Hi Low&Slow,
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Originally Posted by low&slow
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.
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I run a Vetter fiberglass nose and I built a Vetter-style tail using plywood, doorskin and fiberglass.
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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.
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As I alluded to in a previous post, motorcycle system dynamics is largely an unknown science (Honda probably knows a lot more). A quick search shows the Ninja has a smaller trail than the Honda CBR250R. Not a lot but less. I can't find the trail spec for a Honda Helix. Tony Foale said less is better in side wind conditions. I wonder if the Helix's trail is the reason. Roller skate wheels can't help either.
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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 !
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The Honda CBR250R is just my paper (so far) choice. Unfortunately Honda has only produced them for only a few years before bumping up the displacement to 300cc while Kawisaki has made the Ninja 250 for a 1/4 century! No wonder there are more Ninja's available. I really dislike excessive noise and a screaming Ninja motor inches from me is a disincentive. Long life is likely less due to the higher rpm's.
I'm retired on a limited budget so getting a base bike is a large investment for me. I may have to settle on a Ninja for financial reasons. I suppose someone out there makes a muffler for less noise although preliminary search shows the very opposite! I guess a car muffler can be used with some possible extra back pressure (maybe not) penalty.
Back on topic, Craig just replied to me and said his prelinimary testing indicates a stall strip seems to help a lot. I'm waiting for his full report.
Edit: On another "problem", long tails, Vetter has said his long tail presents no problem for him. Others may have a storage problem in their garage or shop. Has anyone considered a hinged tail like Navy carrier aircraft wings? A simple double hinge link would allow the extra tail length to fold back on itself for storage.
-- Teri