Vetter Vindicator fairing on Tourer

[6adan]

  I am just wondering if anyone has tried this? I have one laying around so I am thinking about trying it.

[Jess from VA]

I dunno, but the first thing to check is the headlight cutout in the fairing; it may be for a 7" and you need a 9" (I think).  Even if the cutout is OK, you made need to move the lamp a bit out/forward from normal.

I had the Vetter Windjammer on my CB 750K and I think that was a 7" cutout (too many decades to remember though).

[6adan]

  Thanks Jess, Just something I got to thanking about, I have several Vetters around. The Vetter has it's own headlight.

[Gryphon Rider]

I'm sure I could squeeze into a pair of spandex cycling shorts from the '80s, but should I?

[The emperor has no clothes]

I'm sure I could squeeze into a pair of spandex cycling shorts from the '80s, but should I?

I'm pretty sure I shouldn't. 

[John Schmidt]

Saw somewhere there are three things that don't lie: little kids, drunks, and yoga pants. Now we can add whatever our bespectacled friend is wearing (almost) in the above picture. Difficult to tell if his pants are holding his belly up or his belly is holding his pants down. I just know after seeing this image burned into my eyeballs, I feel much better about my time spent at the gym and I'd guess I have a few years on this adonis of the racing circuit. 

[6adan]

It is amazing how a topic can change but I love it . That is a picture you can not unsee.

[The emperor has no clothes]

It is amazing how a topic can change but I love it . That is a picture you can not unsee.

Glad you took it in good humor. As to your original question. I'd be surprised if the Vetter fairing would fit around the Valkyrie gas tank. I only had one of them way back in the day. But I don't remember them having much room around a Honda 450 tank.

[6adan]

Thanks Pluggy for that. I have never ridden with one but have several around here that I have taken off early GL1000 goldwings and just can't throw them away. There is a Windjammers web site that shows several late model bikes with them and the thought crossed my mind about putting one on a Valkyrie.

[Pluggy]

Hey, Dan.  You may be able to provide some spare parts to people, particularly if you have fairings with the built-in lights.  Replacement windshields are available, and expensive.   If you have one of those that can be made good, it would interest people.

What I need is a left Vetter saddlebag shell.  Mine cracked (after my abuse).  I fixed it ugly.  The hard one to find is a CB900C style that fits the upswept mufflers.

[6adan]

   Pluggy, I have a left one off a GL1000 Goldwing if that would work. If it will it is yours just for shipping.

[F6Dave]

Wasn't the Vindicator a good bit smaller than the Windjammer?  As I remember, it was for mid-sized bikes of the era, while the Windjammer was more of the big touring fairing.

I had a Windjammer on 2 Suzukis and a clone on my KZ900.  They gave you excellent protection and had an amazing amount of storage.  I remember getting fitting an entire 12 pack of beer inside the fairing!

[Pluggy]

Windjammer I thru III used the turn signals that came off your bike.  The later Windjammer SS, Windjammer IV and V had built-in turn signals.  Vindicator was basically a Windjammer III, sold as a lower-priced alternative to the newer versions.  

Quicksilver was the smaller frame-mounted fairing, and nicely fit the 550-650cc 4 cylinder bikes.

http://craigvetter.com/pages/Vetter_Fairings/Every_Vetter_Fairing_made.html

The Vetter fairing, saddlebags, and trunk were "must haves" for the original Gold Wing.  Gold Wing Interstate arrived in '81, and added $1,000 to the cost of a stripped Wing.  That was about what the whole Vetter set cost, purchased separately.  The Interstate allowed a buyer to finance everything as part of the bike, instead of plunking down a grand after buying a new bike.

The Vetter name was later owned by Bell and used on some products made by them.

I have owned a Windjammer V since January 1981.  I also had a Vetter-Bell helmet that was really nice.

[Jess from VA]

Vetter Vindicator:


Vetter Windjammer: (several versions)

[Bagger John - #3785]

I had a Windjammer V on one of my CB750 SOHCs.

That, along with a set of Shoei saddlebags pretty much sold me on the concept which would ultimately result in me being gifted with my "handle".

If I could have Service Parts Forever, I'd own another CB750 setup (albeit with a GL1000 front end) plus an '83 GL1100 Standard and Aspencade.

[6adan]

Bagger John, I have a 84 1200 Standard and a 84 1200 Interstate that are projects and I even have enough parts to come up with a CB750 if you really need some projects.

[Bagger John - #3785]

Bagger John, I have a 84 1200 Standard and a 84 1200 Interstate that are projects and I even have enough parts to come up with a CB750 if you really need some projects.

Notice I said "service parts forever". 

When I bought my first Valkyrie in 2000, Honda still carried a lot of spare parts for my '83 'Wings - and for the SOHC 750s. If they would continue to provide everything in the way of service consumables needed to keep a regularly-ridden bike on the road, I'd likely not own anything in the way of a touring platform besides the '83 Standard and Aspencade.

I really enjoyed those machines. A lot. It was possible to pare weight by going to a different exhaust and if one was a little attentive to tuning, upwards of 90HP could be gotten at the rear wheel. Given that the modified Standard is 70lbs lighter than a GL1500C, this brought the GL1100 fairly close to the Valkyrie in terms of performance.

Big Dan (RIP  ) took an entire U-Haul of 750 stuff out of here in the early 2000s and coworkers bought all my 'Wings. I have a bunch of NOS parts, aftermarket chrome (GL1100s/1200s) and various used parts for those machines which is going to be put up for sale soon - as soon as I finish inventorying it. Thus closes the early Gold Wing chapter on my lifelong book of motorcycling.

[6adan]

  Bagger John, I understand completely. I still like all of the bikes I have but I just have to many project bikes.  I am at the point that I know I am not going to get to them am going to let the go to someone that can use and enjoy them.