101.5 MPG on my 2003 Ninja 250!!!

[godscountry]

Very impressive numbers

[Grant-53]

Glad to hear you are doing well. The motorcycle threads have helped me in my bicycle fairing efforts. Dimensionally a bicycle fairing is about 7/8 the size of a motorcycle fairing. Any commute less than 10 miles is definitely ideal for bicycling. Many of the same principles apply. Reduce aero drag, the right tires, good lubrication, route selection, and regular maintenance all contribute to efficient riding. For urban riding either an e-bike and trailer or an internal gear hub bike is great. A faired TT style bike will get you up to 25 mph for a faster ride. Gives an added option to park and ride.

[alvaro84]

How much bicycle fairing weigh? Doesn't it hinder you uphills where you can pedal like under 10mph so aero drag is negligible but weight is everything?

[Grant-53]

The weight of a fairing depends on the materials used and the size. The lightest materials are extruded plastic (ie 4mm Coroplast), foam, nylon tubing, honeycomb aluminum, and wire mesh bonded between tarp plastic. Less than a kilogram is possible.

[godscountry]

A rider on a non streamlined bicycle, will use 90 percent of his power to maintain about 15 mph plus speeds[all of which is to overcome air resistance]We all have seen what a streamlined recumbent bike is capable of, 80 plus mph !!!.Weight doesn't seem to have as much of a effect at cruise speeds as the air itself has,Allert Jacobs partially streamlined Honda Innova 125 cc weighted 43 percent or 88 lbs more with the body and hardware components he added,but he still was able to almost double his fuel mileage,so it looks like air is the real enemy ,if you can cut a nice clean hole in it and fill that hole back up,with nice and clean air,you can go really fast and really far.

[alvaro84]

Originally Posted by godscountry

A rider on a non streamlined bicycle, will use 90 percent of his power to maintain about 15 mph plus speeds[all of which is to overcome air resistance]

Oh, I was talking about uphills. On the way to the neighboring village I can maintain like 11km/h | 7mph, I guess aero drag is much less at that speed. That's where weight becomes a factor. But if it can really be done in 'less than a kilogram', that shouldn't hurt. I've climbed steeper (~ 6km/h | 4mph) hills with a watermelon on the luggage rack.

[Grant-53]

We have some fair hills here too at N42 W72 in western NY state. One variant of a fairing would be for loaded touring with front and rear pannier bags. It is the descents where speed build up that determines stiffness so a front fairing doesn't collapse. Vetter uses a fiberglass nose and a thin skin for the tail. I have used Coroplast with 1/2 in. hard nylon tubing for a hoop stiffener.

Another advantage for a fairing is the improved crash protection that can be designed into the structure. A bulkhead can act as a roll bar, front and rear crush zones, and leg protection make staying with the bike a viable option now versus ejection into trees or guard rails. Above 20 mph with that protection I start thinking lap belt too. Not yet a popular thought but it follows the trend automobiles took in the 1960's through to the present. Inflatable suits for the racers and ABS plus air bags on the roads for motorcycles.

[ProDigit]

you can go as low as a 15/37t if it mechanically fits, without losing top speed.
If you want to improve MPG further, do 128:1 oil in the fuel.
In a 4 gal tank, that means pouring 4oz of 2 stroke oil in it.
You should get 95-105MPG out of it.

[doviatt]

Whatever effort it takes to push weight up a hill comes back for free on the way down. This balances out.
Aero is is constant battle. You never get aero drag back! (even going down hill)