Vetter streamliner body kit

[hyper-miler]

Originally Posted by Burton

That stated do you have any side profile pictures of your beastly machine?

We can figure out the center of pressure and we can see if center of gravity is behind the center of pressure. ^_^

Here are the angles I sketched up in Solidworks compared to the Monotracer and the insight. Note:Accuracy of the angles is an estimate since the angle of the shot is not the same in all shots.

Before:


After:

Monotracer angles

Insight Angles



Vic's Ninja Angles


I will photoshop how the tail will look. The plan is to reduce the angle of attack into the wind by decreasing the angle of the windshield with plexiglass.

Lowes wants $67 for a 4'-3' (.080" thick) piece~$5.58/sq. ft(w/ -$10 of 50) =$57 or $4.75/sq ft. The current windshield is .155" thick (don't know the material). I found another supplier who is providing it for $2.8/sq ft (.08" thick). He also sells .093" and .118".

Should I buy thicker plexiglass? How thick? It will act as windshield and windows.
If anyone reading this wants to see something (sunroof,windshield wipers .... you name it) added let me know. I will try to engineer it in before proceeding. Also feel free to help engineer the front through photoshop or cad drawings.

[Burton]

Vetter says to go with Lexan 9034 0.50" or 1/16" I think for his wind shields. This type of lexan is really strong but flexible. Not sure how it would hold up to windshield wipers though :/

[hyper-miler]

Clear Lexan* Polycarbonate 9034 Sheeting
Lexan* 9034 uncoated polycarbonate sheet is the standard grade of Lexan* sheet for transparent protective glazing. High-impact Lexan* 9034 sheet can be utilized for primary glazing, or on either side of existing glazing for economical protection against breakage or intrusions. A better insulator than glass, Lexan* 9034 sheet contributes to lower energy costs. It is virtually unbreakable, making its products an excellent condidate for safety in areas where parts may be exposed to high impact. Will withstand -40° to 180° continuous and 250°F short term with no load. Forming temp. is approx. 375°F. Excellent thermoforming characteristics. Cold form radius no tighter than 100 times the thickness of the material. Superior fire performance. UL listed for burglary resistance. No UV treated surface. Typical applications include interior applications for industrial and commercial, interior glazing in security areas, fabricated parts, industrial machine guards and much more. *Lexan is a registered trademark of General Electric Company. Not FDA compliant.

The second concerns me more than the first bold.

[Burton]

I would suggest asking Vetter directly if the UV is an issue or anything else you might think would require you to purchase something else. I also found in applications where you have a lot of questions emailing someone from the company about what you plan on doing might help to.

Craig (at) craigvetter.com

Email him, he is home today ^_^

[sendler]

Originally Posted by hyper-miler

There is no way this 600lb beast is coming down. .

It seems like you are getting ahead of yourself and not taking advantage of the vast discussion that has taken place in various threads here on streamlining a motorcycle and performance in side winds. Vetter tried putting sides on his bike and took them back off when it was found to make a problem with directional control.

[hyper-miler]

Originally Posted by sendler

It seems like you are getting ahead of yourself and not taking advantage of the vast discussion that has taken place in various threads here on streamlining a motorcycle and performance in side winds. Vetter tried putting sides on his bike and took them back off when it was found to make a problem with directional control.

First of all I admire the huge gas mileage gains you are getting on your cbr250, and follow you on fuelly (fuelly link below), but after riding the hyosung gt250r in a tucked position I believe that streamling is superior to staying in a tuck.
My plan was to join the windshield and top portion similar to bmw c3. From the large sidewind deflection I am getting with the tail I believe something will have to be done about it when fully enclosed (eg.create a side angle not a flat fully vertical door.)

The real problem with our designs which Vetter & Alan are finally figuring out is the rider sits too high. So in Alans' new design he is extending the frame and dropping the seat down which will greatly reduce the side winds as well.



Note on the Monotracer above there is a pointed center on the sides coming out of the body, I believe this is critical to eliminating side wind tendency. This is what caused Vetters problems. I will utilize this design when fully enclosing it.

[sendler]

Originally Posted by hyper-miler

Note on the Monotracer above there is a pointed center on the sides coming out of the body, I believe this is critical to eliminating side wind tendency. This is what caused Vetters problems. I will utilize this design when fully enclosing it.

Adding a knife edge along the top of the tail has proven to instill oscillation for some reason and trying to spoil the lift (side) of the vertical wing will be very much less effective back there than using a spoil strip right along the nose since the greatest lift force will be at a location just behind the max thickness of the wing.
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Venting the pressure differential with openings across the bike at the max thickness is the best and simplest way to improve handling in side winds. And judging from the air movement I feel ripping across the gap when riding my PCX150, the cross sectional area of the vent will need to be on the order of 1 square foot. Maybe 2.

[Grant-53]

The automotive clear finishes in the basecoat-clear coat systems used on most vehicles are UV resistant. So clean the Lexan with dish soap and water. Rinse and let dry then wipe with a tack rag. Spray a couple light coats of clear acrylic enamel or urethane finish. Practice on some scrap material first to get a glossy finish. If needed, polish the fully cured surface with a very fine polishing compound. Teflon coatings such RainX can reduce wear from windshield wipers. Clean the windshield and wipers often to remove grit that can scratch the plastic.

[stiletto2]

Originally Posted by Grant-53

Clean the windshield and wipers often to remove grit that can scratch the plastic.

I talked to a guy that has an Ecomobile (predecessor to the Monotracer motorcycle) about how the wipers work on his bike. On the upward, windscreen cleaning wipe of the blades, a light and very dilute solution of dish soap and water sprays on to the surface ahead of the wiper blade on each wipe and no solution sprays on the retracting wipe of the blade. This is so that as much particulate on the windscreen will get lifted/floating to prevent fine scratching. Even fine dust is abrasive. Not sure if the spray is selective, (probably is) but it would seem to be not needed if used while rain was hitting the windscreen.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by hyper-miler

My plan was to join the windshield and top portion similar to bmw c3.

That'd either screw up the angle on the streamline aft of the rider - or it'd give you a massive barn-door tail that'd flop you over in a stiff sidewind.

The real problem with our designs which Vetter & Alan are finally figuring out is the rider sits too high.

Enter the recumbent motorcycle like the one Allert Jacobs built
214 mpg with DIY aerodynamic fairings on a Honda 125cc motorbike

Or Wolfgang Bauer's EvoMoto
http://www.evomoto.de

Both are ecomodder members, BTW.