Rifle Superbike Fairing

Rifle Superbike fairing

CYCLE WORLD EVALUATION

Rifle Fairing does good work. Because it's a small company with lots of energy and few outmoded traditions, Rifle has been able to offer alternatives to fairings from the factories and the larger accessory makers.

First was the Rifle Sport, a

handlebar mount fairing that was larger than the bar jobs standard on sport bikes, smaller than touring models.

Now we have the Rifle Superbike, the same general idea except it's smaller than the Sport, larger than the Seca/GPz style, and doesn't need any wiring or light modifications.

The Superbike weighs 5 lb. complete with windshield, brackets and hardware. It's 18 in. wide and 26 in. high, with the standard screen. There's a choice of headlight shells, as in round or rectangular. Color choices are white, black, silver or primer.

The size and purpose made the Superbike and our longterm Suzuki GR650 seem a good match, especially with the silver paint common to both, so we ordered one.

Acting on the two-sizes-fit most principle, the fairing comes with more than enough hardware; there's a choice of brackets to allow adaptation, with bolts and nuts for all brackets, which means there are parts left over.

The instructions are done the same way. There are no detailed steps. Instead, the booklet has a picture of the parts and where they're likely to go. The owner/installer works out the details for himself.

The fairing attaches with four struts, the lower two on clamps around the stanchion tubes, the upper two via tabs on the pinch bolts for the top triple clamps. Rifle supplies a picture of how it works, the user adapts. If it doesn't work, the instructions include the number of a help line. Ours worked fine. Took about two hours for our man, but a good home mechanic might do it quicker. The lack of wires to route and connect, lights to move, etc., was useful. The Superbike fairing is a windbreaker. The rider doesn't sit in still air, nor is he protected from the elements. This fairing takes the

pressure off the chest, shoves the blast over the head, and that's it. Which is exactly what the fairing is supposed to do.

There's a bonus. With fairing in place, the GR650 had a top speed of 100 mph. With fairing removed, rider upright, the GR did 97 mph. This fairing reduces drag anc wind resistance, and will therefore improve fuel economy. Precisely how much, we can't predict. Just prior to installing the fairing, we swapped the GR's 15-tooth countershaft sprocket for a 17-tooth sprocket from PB!. This is the best thing you can do for a GR650; raises comfortable cruising speed from 60 to 70 mph, quiets th engine and, with the Rifle fairing and the new gearing, the bike is returning 65 mpg in daily use. We can't say how much comes from the gearing, how much from the fairing. But because the fairing has improved the top speed, it will also improve economy. In sum, the Rifle fairing is a good piece of equipment. At $160, it's not the cheapest, but it's well made, doesn't rattle and you can always tell yourself it will pay for itself in gas not burned. From Rifle dealers, who can be found through the maker, at 767 Francis Ave., San Luis Obispo, Calif. 93401.