler design will do in its place, so I'll defer doing that until I have time for a proper post this evening.

Basically the fairing joins via 3 Dzus quick-turn fasteners on each side to plates that are welded to two aluminum structural supports that run horizontally forward around the inner trace of the fairing. This structure than bolts into the steel crash bars. So, it can all be taken apart, and the fairing itself can be removed in less than a minute.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

About handling concerns, in crosswinds it is fine. Honestly the front wheel cover had more of an effect and the fairing kind of smoothed that out. I've ridden in stormy gusting crosswinds across metal expansion plates on the Bay Bridge and while it was thorny, it did not feel significantly unplanted or more impacted than the stock bike.

I will say that I'm commuting on this bike daily (43 miles each way on highways), and the main effect day to day is that my commute is 5-10mph faster with no change in power consumption, at least when I'm crouched. Today I went to work at mostly 75mph with an effective overall range of 90 miles. It's definitely not comfortable because of the windscreen situation, getting nearly full speed air at my head, but I'm working on that and hopefully can solve a good amount of it this weekend.

[mrwilsn]

The fairing looks to be mounted really close to the ground...Do you have issues with it scrapping?

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

It's mounted as high as the belly pan allows, plus a quarter inch. No, it doesn't scrape.

The DBL1 has better cornering clearance because the profile is more oval than the DBL2's square-ish profile.

Remember, you're looking at the bike on the side stand photographed from above. There's quite a bit of clearance but the corner of the fairing would touch down before the footpeg.

Again, I would prefer the DBL1 for most reasons aside from the DS wheel and fender clearance and the amount of cutting the DBL1 requires to use at all.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Photos with the second windshield version I made this morning.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

After testing this, I can confirm that 20% drag reduction is real if I'm tucking behind that windscreen. But I need a further refinement (another windshield on the way) on that to say for sure that I don't have to tuck.

I can ride at 75mph at the same consumption rate I used to get at 60-65mph.

Unfortunately, my life got really busy this last month, so this might be where the design sits for a few weeks while I work on little details and planning the tail project.

[Erasmo]

The new scoop shield looks good. That 20% reduction, is that compared to a stock bike or shieldless scoop?

Also something that I am pondering with, do you think that the oem bikestand still suffices if the bike is parked outside and it's windy?

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

The new scoop shield looks good. That 20% reduction, is that compared to a stock bike or shieldless scoop?

Thanks!

That's compared to the 16 DSR with my Parabellum windscreen which I can't use now because together with the fairing, it pushes too much air and causes a vortex to hit me in the upper back.

Also something that I am pondering with, do you think that the oem bikestand still suffices if the bike is parked outside and it's windy?

I think it does; the profile of the fairing is round enough that it's not just a sail. And it has been tested since we've (SF Bay Area) had a lot of winds and rain these days and I've left it outside several times.

However, I do want that parking brake to help a bit, and it'd be nice to have a wider foot on the end of it to resist it rotating. Since it's cast alloy, I suspect that a quick weld job of a plate against it would probably have issues, but I'll ask around.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Here's the CalSci windshield for a BMW R1200RT that I intend to try next. I bought it used via EBay. The NACA slot in the lower section is what I'm betting on, but it's also shorter than the Parabellum I had and curves upward a bit.

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Also something that I am pondering with, do you think that the oem bikestand still suffices if the bike is parked outside and it's windy?

I think it does; the profile of the fairing is round enough that it's not just a sail. And it has been tested since we've (SF Bay Area) had a lot of winds and rain these days and I've left it outside several times.

However, I do want that parking brake to help a bit, and it'd be nice to have a wider foot on the end of it to resist it rotating. Since it's cast alloy, I suspect that a quick weld job of a plate against it would probably have issues, but I'll ask around.

I'm suddenly reminded that these kickstands are relatively weak and can bend under load sometimes (happened to my 13DS when a car backed into it and I recall a similar story or two). So maybe it's time to shop for a third party kickstand that fits the bill - I hope this can be done, anyway.

[Richard230]

I like the looks of that CalSci shield, Brian.   

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

I like the looks of that CalSci shield, Brian.   

I can set you up with my flexible Parabellum mount if you want. I'm debating whether to upgrade my 13DS with it or make needed room in my new garage.