Industry | Motorcycle accessories |
---|---|
Founded | Rantoul, Illinois, USA (November 1966 ) |
Defunct | 1983 |
Fate | Assets acquired by Bell-Riddell Inc. |
Key people | Craig Vetter, founder |
Production output | 10,000 original Windjammer 25,000 Windjammer II 75,000 Windjammer III 150,000 Windjammer SS [1] |
Number of employees | c. 500 [2] |
The Vetter Fairing Company was a manufacturer of motorcycle accessories including the Windjammer series of motorcycle fairings. The business was founded by Craig Vetter in 1966, [3] sold in 1978, [4] and went bankrupt in 1983. Bell-Riddell Inc. acquired the assets, and produced fairings for a few years.
Their fairings and trunk/hard bag setups were frequently used to turn a "standard" (no fairing or luggage) motorcycle into a "full bagger" (AKA full dress) setup in the times before Honda started producing full baggers from the factory. With the advent of the full dress Goldwing, Calvalcade, Venture, and others, demand for an aftermarket solution reduced and Vetter went out of business.
Harley-Davidson, Inc. is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression along with its historical rival, Indian Motorcycles. The company has survived numerous ownership arrangements, subsidiary arrangements, periods of poor economic health and product quality, and intense global competition to become one of the world's largest motorcycle manufacturers and an iconic brand widely known for its loyal following. There are owner clubs and events worldwide, as well as a company-sponsored, brand-focused museum.
A motorcycle is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar from a saddle-style seat.
Indian Motorcycle is an American brand of motorcycles owned and produced by American automotive manufacturer Polaris Inc.
The Honda Hawk GT (NT650) motorcycle was designated as model RC31 and was designed by Toshiaki Kishi, and was the second Honda with "Pro-Arm" suspension bike after the RC30 VFR750R. The RC model designation is for bikes up to 750 cc, though the Honda Pacific Coast (PC800) has an engine of more than 750 cc and a model designation of RC34.
A feet first (FF) motorcycle is a class of motorcycle design which positions the rider with their feet ahead, like a car, rather than below and astride, as with conventional bikes. As there are other types of motorcycle that have a 'feet forward' position, an alternative term sometimes used is advanced single track vehicle. The name "feet first" was first used by Royce Creasey
The Honda ST series, also known as the Pan-European in Europe, is a duo of Sport Touring motorcycles comprising the ST1100 and the later ST1300.
The Honda Gold Wing is a series of touring motorcycles manufactured by Honda. Gold Wings feature shaft drive and a flat engine. Mooted by press in September 1974 as "The world's biggest motor cycle manufacturer's first attack on the over-750cc capacity market...", it was introduced at the Cologne Motorcycle Show in October 1974.
The Hollister riot, also known as the Hollister Invasion, was an event that occurred at the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA)-sanctioned Gypsy Tour motorcycle rally in Hollister, California, from July 3 to 6, 1947.
A sport bike is a motorcycle designed and optimized for speed, acceleration, braking, and cornering on asphalt concrete race tracks and roads. They are mainly designed for performance at the expense of comfort, fuel economy, and storage in comparison with other motorcycles.
The Honda Super Cub or Honda Cub is a Honda underbone motorcycle with a four-stroke single-cylinder engine ranging in displacement from 49 to 124 cc.
The six main types of motorcycles are generally recognized as standard, cruiser, touring, sports, off-road, and dual-purpose. Sport touring is sometimes recognized as a seventh category or integrated with the touring category.
The Triumph Trident and BSA Rocket 3 was a technically advanced, high-performance roadster motorcycle made by Triumph Engineering and BSA from 1968 to 1975, and sold under both the Triumph and BSA marques. Alongside the Honda CB750, and later the Kawasaki triples, it brought a new level of sophistication to street motorcycles, marking the beginning of the superbike era. The Honda CB750 overshadowed the Trident to be remembered as the 'first superbike', in spite of the Triumph Trident actually debuting before the Honda by a few weeks.
A touring motorcycle is a type of motorcycle designed for touring. Although almost any motorcycle can be used for this purpose, manufacturers have developed specific models designed to address the particular needs of these riders. Touring motorcycles commonly have large displacement fairings and windshields that offer a high degree of weather and wind protection, large-capacity fuel tanks for long ranges between fill-ups, engines with a great deal of low-end horsepower, and a more relaxed, upright seating position than sport bikes.
A cruiser motorcycle is a motorcycle in the style of American machines from the 1930s to the early 1960s, including those made by Harley-Davidson, Indian, Excelsior and Henderson.
The Triumph X-75 Hurricane was a 'factory special' motorcycle designed by fairing specialist Craig Vetter. The X-75 had swooping glassfibre bodywork, a three US-gallon petrol tank, lowered gearing and a distinctive triple exhaust on the right-hand side. The motorcycle is credited with creating a new class of motorcycle, the cruiser.
The BMW K1600GT, K1600GTL, and K1600B are motorcycles manufactured by BMW Motorrad. The former two were announced in July 2010, unveiled at the Intermot motorcycle show in Cologne in October 2010; they went on sale in March 2011. The latter was announced in October 2016. The K1600GTL is a full dress luxury tourer, which replaced the K1200LT. It was intended to compete with the Honda Gold Wing. The K1600GT was more of a sport tourer similar to the then-existing K1300GT and previous K1200GT models. The K1600B is a bagger designed primarily for the North American market.
Craig Vetter is an American entrepreneur and motorcycle designer. His work was acknowledged when in 1999 he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
The Mystery Ship was a limited edition motorcycle created by Craig Vetter and released in 1980. Only 10 were built, of which seven were sold. An example is on display at the AMA Motorcycle Museum in Ohio, and another at Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Al. The one on display at the Barber museum is #9 and is a Turbo charged model.
The Craig Vetter Fuel Economy Challenge is a motorcycle fuel efficiency contest created in 1980 by motorcycle fairing inventor Craig Vetter. The contest was cited in Vetter's Motorcycle Hall of Fame induction.
Don Vesco was an American businessman and motorcycle racer who held multiple motorcycle land-speed and wheel-driven land speed records. In his lifetime, he set 18 motorcycle and 6 automobile speed records.