'The Beast' - Reborn

16v4nrbrgr · Dec 15, 2012

max350 said:
You can use a 1950 century"mopedstrut" that moped riders used in Sweden

http://www.militart.se/product.html/strut-klassisk--gammal-mopedstrut-2?category_id=19

OMFG that's ridiculous, it's like the cone veterinarians put on your pet to keep them from gnawing at their stitches!

Awesome progress Lowracer! I'm trying to be careful and not catch a cold because the San Geronimo valley is filled with pea soup cold wet air, 45 F and 100% humidity, blech.

max350 · Dec 16, 2012

16v4nrbrgr said:
OMFG that's ridiculous, it's like the cone veterinarians put on your pet to keep them from gnawing at their stitches!

Awesome progress Lowracer! I'm trying to be careful and not catch a cold because the San Geronimo valley is filled with pea soup cold wet air, 45 F and 100% humidity, blech.

It may look very ridiculous, but it's very effective protection from the wind while driving, Test it, if you dare

lowracer · Dec 16, 2012

'The Beast' - Reborn with Fairing

Here are a few pics with the fairing mounted more upright. This is how I'll be riding it soon.
-Lowracer-

16v4nrbrgr · Dec 16, 2012

Looking good!

Max350, what happens when you sit upright, isn't your face an air brake then?

I'm going to try to bend up a lexan windcreen for my dirtbike today. I tried last night but got the dreaded bubbles.

Ludwig II · Dec 16, 2012

A lot of plastics are hygroscopic, that is they absorb water, this is useful for would be moulders to know. They need drying for several hours at a temperature just low enough to avoid causing any distortion, otherwise, as has been said here, the water boils off when the sheet is raised to the 130C or whatever for shaping and you get this solid frothy thing.

16v4nrbrgr · Dec 16, 2012

Yeah, polycarbonate is really bad with moisture. I heated it slowly to avoid the moisture, but got frustrated with my electric heating tools and took my "windscreen" to the gas range, lol.

The best results I've gotten has been with a infrared heater and using an IR gun to make sure to not exceed 350F.

Hey Lowracer, Walgreens sells these combo locking cash boxes for $20, maybe something like this can kill two birds with one stone, hooked to the frame.

//end threadjack

lowracer · Dec 20, 2012

I took the fairing bike on a 70 mile journey today to do my job.
When I left the house & 8:30 am, it was 48 degrees F. I wore a ballcap, sunglasses polo shirt with long sleeve windbreaker shell. Also long pants with socks & sneakers. The fairing did an excellent job of keeping the air off of my torso, hands, face and head. I was comfy. I know if I had not had the fairing, I would have been freezing doing 35 mph through the wind. I got to my 1st stop & hung out there for about 45 minutes. The temps starting rising as the sun began to shine & the rest of my stops were nice & warm. The wind began to pick up strength later in the afternoon to between 25-29 mph due to a storm front pushing this way & made the latter part of my day a new challenge. The bike handled beautifully in the very windy conditions & never felt like I would be blown away. The wind definitely slowed the bike down more than usual since the fairing presents alot more frontal area than just me, but not to the point of being anemic. The 47r has plenty of oomph to push the bike through the wind, just gotta lay into the throttle a bit more. I saw similar max rpm's today as I have without the fairing so I know I'm still going fast, just more comfortably and possibly just a tad slower.
Only 2 bad things happened today:
1- I parked the bike against a shipping container & locked the front brake with a velcro strap as I usually do to prevent rolling. The wind picked up strength while I was indoors at my stop & blew my bike over. The mirror busted off & cracked (now trash). I had to continue my day without the rear view (I like to see behind me).
2- My Radbot 1000 rear flashing light ran out of battery power early in the day & quit working (I like to be seen from behind)
I made it to all my stops & got home safe & sound so overall it was a good day out...
-Lowracer-

Ludwig II · Dec 20, 2012

That's one thing I failed to remember, parking out of the wind/breeze. Your problems with keeping the legs warm, a form of leg shielding might be problematical. What about ski type salopettes? Designed, after all, to keep one warm in cold conditions.

lowracer · Dec 20, 2012

Only problem is I'd feel silly walking into my daily stops wearing that stuff.
If it gets that cold here I'll probably take the car.
Yeah, I'm a wimp...lol.
-lowracer-

Ludwig II · Dec 20, 2012

Let me get this straight, you have a form of transport that has people pointing at you, and you worry about appearing silly?

Ludwig II · Dec 20, 2012

Try these:

lowracer · Dec 20, 2012

...I couldnt go to work in those...
When people are pointing at me, they are envious & excited & want to get one, not laughing at the fool on the motor bicycle.
Maybe a vespa type fairing to get them legs tucked in and out of the airstream?
-Low-

Ludwig II · Dec 20, 2012

You probably have rain guttering available somewhere local, what about 2 pieces on brackets off the frame tubes as a pair of old fashioned leg shields. Perhaps with a reversed section connecting them in the middle? \_//^\\_/

Ludwig II · Dec 20, 2012

There's a big range of sizes available as well.

Something which occurs to me is to made a wire/rod/tube frame and tie sail cloth to it and, when it's warm, reef it in.

lowracer · Dec 20, 2012

LudwigII,
I think I'll wear some thermal skivvies if the weather gets that cold.
I was impressed though today at 48F doing 35-40mph with no shivering, warm hands, no gloves...
-Lowracer-

Ludwig II · Dec 20, 2012

I must find pics of my mate Fubar's Honda Cub, set up, seriously, for Arctic conditions. Mx tyres, legshield extensions, it's positively galleon like in it's sail area.

Ludwig II · Dec 20, 2012

lowracer · Dec 20, 2012

I'd like to see the images.
I do like the comfort of the almost straight up seating position I got now on this bike.
I probably wont go changing it to experiment, but I would love to see what type of speed/efficiency gains are possible using very low handlebars & a very aero bubble type ecochallenge type fairing (like this)
http://www.craigvetter.com/pages/470MPG/high mileage fairing.html
-Low-

Ludwig II · Dec 20, 2012

He thinks it's fun to do Norway in winter on that thing, and camp by the side of the road when he gets tired. Strange boy.

Otero · Jan 13, 2013

If you were in Colorado this time of year, you'd just be a face in the crowd.
If you feel funny, picture a big lug like me riding shirtless in cutoff
Oshkosh overalls. Li'l Abner gone to seed.

'The Beast' - Reborn

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