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Bryan,
I read in one of your recent posts, that your tear-drop bodywork will be about 10 feet long.
Take a very close look at the body shapes and *lengths* from the Craig Vetter High Mileage Contest from bygone years. Several of those streamliners did indeed crash when piloted on the very twisty and windy California coast during several competitions.
One tipover was the now infamous Honda streamliner piloted by stunt rider Deby Evans, a very skilled rider. The high winds caught her off-guard, and down she went. The body-work was pretty beat up and she retired early and did not finish the event. The streamliner had full body work including a large canopy to cover the rider and allow good sight, similar to your idea. Unfortunately, this design also suffers from a large susceptibility to sidewinds.
Charlies entry on the other hand, with his exposed back has some very obvious benefits, including good air separation from his body during large side wind forces. He also has the option of sitting up slightly if the side wind increases, which effectively decouples the lift generated by high winds, making for a safer and less tip prone ride. Obviously, keeping the overall length shorter also helps.
You may want to rethink utilizing the more efficient, but more unstable full canopy design. On the other hand, if you were set on building a full canopy machine, then you may want to think about lowering the whole CG of vehicle and adding a third wheel, thus making a Class II motorcycle as I am in works of building.
Just some food for thought, Jim.
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