SOME COMMON QUESTIONS ANSWERED REGARDING THE EASY RACER PRODUCT LINE

What do I have?

Originally, there was a small handlebar fairing called the EZ! The measurements are about 18-19" around the brake levers with a third point of connection off the stem! Top –bottom across the outer curviture16''! The upper mounts connected to the brake levers with simple aluminum straps, the third point of connection was a hose strap and aluminum tab! All points of connection had my rubber washers attached! I made this one version from '79 to about '95!

The first large fairing was developed in '83! The upper mounts were the same as above while the lower ones used a rubber loop clamp with Al tabs! All of course had my rubber washers glued on at attachment points! The upper width being about 19" left to right straight line' while the top to bottom is about 44"! The upper three holes allowed for adjustment while the lower holes on each side of the 'wheel well cut-out' and the lower clamps could be moved slightly! This was called the 'Super Zzipper"!

The second large fairing was developed in about '85! This was wider and little more curvature especially around lower cranks. I should point out that this fairing is a separate entity, a different forming template and different reflected secondary radiations! Some riders will ask, can the regular Super Zzip be used for body skin applications? We're talking slight changes here and there but No it wasn't' designed for such! The width is about 20"laterally tapering evenly to about 3.4" wide @ foot!

The nylon mount hardware thru these years was a Nylatch pushpin! These were used in satellites as non-ferrous fasteners on cabinets! Unique thing was they would pop in and pop out while staying with the product. They worked well down to a certain size where the stress/strain of bicycles would make them fail! I got tied of hearing of riders getting home in the dark 6# miles with ½ the fairing being held with one hand! The earlier fairings had a spare hole for an extra nylatch push pin but riders would use the one on the super Zzip for a light mount. (very thin plastic @ top of wheel well cut-out?)

I then went over to the existing nylon screw with special washers and small wing nuts! Originally the screw had a built in washer into it, called a binding washer! This was slick as it eliminated the extra expensive nylon custom washer. The company got bought out by a bigger company with minimum orders 25k! I used to discuss this with Gardner but it was still too many for us to absorb in a reasonable time frame! I recently asked my suppler and the situation still exists to this day!

We're trying to get spandex attached so it wouldn't interfere with gloves and a minimum of elbow chafing! I would sew in thru the poly with the largest sewing machine we could get our hands on, and the largest diamond needle!

I would sew ½ of a 95" sleeping bag zipper into the plastic while Free Form Fashions would sew the other ½ into the spandex or Lycra material! The zipper pulls were allows with the spandex part so as not to interfere with rider while not in use! I would put pop rivets a @ the stress points (i.e. Upper corners and lower most points) with small stainless steel washers! Since the sewing machine would blow out the standard thickness plastic we went to heavier gauges! (i.e. "093) I always felt it important to do 2# passes thru the zipper! Since the thread would break frequently there would be multiple tie offs! A very time consuming process namely about 4 hrs each fairing! Gardner and I would trade years with the machine and nobody around there could do much better! All the time the body skin fairing was produced it was felt an extra support @ top necessary! Two holes at top spacing approx. 1.5"apart!

I believe in about '92 that Gardner decided to have inserts installed in the forks! These are about ½ from the hub to the crown with socket head screws inserted! This of course eliminated all the confusion of the lower mounting to just the Al tabs, w/rubber washers! Then came having upper water bottle holders in the handlebars! This was in mid '90s and the upper fairing mounts used a straight bar with single hole mounts on each side for the standard thickness super ZZ! There was never an issue of noise just about the rubber washers falling off and various glues being offered up! The manufacturer has got to make systems with a simple system so many other folks can get into the production! The customer has now a great opportunity to take an excellent product and build on it. (i.e. Rubber & nylon are always acceptable to use with polycarbonate plastic. A medium to soft hardness will help cushion the excessive jarring and vibration that helps weaken the plastic. I've found contact cement a slightly stronger adhesive and more weather resistant than rubber cement! Try to keep the plastic away from any metal! Large metal washers can used but isolate them with rubber! Steel bolts are a no-no thru the plastic but if you have to use rubber grommets around the holes in the plastic the isolate the inner surface! I used a steel 'u' bolt to attach the lower mount for a custom body skin fairing that Alan Glover rode on his around the World Odyssey! '94 on…I used rubber grommets for this application!

The 30" Tear Drop ZZ was developed in '01! The San Diego Chapter of the ERRC, Richard & Robin Parks stopped by and asked me to look into an intermediate fairing! I'd been toying with the idea of a fairing out of a 32" piece of lexan! I can get 6# of these out of a 48" x 96" sheet. Richard, a retired GM Engineer showed a dramatic speed increase (i.e. 20%) in light winds, on various runs! The standard EZR.SZ showed a little better than 10% and of course another 10% with body skin! The fairing is light, 1.0 lbs and quiet. The width @ top is about 17" across and top-bottom about 30"! This makes it easily transportable!

The fairing I developed for the Easy Racer Bikes is the Extreme Body Skin. This one is a full 21" wide left to right and tapering evenly to the foot end. The width @ the foot about 4"! This shouldn't be a problem with foot clearance as the depth of blow is ½ " deeper than standard Body Skin! The top to bottom measurement is the same 44-45" as is all the Super ZZ's!

I've experimented with various thicknesses for weight consideration but I still insist on the 080" or 093"! Gardner was never one to add any extra weight than absolutely necessary! Therefore we've always done his body skin fairings out of the 080" material since the days of sewing into the sides of the plastic! The final product developed for Gardner is the Golden Girl Special or Sport Model! There is a standard Super ZZ and body skin model. Each is 4" shorter than their respective larger brothers/sisters! All the other dimensions are the same. This fairing can be well adjusted to a rider up to 5"6", depending on the waist to eye height and seat angle!

Now you have a fairly good idea of the various models and dimensions. I've added a few tips on isolating the plastic to extend its life span. I have products over 25# years old and still working so these tips really work.

Karl F Abbe, Zzip Designs.