Hi Teri, Welcome to Ecomodders! Interesting discussion about the storm strip in front of the nose. I got into streamlining almost 4 years ago and have enjoyed some success with my bikes. I started with a 1982 Yamaha 550cc Vision got it up to 66.8 mpg then switched to a 2000 Kawaskai Ninja Ex250. With the Ninjette I've gotten a best tankfill of 146 mpg and have Vetter Challenges runs of 130 mpg( 2013 MidOhio, 4th Place) and 119mpg ( 2012 MidOhio, 2nd Place) . I ride my streamliner on a regular basis and have ridden it from the SF Bay area to Kentucky and back. I run a Vetter fiberglass nose and I built a Vetter-style tail using plywood, doorskin and fiberglass. I'm good friends with Craig Vetter, Alan Smith Terry Hershner and Fred Hayes.
Craig's , Alan's, Terry's and mine are pretty similar in profile. All us do pretty well in windy conditions though Craig's struggles a bit more than ours. We suspect is due to the Helix scooter steering geometry , low center of gravity and small wheels.
I agree that the Honda cbr250r is a good choice as your base platform. Single cylinder , fuel injection and water- cooling are all desirable features. Sendler has had great success with his. The Ninja 250 is cheap, durable and does surprising well despiteits sport tuning. Good luck with your efforts !
