Fairing assembly for motorcycles

A fairing assembly for a motorcycle having a head light disposed at a front end of the fairing assembly, a meter unit indicative of running conditions of the motorcycle and turn signal units is disclosed. The turn signal units are disposed on both sides of the assembly. The turn signal units are each formed integrally with the fairing assembly. The fairing assembly is separated into upper and lower portions by a line connecting the head light to each turn signal unit. The upper portion may be used as a covering member for covering an upper portion of the head light and the rearside of the meter unit. The covering member is hinged at a front end thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to an improvement in a fairing assembly for 
covering an upper portion of a motorcycle. 
A motorcycle is often provided on a front side with a fairing assembly 
which is used as a windshield or deflector. In the motorcycle, a head 
light is provided on a frontmost end of the fairing and at the same time a 
speedometer, a tachometer and other indicators are disposed in front of a 
steering handle. In case where these indicators are covered by a part of 
the fairing, in order to carry out the maintenance for the head light and 
the like, it is necessary to remove the fairing from the body, which makes 
the maintenance difficult. Also, fine adjustments of the units after 
assembling are difficult. 
On the other hand, in such a motorcycle with the fairing, an opening 
through which a front fork of the motorcycle is extending is formed in the 
fairing. The opening must be large in size enough to enable the front fork 
to rotate without the interference of the edges of the opening. Therefore, 
there is a great possibility that dust and sand may pass through the 
opening and be blown upwardly to accumulate on front surfaces of the 
indicators, making them dirty. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the above noted defects, an object of the present invention is 
to provide a novel fairing assembly. 
This and other objects are attained, in a motorcycle having a fairing 
assembly at a front upper portion of a body thereof, by an improvement 
comprising a head light disposed at a front end of the faring assembly, a 
meter unit indicative of running conditions of the motorcycle, the meter 
unit being disposed in front of a steering handle of the motorcycle, and 
turn signal units disposed on both sides of the fairing assembly, the turn 
signal units being each integrally formed with the fairing assembly, in 
which the fairing assembly is separated into upper and lower portions by a 
line connecting the head light to each of the turn signal unit, the 
fairing assembly including as the upper portion thereof a covering member 
for covering an upper portion of the head light and rearside of the meter 
unit, the covering member being hinged rotatably at a front end thereof. 
According to another aspect of the present invention, the fairing assembly 
includes a shelf extending from a lower end of the meter unit 
substantially rearwardly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the 
accompanying drawings. A front fork 5 supporting a front wheel 6 is 
mounted rotatably on a pair of bridges 4 fixed to a head tube 3 formed at 
a front portion of a frame 2 (FIG. 5). A steering handle 7 is coupled to 
the front fork 5 at the upper bridge 4. As best shown in FIG. 1, there are 
provided a fuel reservoir 8, an engine 9, a seat 10 and a rear cowling 11 
in a well known manner. A rear fork 12 supporting a rear wheel 13 is 
swingably provided extending from a lower portion of the frame 2 behind 
the engine 9 rearwardly. A rear cushion unit (not shown) is interposed 
between the rear fork 12 and the frame 2. A front fender 14 is provided so 
as to cover the upper portion and the rear portion of the front wheel 6. 
The fender 14 is mounted on an upper portion of a bottom casing 5a of the 
front fork 5. A cover portion 14a for determining a position of a conduit 
6b for feeding a brake fluid to a brake device 6a for the front wheel 6 is 
provided at least on one side of the fender 14. The cover portion 14a is 
formed integrally with the fender 14. The front fender 14 is fixed to the 
bottom casing 5a at the upper and lower front edges of the cover portion 
14a. The conduit 6b is positioned suitably by the rear surface of the 
bottom casing 5a and the cover portion 14a. 
A fairing assembly 15 is provided so as to cover an upper front portion of 
the front fork 5 of the motorcycle 1, both side portions of an 
intermediate portion of the fuel reservoir 8 and front both sides of the 
engine 9. The fairing assembly 15 is formed by a plate-like material made 
of, for example, a synthetic resin. In the embodiment shown, the fairing 
assembly 15 is composed of a body 16, a covering 26 constituting a front 
upper portion of the assembly 15 and a window screen 25 obliquely provided 
on the covering 26. 
As shown in FIG. 1, the fairing body 16 is provided with a front portion 
16a extending toward the upper front portion of the front fork 5 at the 
front portion of the steering handle 7, an intermediate portion 16b 
extending to the both sides of the intermediate portion of the fuel 
reservoir 8, and side portions 16c suspending from the aforesaid 
intermediate portion 16b to both sides of the engine front portion. The 
fairing assembly 15 is streamlined in order to reduce aerodynamic 
resistance. The respective portions of the fairing body 16 are mounted at 
inner portions on a fairing stay 17 mounted on the front portion of the 
frame. 
As shown in FIG. 5, a head light 18 is provided at an opening, directed 
upwardly, of the body 16 in the front portion 16a of the body 16. In the 
embodiment shown, the fairing may be separated into a body and a covering 
disposed thereabove, and therefore the lower portion and both side 
portions of the head light 18 are so constructed as to be confronted with 
a recess portion 16d formed in the front end portion of the front portion 
16a of the body 16. The head light 18 is coupled at a front lower portion 
to an upper edge 16e of the recess portion 16d and is coupled at an upper 
portion to the stay portion 16f of the body by bolts 18c or the like as 
shown in FIG. 5. The head light 18 is exposed at a front portion 18a from 
the front portion of the body 16. The rear portion 18b of the head light 
18 is received in a space S defined in the body 16. 
