# Any advice on fairings?



## threefingerjoe (7 Nov 2008)

I'm considering adding a fairing to a Rans Stratus XP. Any advice? Comments? Experiences?

Thanks,
Joe


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## byegad (7 Nov 2008)

I'm not familiar with the RANS but everyone I know, or have spoken to, who has a fairing for their 'bent likes it. I use a Streamer on my QNT and Kettwiesel, I know a Gold Rush rider who loves his fairing, sorry but I don't know the name of the fairing. Ben on this forum uses a Streamer on his Trice. 

Expect a fair amount of weather protection and a slight increase in speed. The faster you are the greater the speed increase.


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## derall (7 Nov 2008)

I have Streamer on a SMGT. Great on the downhills. Unfaired, the front end often gets a little light when at speed. Add the Streamer and you have an aerofoil which seems to keep the front end down and improve grip. Certainly the steering doesn't seem to jump around quite as much. Weather protection is good. I also have the Speedbag rear fairing which I think gives more of a speed increase than the Streamer


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## LeeW (9 Nov 2008)

Any idea what kind of fairing you want? I have built a fairing for my fujin from coroplast, which increased my avg speed for one hour from about 27mph to over 35mph. It can be a bit sensitive to wind and I would not want to use it on the road (I did try once). See a vid in action here. 
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyQSbefjsN0

It is possible to ride it with just the rear fairing in place, I have ridden to work with it a few times, it does add a little to my speed but the increase is nowhere close to the speed I get with the full fairing. The rear fairing doubles as a luggage box.


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## BentMikey (10 Nov 2008)

Lee, I'm thinking of getting a Fujin next year and need storage for my commute. Could you tell me some more about your rear fairing?

I think the Novosport Fujin box looks incredibly unstylish, btw.


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## LeeW (11 Nov 2008)

Some more pictures of the tb here:









Unlike my previous boxes, this tailbox had no integral frame. It sits ontop of a standard pannier rack and is fixed to the rack with two nuts and two aluminium bars. This does limit it's load capacity to day trip/commuting loads only, it is not really made for touring or large shopping loads. It is designed to be used with a front fairing thus is not optimal by itself. The part behind the head is larger than it would be on a dedicated standalone box.


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## BentMikey (12 Nov 2008)

That's such an amazing build job!! And that's a standard rack fitted to a Fujin SLII? That'd solve my storage problem too.


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## ufkacbln (12 Nov 2008)

The Ran Stratus is a problem with fairing such as the Streamer as it has no "leading boom" to mount to requiring the fairing to be mounted to handlebars and forks. It also needs to turn with the steering...

I use Windwrap, namely the XT and recently the GX on my Catrike - well thought out, well designed and they do a Rans version....
















CatrikeUK (of this Parish) imported both of mine - give him a "pm"....



Another alternative is Zzipper, although I have had bad experiemces with their fairings (stress cracks) and i do not know of a UK dealer.


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## threefingerjoe (16 Nov 2008)

Thanks, Cunobelin! That first photo that you posted is my bike. That's the Rans Stratus XP. The XP is the dual 26" wheel version of the Stratus. I'm in the USA, so I may check out that Windwrap. 

Another question: Will a headlamp shine through the fairing without reflecting the light back into your face? 

What do you folks think of fairings? Any disadvantages?

Thanks, again,
Joe


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## LeeW (16 Nov 2008)

I tried shining a light though a windwrap fairing but I found the amount of reflected light was too much so I mounted the light on top of the fairing instead. I was using a high-power HID light, maybe less of a problem with a lesser powered light.


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## ufkacbln (16 Nov 2008)

The quickest answer to lights on th Windwrap is a "bar end"

These allow a mount that extends beyond the fairing that allos most lights to be fitted

This is the mounting on my GX


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## threefingerjoe (26 Nov 2008)

Well, I installed a Windwrap on the Rans, and took a rather windy ride on Sunday. It was GREAT! However, I was riding with several mates who were on upright bikes, and I did a LOT of coasting, while waiting for them to catch up!

Temperature at the start was slightly above freezing. They were wearing coats and balaclavas. I had on a long underwear shirt and longsleeved shirt, stocking cap, gloves and blue jeans. I had a coat with me, but never needed to put it on. 

This was my first time riding with a fairing, and I am very pleased with the results! Thanks for all the responses!

Joe


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## ufkacbln (26 Nov 2008)

Excellent - any piccies?


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## threefingerjoe (27 Nov 2008)

Cunobelin,

No, I don't have any pics, but YOU do! ;-) In your first reply to my original note, you posted that pic of a Windwrap on my bike. It's that first photo. I have mudguards, which the bike in that picture doesn't have, and the Windwrap is slightly different, in that, for some reason, that "V" where it comes down over the wheel, comes much closer to the wheel on mine. I don't know if they have it mounted differently, or if the Windwrap is shaped a little differently, but it seems to fit perfectly.


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## SteveD (13 Jan 2009)

....where can you buy fairings in the UK?

Steve


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## byegad (13 Jan 2009)

Try Kinetics or Bike Fix for a Streamer. I've used both and the only problems have been slow delivery for HPVelotech. Nothing you can do about that!


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## SteveD (13 Jan 2009)

byegad said:


> Try Kinetics or Bike Fix for a Streamer. I've used both and the only problems have been slow delivery for HPVelotech. Nothing you can do about that!




great, I'll ask Bike Fix!


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## Riding in Circles (13 Jan 2009)

I sell the Windwrap range.


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## SteveD (13 Jan 2009)

Catrike UK said:


> I sell the Windwrap range.




great ...anything suitable for my RatRacer SL?

thanks Steve


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## Riding in Circles (13 Jan 2009)

SteveD said:


> great ...anything suitable for my RatRacer SL?
> 
> thanks Steve



I think a GX with a onepoint mount would work ok.


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## SteveD (13 Jan 2009)

Catrike UK said:


> I think a GX with a onepoint mount would work ok.



sounds good, what's it look like and how much?

thanks Steve


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## SteveD (14 Jan 2009)

Bike fix can do a suitable Streamer for the RatRacer SL (probably fit the Hurricane too) at £310

Anybody got a preference for this over the Wind Wrap?


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## Riding in Circles (14 Jan 2009)

SteveD said:


> sounds good, what's it look like and how much?
> 
> thanks Steve



It looks like this;







and costs £395 plus VAT.


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## ufkacbln (14 Jan 2009)

This is the Windwrap GX on my Catrike....


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