Moto Guzzi Vanguard jeans V8 replica
A dustbin fairing was the term given to
a fairing that fully-enclosed a motorcycle’s front wheel, back in the fifties.
This was done in order to improve the motorcycle’s ability to cut through the
air, because bikes usually have the aerodynamic properties of a brick.
In 1956, Moto Guzzi produced a 500 cc V8 racing motorcycle with a dustbin fairing. Despite
producing only 78 hp, the Guzzi V8 was capable of reaching a speed of 277 km/h.
The thing about dustbin fairings was
that they made the bike unstable, especially in cross-winds. Cooling the engine
was another issue, as the fully-enclosed front end didn’t allow airflow to reach
the engine cooling fins.
In 1958, the Fédération Internationale
de Motocyclisme (FIM) – the governing body for motorcycle racing – banned
dustbin fairings. Rules were enacted to ensure that any bodywork did not extend
beyond the wheel spindles, and that the rider’s arms and legs were to be
visible from the side.
60 years later, the dustbin fairing
is back with us, hipster-style. Dutch casual clothing outfit Vanguard has
teamed up with bike customiser Numb Nuts and Ulfert Janssen of Gannet Design to
produce the Vanguard V8 to commemorate its new range of V8 riding jeans.
Based on the 1,400 cc Moto Guzzi
Eldorado V-twin cruiser, the Vanguard V8 sports a dustbin fairing that has a
cut-out for the headlight. Full enclosing the front wheel, this necessitated
the forward-set foot controls of the Eldorado being moved back almost 790 mm to
the rear.
A pair of open-cut shorty pipes give the
Vanguard a throaty, albeit very illegal, roar. To complete the look of the
bike, vintage looking crinkle-cut tyres from Firestone were installed.
YSS remote reservoir shock absorbers
suspend the rear end, with spoked wheels and drilled brake rotors complementing
the vintage style. The dustbin fairing is a massive fibre-glass affair,
suspended on a welded steel frame that is attached to the Vanguard V8’s frame.
A squared off fuel tank replaces the
Eldorado’s original sloping tank, giving the Vanguard a purposeful cafe racer
image. Obviously a showcase machine for the Vanguard clothing range, the
Vanguard V8 is none the less a very unique bike, in a world of cookie-cutter
V-twin customs.