As shown in FIG. 6, meter unit 19 including a speedometer, tachometer and 
the like, other indicators indicative of the various engine running 
conditions and turn signals 21 are provided on the front side of the 
steering handle 7. These components are provided at a meter panel 22 
dividing the handle front space and the above described space S of the 
fairing, in order to be confronted with the rider. The rearside of the 
meter unit 19 is protruded into the space S as shown in FIG. 5. The upper 
portion of the meter panel 22 is covered with a meter visor 23 and the 
lower portion of the meter unit 19 is covered by an inner panel or shelf 
24. Reference numeral 32 denotes a pair of rear-viewing mirrors mounted on 
suitable places of the fairing assembly. 
In FIG. 5, a mounting portion 17b of the stay 17 is formed on the front 
upper portion of a curved rising portion 17a. A window screen 25 obliquely 
rising toward the front upper portion of the body and having a U-shaped 
cross section is fixed to the mounting portion 17b by bolts 25a or the 
like. At the same time, between the lower portion of the window screen 25 
and the front upper portion 16a of the body 16 is interposed a covering 
member 26 for covering the above described space S. The covering member 26 
is also adapted to cover the upper portion of the front portion 18a of the 
head light 18 with a lower peripheral edge 26a. Therefore, the head light 
18 is received in the recess portion extending in the longitudinal 
direction of the motorcycle and defined in the front end portion of the 
fairing. The covering member 26a is pivotally mounted on the above 
described stay 16f at a lower end by a hinge 27 so that it is swingable 
forwardly or rearwardly around the hinge 27 to thereby close the space S. 
The covering member 26 is so constructed as to cover the front surfaces of 
the mounting bolts 25a at the lower portion of the window screen 25, when 
the covering member 26 is closed. In the closed condition, the front 
surface circumferential portion of the lower end portion of the screen 25 
is covered by the covering member to conceal the bolts 25a, thereby 
enhance the aesthetic appearance. 
As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the covering member 26 has an inverted 
U-shaped cross section and mounting holes 26d at the upper end portions of 
the both side portions 26c. The covering member 26 is secured by bolts 28 
through mounting holes 26d to insert nuts 23b each provided at both side 
end portions 23a of the meter visor 23, for example. In the embodiment 
shown, the rear end portion 25b of the window screen 25 is interposed into 
this interval defined by the meter visor 23 and the covering member 26, 
the three members being thus coupled to each another. The upper portion of 
the covering member 26 is made free by removing the bolts 28. The covering 
member 26 is made as a hinge at the front lower end and is openable to 
release the space S for maintenance works of the head light, the meter 
unit and the like. 
As shown in FIG. 3, at the rear portions of an alignment surface 16g on 
each front side upper periphery of the body 16 and an alignment surface 
26e of the front lower portion on each side of the covering member 26, a 
front turn signal units 29 is provided in order to impart a flush or 
integral surface thereat. Each turn unit 29 is substantially in the form 
of a triangular pyramid-shape as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. The lower portion 
of the turn signal unit 29 is held at the alignment surface 16g and the 
upper portion thereof is held at the alignment surface 26e. Therefore, the 
alignment surface 26e of the front portion of the covering member 26 is 
formed in a straight line whereas the rear alignment surface 26f is curved 
obliquely upwardly along the configuration of the upper portion of the 
turn signal unit 29. The straight alignment surfaces 16g and 26e of the 
body 16 and the covering member 26 have short lengths in the longitudinal 
direction, which facilitates manufacturing. 
As described above, according to the present invention, since the covering 
member 26 is also used as a component of the fairing, the aesthetic 
appearance is enhanced. By opening the covering member 26, it is possible 
to carry out the maintenance work of meter units and indicators and the 
bulb exchanging of the head light. In particular, turn signal units are 
provided in order to enhance the flush appearance between the lower 
portion of the fairing and the covering member constituting the upper 
portion of the fairing, and the respective alignment surfaces are formed 
on the front side, as a result of which these portions have short lengths. 
It is therefore possible to mold them and it is easy to process the 
alignment surfaces. Furthermore, the opening area of the covering member 
may be increased to thereby facilitate the maintenance works. 
Another embodiment of the present invention will now be described with 
reference to FIG. 7, in which the like components are designated by the 
same numerals used in the preceding embodiment. In FIG. 7, reference 
numeral 76 denotes a front lens for the meter unit 19, the front lens is 
directed somewhat downwardly, thereby preventing accumulation of dusts and 
sands on an outer surface of the front lens 76. A shelf 77 projecting from 
a lower end of the front lens 76 rearwardly is formed integrally with the 
inner wall of the fairing 15. Also a downwardly extending wall 78 for 
defining a space S is suitably formed integrally with the shelf 77. In the 
same manner as described above, the head light 18 and the like are 
received in the space S. 
A fuse box 80 in which a plurality of fuses 79 are encased is formed to be 
flush with a shelf 77. Parts of the shelf 77 and a downwardly extending 
wall 78 are removable as a cover 81 for the box 80. It is preferable to 
apply to the shelf a color, such as black, which has a chromatic 
absorption characteristic. The rear end of the shelf 77 should be 
positioned behind upper and lower ends of the front lens 76. 
With such a construction, during a running condition of the motorcycle, 
even if dusts and sands are blown upwardly, the dusts and sands scarcely 
reach the front lens 6, thereby keeping the front lens clean.