I just aquired a 75 CB550. I also have a Windjammer III fairing with the proper mounting brackets for it. I noticed in the gallery that noone has a fairing on any of the 550s. Is there a stability or other reason, besides personal preferance, that this is so. I would like to know before installing it.

-- Kevin Coulson (kevrod2@yahoo.com), January 06, 2002

Answers

I bought a 1974 cb 550 almost 3 years ago and it was decked out big heavy fairing ,16" sissy bar and what ever they used to call the big chrome loop that bolted to the frame between the front wheel and the exhaust.

the bike was in very rare form, had 8300 miles and had not been plated sence 1983. I bought it as a putt around town bike and found that the fairing was alot of extra drag on a bike very limited in horse power.And may be my bike don't run as it should but it's the only vintage 4 i've ever rode

Mark

-- Mark Raef (always2busy@home.com), January 19, 2002.

When I was in college I had a '77 550k (stock) and my room-mate had a '76 or'77 550F with a Windjammer fairing. There wasn't a whole lot of difference power/speed-wise in the two bikes, as I recall, but the bike with the fairing did feel a bit heavier in the front-end and a bit more top-heavy, as you'd expect. The 550 with the fairing just didn't feel as nimble.

It was also a lot more comfortable behind the windshield on the highway.

I just got a windjammer for my '78 550k that I'm taking on a ride around Lake Superior next summer. The bike certainly won't feel as light and nimble, but it'll be well worth it on a long ride.

Matt

-- matt reinert (mjreinert@prodigy.net), January 23, 2002.