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| Vetter Owner's Bikes Page 20 Posted Oct 27, 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Realizing his dream | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | James Phillips writes: "This ad, which ran in Cycle World, is where my fascination for the Windjammer began. 1976 I think, so I would have been thirteen at the time. About the same time my parents allowed a family friend to store his Windjammer equipped BMW in our garage. Torture to have that thing in our house & I couldn't ride it. We were lucky enough to have a Honda mini trail 50 which must have ridden a million miles up and down the alley. Fast forward to 2007, I wanted a motorcycle that closely represented all I liked from the days when I was either too young or too broke to have one. It had to be a 4 cylinder inline engine ( love the way they sound), had to have an upright seating position, and minimal bodywork. The 2007 Honda 919 was the winner, and the last year Honda produced this motorcycle. When I bought this bike it was one of the last five Honda had left in US inventory. I seem to like things that are no longer made, hmmm." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1976 Vetter Windjammer 3 ad | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| James worked for over a year to make brackets for his Honda. His fairing is Windjammer #37-546745 (date of manufacture: Nov 10, 1980). Modern bikes are very different. Since he lives close, I made suggestions. You may see how he did it here. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vetter fan Shawn wrote this: I think James Phillips' 919 with the color matched Windjammer may be - quite possibly - the coolest adaptation of a Windjammer to a modern motorcycle that I've ever seen. I like it so much that if I had the money to buy a second motorcycle for my singular enjoyment, I'd be shopping for a 919. I have a second fairing in my garage rafters that's looking for a good home. If you talk to James again and think about it, please pass on my admiration to him. Bra-VO! I hope all is well with you and Carol. I think of you frequently as I ride my 900. Here in Michigan, the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting colder. Almost time to put the bike away. God bless you and your home. Shawn A. Kitchen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Vintage shot of a Vetter Phantom Fairing on a Norton Commando Some proud but un-recorded Vetter owner sent me this pic over 40 years ago. From my notebook of July 1970. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| This is Vetter Phantom Fairing, was one of a hundred or so, made between Oct 1968 and Sept 1971 when production ceased because of the Windjammer. Derived form my first fairing the Series 1000 of 1966, the Phantom was wider and a little bigger all way around. It incorporated my now famous "Gull Wing" windshield. Most Phantom 1500s went onto Triumph Bonnevilles. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1968-69 Vetter catalog detail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subsequent Vetter Phantoms, like the Series 1600 were designed for the new triples. The last Phantom, the Series 1700 was designed specifically for the new Honda 750. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Here is some nostalgia..... It is a used Windjammer II off a BMW... almost like opening up box in 1973: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Windjammer II, Serial # 13648 produced in November, 1973. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Owner Dave says: "It is a Vetter fairing that I acquired with the recent purchase of a 1966 BMW/6. The seller was unsure if the fairing was used on this particular bike, but he did mention his father had a 74 R90/6 that it may have been mounted on. I have two 74 R90/6 and will see if the bracket matches the frame. It would look pretty cool on the black one I have." Craig comments: This thing looks like new! What is interesting here is the size of the headlight cover for the 1974 BMW: 7 1/4" information otherwise lost. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| The handsome Windjammer 3 of the mid 1970s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Tony writes: I recently purchased it from its long-time owner and am going to clean it up a bit over the winter. My goal is to return it back to 100% stock which includes replacing the aftermarket exhaust (pictured) with the stock 4-into-4 (which are on their way from Canada as I type this) and removing the backrest and fairing (if only temporarily). The bike itself runs perfectly and has brand new tires and battery. All it needs is a thorough cleaning and polishing which I plan to do during a few cold/snowy weekends this winter." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Carol and her first Honda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Craig says: Carol Vetter's first bike was a Honda like this. She rode all over the country - by herself! This is happy Carol with her new bike before putting a Windjammer on it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Dan Currie writes... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| A rare silver Windjammer III with orange striping! (My favorite color combination - Craig) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| While I was in Germany I made three trips to the Elephant Rally, Elefantentreppen, in '73, '74, and '75. I was stationed in Nurnberg from 1972 - 74 and then stayed as a civilian for 2 more years to '76. This was my 5th bike in 4 years and my first Windjammer, a WJ II. The 750F one of my favorites, except for that totally tubular muffler, I went to a 4x1 with only a baffle later. The Windjammers were new and hard to find, but the largest Honda dealer in Nurnberg was able to get them for a premium. It mounted easily enough, no busted knuckles but one of the frame braces broke about six months later - had it welded and no further problems. Brought the bike back to the US in '76 and sold it complete in 1978. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| The picture of the KZ1000 is the only picture I have of that bike. It was a basket case when I got it. I replaced the stock spoked wheels with LTD type mags, replaced the stock seat for an LTD one, and repainted the bike, helmet and WJ IV a dark metal flake blue. It was a great bike and I hated to sell her. Fast forward to 2005. Happened to be trolling eBay in April 2010 and bumped into the Beast - a 1982 CB900 Custom with 28,000+ original miles, fully dressed in Vetter from stem to stern and all for a price that I could afford. Had a buddy drive me up to Indiana and we loaded it onto the back of his pick-up and brought it home - 22.5 hours and no problems. Thank you, Dan... Craig | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Mark Yeager's Quicksilver-equipped 1982 Honda CB750F | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Mark wrote: "I've owned two complete Vetter set ups and I had a Terraplane on my 1982 900 custom. I met employees who worked for Vetter at the Vetter Rally in Colorado Springs. I’m a magician who walked up to the Vetter camp and started entertaining for the employees. I live in Rock Island, Il so Rantoul was close. My Terraplane was a trade out for performing at the Vetter Rally in Hurricane Hills, Tenn. I had back problems, so I had to sell it. This was about 20 years ago, boy do I miss it! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| I’m buying a vintage CB750F and I’m looking for a Quicksilver fairing and CB750F hardware. The bike is silver. My preference would of course be silver, but I could get another color and paint it. I remember your Mystery Ship at the rally. This rally started my relationship with Vetter products. If you were looking for this fairing where other than ebay where would you look? People often send me lists of Vetter items they would like to sell. I was able to put Mark in touch with a man who had exactly what he wanted. Glad to help, Mark. The results are stunning. If others are out there who have NOS (New Old Stock) Vetter components, we might be able to help you sell them on a yet-to-be posted "Vetter Barn Finds." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Serial number #83065 - one of the last Windjammer 3s produced before we began making the Windjammer SS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Made in 1975 or '76, this Windjammer 3 is now owned by James Klasch in Arizona who says: "It was on a 1974 CB550 Honda that was recently stripped to be a cafe racer styled bike, and I am intending to mount it to a 76 Honda CB750A. I hope this is another piece of your great History that you will enjoy perusing, and I am very happy to own a small part of it." Craig says: Here I am in 1977 on Carol's Hondamatic. I was having a hard time shifting as a result of my accident at Road Atlanta. The automatic helped me to get back riding |  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1977: Windjammer SS on Carol's Honda CB750A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Page posted Oct 27, 2010 Updated Nov 6, 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
