Ninja 250 EV conversion: solar recharged & "Vetter style" streamlining

[tigerbyte]

Hey this guy is in my home town. i cant believe i haven't seen this thing around

Looks like he has since updated the faring.


http://prometheussolar.com/Motorcycle.aspx

[alohaspirit]

Originally Posted by tigerbyte

Hey this guy is in my home town. i cant believe i haven't seen this thing around

Looks like he has since updated the faring.

who knew spies were so aero

[alvaro84]

Originally Posted by beatr911

This guy has a really great technical start and it looks like an eye for good design as well. A rare and valuable combination.

Well said. I really like this fairing and especially the fact that apparently you're not in a cage in some helpless position (it must be scary to drive a recumbent streamliner) but can ride it like a normal motorcycle. You even have your legs at hand in case you stop. I'm aware that it deteriorates drag coefficient (like a really big, open window on a car), but looks safer.
Now, this is the streamliner I'd gladly try.
We only need a better battery pack at the same weight at most, to get a really usable range (like 300 or more miles)

[Grant-53]

I have had some experiences with bicycles and fairings. I now mount the nose piece to the frame rather than the handle bars so that the side pressure does not affect the steering. My latest bike uses a 20" mag wheel in the front with a shallow angled frame. A faired front wheel needs fin area behind the steering axis for stability much the same as the whole bike needs the center of pressure behind the center of mass to head into the wind.

[cosmic_kid]

How would a person get started making a fairing that beautiful? I've never done any auto-body work or metal fabrication so I'd be starting from scratch.

[Grant-53]

Start at the local library and look for books on composite materials and fiberglass construction. There are books on building racecars, boats, and aircraft that have good techniques. Making a fiberglass mold is a lot of work unless you plan to make more than one. If you are good at calculus or sheet metal development drawing, you can do things with honeycomb or sheets of material bonded to foam insulation. My book on composite materials is by Keith Noakes.

[Grant-53]

The WISIL website has anecdotes of racers who have crashed their streamlined recumbents. The consensus is that the skins protected them from abrasion
(road rash). A good fairing design and a lap belt can go a long way to protecting a rider on two wheels from injury in a traffic accident while enjoying that sense of freedom we love so much.