The CB1100 Community Forum

I have Windjammer from a 77 Kawasaki and a mount for a 78 CB750. I am going to install it on my 14 CB1100 STD. The fairing is in good shape, it is light blue (ugly). I will be painting, wrapping, or ?. Even with a base coat clear coat I don't know if I can achieve the same paint quality as the tank has. Thought about wrapping in in gloss black or satin black. I also have a good size sheet if marine grade black vinyl. I haven't taken the bike apart yet to start test fitting. The weather here has just been too nice. Initial measurements I think it will fit with minor modifications. The fairing has the head light, but I think I can use the one off the bike. The first thing I need to do is clean and prep it for covering it in what ever I am going to use. Can something like this be powder coated?. Any thoughts or comments would be awesome.
Thanks

work out the mounting first then worry about the color

I would avoid vinyl, it is very fragile and easy to damage. Then, very difficult to impossible to repair.

The part being powder coated needs to hold a charge and be conductive. So the Windjammer, being ABS will not be conductive - so no powder coating. Now IF you managed to get a proper thin film of paint on there it needs to be baked; and you will melt the ABS.

So painting, painting and hydro-coating or vinyl wrap; each having their pluses and minus'.

The mount was designed for a frame without an oil cooler and smaller diameter down tubes. You'll need a water proof "container" for the wiring loom that is normally inside the headlight bucket. You don't show it but there is a wiring harness that plugs into the Vetter and interfaces with your bikes wiring (headlight, signals) and if you don't have one you'll need to fabricate up something. Get the mount sorted first, and if that goes well, proceed with the rest. Maybe even test ride it for a while to see if it's something you want to keep.

I talked to a local car painter; $350-$500 to paint a fairing, depending upon prep needed. Craig Vetters website has info on the proper mounting of a Vetter fairing if you have not already checked it out.

If you google powder coat fiberglass a lot of sites come up. Apparently it can be done. I'd just have it painted myself.

Early Vetters were fiberglassed, but when they hit the big time they were ABS. The one pictured is plastic.

Didn't know you could powder coat fiberglass though. Thanks for that!

I don't think I will go the powder coat route, it was just a thought. There is a place near by that does wrap, I am going to see what they will charge. I can paint it myself. I have painted a few cars, base coat/clear coat and single stage. I would have to wet sand and buff it to get close to the finish these bikes have. As far as the mount, I think I can manipulate the oil cooler enough to make it fit. The frame brakets are very close. I am registered on the Vetter fairing forum and found a guy that put one on a 750 Night Hawk.
Thanks for the replies

This is a vinyl wrapped carbon fiber chassis. High quality wrap, but horrible durability. The worst damage was done from poor handling after it was disassembled but it was damaged many times with meticulous care before that.

I found a close match Vetter bracket for the CB1100: 1980 Suzuki GS1000 but it will need skillful cutting and custom bracing and welding to fit around the CB1100 oil cooler. Its on my 2013 w/ a Vesco fairing which uses Vetter brackets. It doesnt photograph w/ the fairing on so I don't have pics to show the bracket.

Looks great. Fortunately I have a welder as well as all the tools I should need to complete the job, I think I am going to paint the fairing. I need to paint the factory wing on my wife's car any way and it is black as well. Thanks for the info.