I figured out a slightly more attractive color pattern and particularly a high temperature gloss clear coat that handles road debris much better, in time for Makerfaire.
How does it affect range/comfort/handling? Handling: esp. in strong cross winds. When will these by in production? GoFundMe? Is it available in other colors? (note: above comments are mostly satirical. But .. I'd really like one)
Well, that's the first somewhat serious offer I've heard!
It handles relatively well and seems to yield a 20% efficiency gain and is comfortable to ride behind, although it's incomplete without a complementary tail piece of some kind. Also, the fairing being low means that leg and waist coverage is not great. I have a tail in progress but it's a bit of a mess conceptually while I've been digesting previous works' lessons and trying to make it easy to fabricate and safe and sturdy to use.
As far as reproducing this result, this was the Airtech DBL2 dustbin fairing ($750) with a custom mount made from Zero's drop bars ($250) and some bent tubing around the front trace ($100 parts plus too much welding labor given the prototyping back and forth plus maybe $50 for special Dzus fasteners, another $80 for a decent paint job, $50 to make the cutout's windscreen, $100 for the upper windscreen MRA stalks, and ~$80 for the upper windscreen itself).
... In short, I paid a lot to prototype this, and would rather make something cheaper for others to reproduce.
The DBL2 is visibly very low against the Zero's profile and the profile is square-ish, which reduces cornering angles and makes for more sidewind vulnerability than I'd like. The bike has been usable but a little scary crossing the Bay Bridge in stormy weather with 45knot crosswind gusts. The reduced cornering angle alone is annoying (although shaving the paint or vinyl off in a corner makes a strangely satisfying sound for a moment). I'd pick the DBL1 ($750) or a Vetter nose (more expensive but incredible sturdy and wide) because they have round profiles, are doubly-curved, and therefore can be mounted and braced with one diagonal arc extending in the plane of the drop bars (along the forward diagonal frame strut) and then fastened in multiple points across that arc.
Both of these nose fairings will require making suitable cutouts in the underside of the fairing for the wheel (I now have a good pattern for this for the DS and the S cutout will be a smaller version of the same via togo), and another cutout for a front headlamp. I'm inclined to make a wide cutout for the OEM headlamp and cover it with thin flexible polycarbonate plastic.
I am considering making a little campaign to produce a small batch of these, with help from some knowledgeable fabricating business contacts, but it'll be much simpler than what I just put together and more attractive. Otherwise, I'd just publish the plans (and may just do that, anyway).
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Topic: Exploratory Streamliner Build (Read 3273 times)