Laminar Sport 1 Fairing

LAMINAR SPORT 1 FAIRING

EVALUATIONS

Skipping the formal name of Laminar Sport 1 fairing for the moment, what we have here is another chapter in a continuing search for a sports fairing that works.

We also have a new descriptive title, the Cafe Windshield.

How this comes about began with chapter one, in which the CW long-term Kawasaki KZ650 was fitted with a Krauser fairing designed for a Honda G L1000. Our intention was to have a useful fairing for the sports/touring rider. Such a fairing should provide wind protection for a sit-up rider, look attractive and be small enough to look over rather than through. The Krauser did all the above, but it’s expensive ($250) and because it wasn’t intended for the KZ650, the installation left something to be desired.

Thus, the Sport 1 fairing. It’s made by Laminar Inc., Columbus, Ohio, and it’s a universal fairing, meaning that it’s designed to be adapted to almost any production road bike.

The Laminar fairing consists of three main parts; a fiberglass headlight shell, which holds a square quartz-halogen headlight and replaces the stock shell; the fairing itself, nicely styled and finished fiberglass, and the windscreen, more properly the choice of windscreens as they are offered in short, medium or tall. With the main pieces came the usual hardware, i.e. bolts and nuts and washers and instructions and a plus in the form of a quartzhalogen headlight. The one in our kit was made by Cibiè and was to H4 spec, that is, highway legal and just the sort of headlight all road bikes should have.

The Laminar system is different from most fairings. The installation begins with the removal of the stock headlight and shell. Fairing and new shell are approximately positioned, by holding the assembly so it clears the instruments, stanchion tubes, etc., and the new shell is drilled to mount on the tabs attached to the forks. The wiring can be tucked inside the shell and the new headlight installed. The fairing is remounted on the shell and the windscreen goes on the fairing.

Here’s the basic shortcoming of the Laminar fairing. The actual mounting is via two bolts, tabs to shell. Vertical hold is a clamp fit and the position of the screen and the aim of the headlight are dependent on each other. If you tip one, you tip the other. There is no way to aim the headlight or to vary the aim to allow for carrying loads on the bike.

In this case, the bike was ridden in the dark, minus screen, while the rider aimed the headlight. With the light in the best position, then dipped a degree or two for courtesy and to allow for heavier riders, the shell and tabs were marked and smaller screws used to permanently align the light. The universality of the Laminar fairing means it will fit a large number of models, with some adjustment in each case. For the Suzuki GS550, a position that cleared the instruments and bars meant the outside lower edges of the fairing interfered with the turn signals. Clever chaps that we are, we bought some Suzuki mirror insulators, same thread and diameter as the stalks, drilled them for the signal wires and extended the signals about one inch, just enough to clear the fairing. If more width had been needed, Suzuki RE-5 signal stalks would have done it, or the lights could have been relocated or the fairing could have been trimmed back.

A Cafe Windshield for the Suzuki GS550

The fairing has an inside panel at its upper edge, for instruments if desired. Because we prefer not to carve up loaned equipment, the ledge was left intact and that meant the fairing was mounted further forward and lower than we would have chosen otherwise.

Because this is a small fairing, all these locations and clearances are important.

Which brings us to the actual performance of the system.

It works pretty well. First note is that the fairing and screen don’t create much frontal area. This is good in that miles-pergallon and top speed aren’t affected, and bad in that air flow and wind protection vary with fairing location and rider size and style.

With a 5' 10" rider and stock handlebars, air flow with the small screen is aimed directly at the face. With the medium-height screen, the air catches the top of the rider’s helmet, and with the high screen the wind goes over the rider’s head. Shorter riders will get better protection from each screen and taller riders will get less, with both varying with fairing position.

Laminar also sent along a set of side extensions, for hand protection in conjunction with the tallest screen. They would have required turn signal modifications and anyway, the weather is nice at the time of writing, so they weren’t installed.

Appearance plays a part in this evaluation. We call the Laminar fairing a cafe windshield because it’s small and sleek and well, upright. Doesn’t look much like a racing design and we would have preferred more of a curve to the screen. It’s a nice looking unit, though, and most riders encountered on the road approved of it.

If this was to be a permanent fixture we would have trimmed the instrument panel out. so the fairing could have been higher on the forks and further back toward the rider. This would allow use of the lower and more sporting screen with equal weather protection.

As shown, the Laminar does protect the rider from head winds. There is slight buffeting from the side and from the wake of heavy trucks. Handling at speed isn’t bothered at all and because the entire system weighs less than 10 lbs., there’s, no loss of performance or agility.

Finish and workmanship were flawless. All the drilled holes lined up. the paint was perfect, all nuts and bblts were included in the box and the instructions were clear and comprehensive. Installation took an hour, with a riding break to determine headlight aim. The only objective drawback to the Laminar fairing is the lack of headlight adjustment.

The complete system, with medium screen, sells for $129.95. Price of the touring package, with tall screen and side extensions, is $149.95. The short (cafe) screen sells separately for $19.95. The brand is relatively new, and we don’t have a dealer list, so interested parties should write to Laminar Incorporated. 1514 Fairview, Columbus, Ohio 43212. 88