I did a number of projects on the Windjammer II fairing: disassembled the fairing, repaired cracks, removed the old paint, painted it to match the bike (Monza, or Metallic Blue), and painted pinstripes .You can read about that work in these write-ups.
- 46 BMW R75/5 Repair Windjammer II Fairing, Strip Paint
- 51 BMW R75/5 Paint the Tank, Fenders, Fairing and Tail Light
- 51 BMW R75/5 Paint Pinstripes
Now it’s time to assemble the fairing again and mount it on the bike. I wrote-up how I did this work here.
It required installing the headlight assembly, the side reflectors, new chome edge trim, the Vetter name plate, removing old decals and deep scratches from the windscreen and modifying the fairing bracket so it doesn’t gouge the paint on the frame (I hope).
Here are a couple pictures from the write-up.
New Silicon Seal on Headlight Bracket
Attaching Chrome Headlight Retaining Ring
Finished Headlight Installation
New Windjammer Chrome Edge Trim
Heating Chrome Trim with Heat Gun to Form to Tight Radius Curves
Adjusting Fairing Edge with Dremel Tool to Align Chrome Trim
Taping Chrome Edge Trim While Hotcha Glue Dries
Dremel Tool to Trim End of Chrome Trim
Use Razor Blade to Gently Peel Edge
Lighter Fluid Loosens Glue Along Exposed Edge
Novus #3 and Rubbing with Lint Free Cloth to Remove Deep Scratches
Scratches Are Gone 🙂
Taping Name Plate Down While Silicone Seal Sets
Windscreen Foam Tape Gaskets Attached
Hollow Bolt Inside Faring to Attach Turn Signal Stalk with Wiring
Turn Signal Installed
Plastic Edging as Gaskets on Lower Bracket
Windjammer Fairing & Bracket Mounted on R75/5
OHG What a GORGEOUS machine. And the craftsmanship is meticulous. The step by step photos are SOOooo informative and interesting! This blog is such a service to anyone doing serious restoration work and for the rest of us “hacks” it is an inspiration of what can be done when you have determination, skills and resources. Makes me wish I had kept my 1972 R 75/5 that I bought new in May of that year!
Hi Dale,
Thanks for the compliments and kind words. I hope this material helps folks grab a wrench and do a project they may not have thought they could. I’ve tried to make the mistakes so they don’t have to 🙂
Best.
Brook
Hi Brook,
I have thoroughly enjoyed your blog. I’m in the middle of restoring a 1981 R100RT and you have been quite an inspiration, when the going gets tough. While my daily ride is a 2011 1200GS, I must admit that I’m enjoying my vintage airhead even more than the GS.
The part of your blog I appreciate the most is the lack of editing out your mistakes. So many sites today make even the most complex upgrade/repair seem simple – when in fact we all know that a quality job takes time and experience, gained only by making mistakes on the way to the finish line.
I have a question for you. I have some fine scratch marks on my Clearview windshield after I removed the rubber/vinyl trim piece which was installed on the perimeter – I prefer a cleaner look without the trim. You indicated that you used Novus #3 to remove the scratches on your windshield. I had some Novus #2 which didn’t quite have enough granularity to remove my scratches. I’m a bit concerned that #3 may be too harsh – obviously it was not a problem for you. Is it similar to using Griots polish 1, 2, 3 & 4 – where you start with the abrasion level you need and then proceed to the next less abrasive level until you arrive to 4?
Thanks again for sharing your projects with all of us – you are impacting many more enthusiasts than you may even imagine:-).
Cheers,
Scott
Northern California
Hi Scott,
Well, if mistakes are what you want to read about, I’m your guy 😉
I wanted to help folks as much as I could and talking about what didn’t work, or how I screwed up something is helpful to those that follow; that way they can make different mistakes, not just repeat mine 🙂
No, the Novus polish numbers are the opposite of Griot’s: Novus #3 is the most harsh and Griot’s #1 is the most harsh.
I start with the least harsh, and if no progress, I move up a number and continue until I see the affect. If the scratch is deep, then Novus #3 is really quite magical. I was astonished at how well it erased them. That said, elbow grease, a clean soft cloth that you expose new clean surfaces to the plastic after you finish each polish session is the way to do it. If you keep polishing with a used part of the cloth, you risk scratching it with the debris removed and embedded in the dry polish.
So, I use two cloths. One I use with elbow grease to work the #3 until it’s about dry. The other I used to buff off the #3 until the section is clean. If I see some scratch left, I add about 2 drops of #3 on the plastic, fold over the part of the first cloth to expose a new clean section, and go at it again. I spent about 2 hours working on the screen, so patience is a virtue. This kind of work requires a Zen state of mind in which the journey and being in the moment is the focus, not the end result. With some jazz or 60’s rock in the background, I get into a zone and all of a sudden, time has gone by and the work is done.
I too have a more modern ride: R1150-RS. It has it’s appeal, but riding the 70’s airheads always makes me smile pretty darn quick, and I don’t have to twist the wrist a bunch to get my thrills.
Thanks for dropping by.
Best.
Brook
Many thanks Brook!
I used that same zen attitude on my headers after reading your write up on that. Patience is certainly your friend when it comes to polishing.
Once I finish the mechanical rebuild, I (may) try my hand at painting – knowing full well how hard it is to master. The thought of paying Holt close to $5K to paint my bike in the original red lava paint scheme is a bit much, but the previous owner did have the battery covers and lower fairing painted by them and those pieces are simply drop dead gorgeous. Having the ability to paint, would bring so much more satisfaction to this and any future restoration projects – you have blazed the trail for all of us – it seems only fair that we follow now:-)
Cheers,
Scott
Scott,
Well, you are falling into my trap. I try to do projects so I can do things I’ve never done before. Painting is one of the projects I decided to try because I found the quotes to be high. But, that said, after having painted three times (one bike twice due to my mistakes) I can say there is a lot of labor, art and attention to detail that gets combined by a good painter to deliver a show quality paint job. My work is passable, but I get a bit better each time I take it on.
Best.
Brook.