Vetter Streamliner

Vetter posing with his 1981 Streamliner at the AMA Motorcycle Museum in Pickerington, Ohio, July 2016

Manufacturer| Craig Vetter
Also called| Vetter High Mileage Luxury Touring Bike
Production| Prototype, designed and built 1980–1981
Class| Feet forwards
Engine| 250 cc Kawasaki four-stroke single
Power| c. 20 hp (15 kW)
Fuel consumption| 108 mpg‑US (46 km/L)

The Vetter Streamliner was a feet forwards motorcycle made by Craig Vetter in 1980–1981 to demonstrate high fuel economy with an aerodynamic fairing.

## Contents

* 1 Design
* 2 Influence on industry and legacy
* 3 Other Vetter Streamliners
* 4 References

## Design

Vetter had been creating his Vetter "Windjammer" fairings for some years before the Streamliner was designed, and created the Craig Vetter Fuel Economy Challenge to heighten interest in aerodynamic-conscious design. Vetter's objective was to surpass the economy of the 1980 mileage contest winner, a conventional Harley-Davidson with tall gearing.[1][2]

The Streamliner was built around a Kawasaki KZ250 custom touring bike,[1][3] with foot controls moved to the front. In contest conditions the machine achieved 108 miles per US gallon (46 km/L)[1] (125 mpg in best-case conditions[4]), versus the manufacturer's claimed 80 miles per US gallon (34 km/L) for the original, unfaired model.[5]

Vetter now considers more than 8–10 hp overpowered, and has said that selecting an engine with the appropriate power output is "critical" for mileage contests.[6][7]

## Influence on industry and legacy

Vetter’s streamliner is credited with "inspiring others to push the limits of motorcycle fuel economy,"[1] with many other entrants in his mileage challenge and one electric motorcycle modeled after Vetter's original.[8]

The Vetter Streamliner is now on display at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in Ohio.[1]

## Other Vetter Streamliners

Vetter also created a fairing for a downhill skateboard speed contest in 1978 which bore the name "Vetter Streamliner."[9] It was featured in a 1978 CBS Sports Spectacular broadcast from Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio.[10]

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Craig Vetter Streamliner, AMA Motorcycle Museum, http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/asp/classics/bike.asp?id=130, retrieved 2013-04-08
2. ↑ "Craig Vetter, designer and inventor". http://craigvetter.com/pages/Online_Store/Streamliner Superstore.html.
3. ↑ Craig Vetter, 1981: The Vetter Streamlined "High Mileage Luxury Touring Bike", http://www.craigvetter.com/pages/Motorcycle_Designs/Streamliner.html, retrieved 2013-04-08
4. ↑ Pierson, Randall (January 5, 2012), "Very Fast Gas Relief", Monterey County Coast Weekly, http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-2603430711.html
5. ↑ "Kawasaki KZ250 advertisement", Popular Science 216 (4): 7, April 1980, https://books.google.com/books?id=kY7Uj6pCZ0oC&q=kz250ltd&pg=PA7
6. ↑ Nick Goddard (February 15, 2013), Craig Vetter on Living Better on Less Energy, Hell for Leather online magazine, http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2013/02/craig-vetter-on-how-to-live-better-on-less-energy, retrieved April 11, 2013
7. ↑ Stuart F. Brown (July 26, 2011), "Independent Motorcycle Designers Achieve Over 150 M.P.G. at Ohio Challenge", The New York Times, http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/26/independent-motorcycle-designers-achieve-over-150-m-p-g-at-ohio-challenge/
8. ↑ Maxx Biker (September 30, 2008), Prometheus: The Solar-Powered Electric Motorcycle, Top Speed, http://www.topspeed.com/motorcycles/motorcycle-news/prometheus-the-solar-powered-electric-motorcycle-ar64670.html
9. ↑ Craig Vetter, Other designs: 1978 Vetter Streamlined Skateboard, Overall 1978 World Skatecar Champion, http://www.craigvetter.com/pages/Other_Designs/Skateboard_page.html, retrieved 2013-04-10
10. ↑ 1978 skatecar racing on CBS Sports Spectacular on YouTube

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