Vetter Fairing Company

Vetter Fairing Company was an American motorcycle-accessory manufacturer founded by Craig Vetter in 1966. The company became closely associated with aftermarket motorcycle fairings, particularly the Windjammer series, as well as luggage and trunk systems designed for touring motorcycles. Its products addressed a practical gap in the motorcycle market: before manufacturers widely offered fully equipped touring motorcycles, riders could purchase a standard motorcycle and add a fairing, hard luggage, and related equipment to create what was commonly called a full-dress or full-bagger configuration. The company's products were influential because they combined weather protection, storage, and a more substantial touring-oriented appearance in a package that could be fitted to motorcycles that had originally been sold without integrated fairings or luggage. This made Vetter equipment relevant to riders who wanted greater comfort and utility without replacing their motorcycle with a factory-built touring model. The Windjammer name became the company's most recognizable product identity and is the principal association attached to the Vetter brand. Vetter Fairing Company's business developed during a period when aftermarket accessories played a major role in expanding motorcycle functionality. Riders commonly customized standard motorcycles for long-distance travel, and Vetter's fairings and trunk or hard-bag arrangements were frequently used for this purpose. The company therefore occupied a position between motorcycle component manufacturing and the broader customization market: it did not primarily sell complete motorcycles, but supplied equipment that could materially change a motorcycle's touring capabilities and visual identity. Craig Vetter sold the business in 1978. The company subsequently encountered financial difficulties and went bankrupt in 1983. Bell-Riddell Inc. acquired the company's assets and continued producing fairings for a few years, but the original Vetter Fairing Company did not remain an ongoing independent business. The market conditions that had supported the company also changed. Motorcycle manufacturers increasingly introduced factory-equipped touring models, including motorcycles such as the Honda Gold Wing and other fully dressed touring offerings. As factory fairings, integrated luggage, and complete touring packages became more widely available, the need for riders to convert standard motorcycles with aftermarket systems declined. This structural shift reduced demand for Vetter's core products and contributed to the brand's eventual disappearance as a major operating manufacturer. Although defunct, Vetter Fairing Company remains significant in the history of motorcycle touring equipment. Its products helped popularize the idea that a standard motorcycle could be transformed into a practical long-distance machine through aftermarket equipment, and its Windjammer fairings are frequently cited in accounts of Craig Vetter's influence on motorcycle design and customization.

Vetter Fairing Company was established in the United States in 1966 by Craig Vetter. It developed and manufactured motorcycle accessories at a time when many motorcycles were sold in relatively standard forms, without the integrated fairings and luggage systems that later became common on factory-built touring models. The company's central contribution was to provide aftermarket equipment that allowed riders to adapt those motorcycles for longer-distance travel. The company's best-known products were the Windjammer series of motorcycle fairings. These fairings were intended to provide protection from wind and weather while also giving a standard motorcycle a more substantial touring profile. Vetter also produced trunk and hard-bag arrangements. Used together, these products could convert a motorcycle without factory luggage or a fairing into a full-bagger, also known as a full-dress motorcycle. This aftermarket conversion model was particularly important before manufacturers broadly adopted fully equipped touring motorcycles. Vetter's products became widely associated with motorcycle customization and touring. Rather than requiring a rider to purchase a new, factory-equipped touring motorcycle, a Vetter setup offered a way to add practical touring equipment to an existing machine. The company consequently became part of the development of the American motorcycle touring accessory market and helped establish aftermarket fairings and luggage as recognizable categories of motorcycle equipment. Craig Vetter sold the company in 1978. The business later entered bankruptcy in 1983. Bell-Riddell Inc. acquired its assets and produced fairings for several years after the bankruptcy, but this continuation did not restore Vetter Fairing Company as the same independent operating business. The company's decline was connected not only to its financial problems but also to a change in the motorcycle market. Manufacturers increasingly began selling motorcycles with factory-installed fairings, trunks, and luggage. Models such as the Honda Gold Wing, Calvalcade, Venture, and other factory-built full-dress motorcycles offered an integrated alternative to aftermarket conversion systems. As these products became more available, the practical need for a separate fairing and luggage package for a standard motorcycle diminished. Vetter Fairing Company is therefore remembered both as a manufacturer and as an important influence on motorcycle touring culture. Its Windjammer fairings and related luggage systems helped define the appearance and equipment of a generation of customized touring motorcycles. Later accounts of Craig Vetter's work have treated the company as an example of how aftermarket design shaped motorcycle use before touring equipment became a routine part of factory motorcycle development.

• 1983

  Bankruptcy

  [1]Vetter Fairing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Vetter Fairing Company went bankrupt as demand for aftermarket touring conversions declined and factory-equipped touring motorcycles became more prevalent.

• 1978

  Business sold

  [1]Vetter Fairing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Craig Vetter sold the company after its period of growth as a major aftermarket supplier of motorcycle fairings and luggage systems.

• 1966

  Company founded

  [1]Vetter Fairing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Craig Vetter founded Vetter Fairing Company in the United States to manufacture motorcycle accessories, including fairings and touring equipment.

• Assets acquired by Bell-Riddell

  [1]Vetter Fairing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Bell-Riddell Inc. acquired the company's assets and continued producing fairings for a few years.

An aftermarket motorcycle-touring equipment brand that enabled owners of standard motorcycles to add wind protection, storage, and full-dress touring functionality.

• Motorcycle fairing

  Windjammer

  The Windjammer was Vetter Fairing Company's signature series of aftermarket motorcycle fairings. It was designed to add wind and weather protection to motorcycles that were originally sold without a factory fairing, while also giving them a more touring-oriented appearance. The series became the principal product associated with the Vetter name and was widely used as part of full-dress motorcycle conversions.

• Motorcycle luggage

  Vetter trunk and hard-bag systems

  Vetter produced trunk and hard-bag arrangements intended to expand the carrying capacity of standard motorcycles. Combined with a fairing, these systems allowed riders to create a fuller touring configuration before integrated luggage became common on factory-built touring motorcycles. They formed an important part of the company's broader aftermarket solution for long-distance riding.

• 1983

  Bankruptcy and asset transferOther

  Background

  The company faced financial failure during a period when motorcycle manufacturers were increasingly offering complete touring motorcycles with factory-installed fairings and luggage.

  Action taken

  Vetter Fairing Company entered bankruptcy, after which Bell-Riddell Inc. acquired its assets.

  Aftermath

  Bell-Riddell continued producing fairings for a few years, while the original Vetter Fairing Company ceased to operate as an independent manufacturer.

  Source

• 1978

  Sale of the companyStrategy

  Background

  After building a business around aftermarket motorcycle fairings and touring accessories, Craig Vetter sold the company in 1978.

  Action taken

  Ownership of Vetter Fairing Company was transferred to a new owner; the available reference material does not identify the buyer.

  Aftermath

  The company later went bankrupt in 1983. Bell-Riddell Inc. subsequently acquired its assets and produced fairings for several years.

  Source

1. 1Vetter Fairing Companyen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Against the Wind: How Craig Vetter changed motorcyclingbooks.google.com
3. 3Craig Vetter, motorcycling's most free-thinking inventorbooks.google.com