The whole idea of any fairing is to create a "dead air space" behind the screen. If it was not so, then the rider would be covered in rain, dust, trash, etc.... everything the rider is trying to avoid !! So, what your "well respected enthusiast" in effect is saying is something akin to "nighttime is dark". 😛

• The RT fairing has vents that can be aimed.

• The "lowers" can be removed for summer riding.

• And, in years past it was very popular to buy pop-in vents sold by Vetter. You'd bore a 3" hole in the screen and pop these clear vents into the hole. They could be opened or closed, and swiveled around for aiming or to prevent entry by rain.

Please forgive the resurrection, but to add my two cents from personal experience:

For a number of years I owned an '81`R100 RT and a /5 at the same time and commuted to work by bike about 25 miles each way if the weather was at all "permitting."

At that time, if friends asked what the RT felt like, I would tell them that in any sort of "nice" weather, it was "like riding on a wood stove." I never felt that those fairing vents provided me with anything other than faint hope.

My personal observation was that the RT was good for about 10⁰F of decreased temperature. In other words, if the bare /5 became intolerable at about 45⁰F, the RT was tolerable down to about 35⁰. Below that, I was riding an icebox no matter what I did.

Since I also found the RT to be pretty much intolerably warm above about 65⁰F, it turned out that in practice, I only rode it in bad weather. One day I looked in the mirror, said, "Why the heck am I riding in bad weather - I hate riding in bad weather" and suddenly I had no real use for the RT, so I sold it. That was about 25 years ago, and I never missed it (thought I do sometimes miss riding that bike without the fairing...).

I hope my comment is helpful to someone as it echoes from the dead-thread tomb...

- Eric

Eric,

That is useful and interesting information. The 10 degrees cooler RT advantage and above 65 degrees is too warm are good ways to quantify life with an RT.

I have recently sold a R90S (silver smoke version), and acquired a ‘88 R100 GS (Alpine white w/blue seat), and still have the ‘73 R75/5 (Granada red toaster). So, for now, no RT in my near future.

Mark
Savannah, GA

Edited my prior post with a source and photo

I find the RT fair quite tolerable. After 85 degrees F anything you ride is hot. And if you spend a few days in in temperatures in the mid 90’s to 100+ you become acclimated and it is not so much a problem. I will tell you that I don’t wear much body protection except a mesh jacket ( and I will ride without that sometimes), an ultra light half helmet mesh boots and gloves when it gets that hot. After the sun goes down the fairing is not a problem at all for me. You don’t know what hot is until you have spent any time on a full dress Goldwing or Aspencade, form the 80’s. They are like riding a blast furnace.

I also removed my lowers on my R100RT. Both bike and I are cooler. I plan to make homemade plexiglass deflectors on each side of fairing - attach to back of fairing pockets to direct rain / heat to top of jugs.

Living in South Carolina I think I’m qualified to take this one on.  Many days in the summer our heat index is 110+ with stupid high humidity and I still ride my 95 RT.  Is it hot...you betcha.  Is it miserable...borderline some days.  I wear my normal riding boots, vented riding pants, a long sleeve sports material shirt and vented gloves.  No chance of a jacket in the summer heat.  I also carry at least a 24 ounce bottle of iced sports drink in the bags and stop fairly frequently to hydrate.  I could and do ride one of my other bikes when it’s really hot but I enjoy my RT and just put up with the heat.  Grin and bear it you could say.

My 1st BMW was a R65 that I put a Vetter Quicksilver fairing on. I wanted more coverage and luggage capacity. Thereafter I owned nothing but RT's - an '81 R100RT, an '83R80RT and then an '84R100RT. From there I went on to Oilhead RT's but that's another subject. With an RT you want to make sure the center part of the lower fairing is the "Open/slotted" style and not the "Solid" piece so there is more air flow thru the fairing. One has to recognize that these bikes are "go places" bikes - not putt around town in stop and go traffic. Stop/Go traffic is going to cause you and the bike to melt down. I lived in Florida for most of my RT ownership days. I know where of I speak. OK. So summertime is hot on any bike. Hotter on some than others. You want to be totally comfortable on a bike no matter how hot it is - ride in an air conditioned car. One has to recognize the limitations of riding. You know when riding in really hot weather, one adapts and twists sideways (a little) and sticks a knee out past the edge of the fairing to catch some wind. Just my 2 cents worth.

I recently bought my third R100RT, a 1995. Can now say I have owned the first and last years, since I also had a 1979 in the late 1990s. Also had a 1982 in the early 1990s. I agree the fairing is a bit much in hot summertime, but I have learned to minimize the problem with: Honda Goldwing vent in the windshield; a windshield short enough to look over; removing the fork leg faring seals and using gators instead; placing a dab of RTV on the OEM fairing vents to keep then aligned for max efficiency; removing the lower faring, and using safety bar mounted highway pegs whenever possible.

The pay back is when cold weather comes, or when caught in a downpour. I have not found any faring as protective as the Airhead RT faring. Biggest problem is avoiding heat blisters on my shins.