by Jake » Mon Aug 01, 2011 6:43 pm
Hi Rob,
We've been meaning put together an install guide on the site but just haven't had the time thus far so I'll try to summerize it for you here...
1. It takes us around 3 hours in the shop with all the tools and the know-how so I'd allow yourself 5 hours to finish the job.
2. Fit the fairings before you paint them, then take them off paint and re-fit.
3. Make sure you have the correct tools. A compresser and a die grinder is a very handy tool for cleaning up rough areas and drilling holes etc so if you can get a hold of one of these. Some light sand paper maybe 180 dry for rubbing down moulding seams and some 320 dry for cleaning up edges. Plus all the usual workshop tools are a must.
4 When fitting race farings you need to be patient. Sometimes you'll find bolts marks etc that don't line up and often it's simply a matter of taking a quick breather then getting back into it and you'll find it will be something simple like the fairing not mounted correctly etc. Or sometimes the fairings may have warped a little during shipping, this is not a problem, it's just a matter of bending them back into shape and fitting them to the bike in the correct position. Once the bike has been through a couple of heat cycles the fairings will re-set to that position.
5. You need to keep in mind that race fairings do not fit as well as factory stuff, so you may find areas were there is small inconsistancies but this is quite normal and not usually noticable once the paint and stickers are on. If you check out other race bikes at the track you'll be surprised how good they look from a distance but apon closer inspection the fibre glass fairings do not look as good as factory street fairings.
6. Start with the upper fairing, then lower, tank cover and tail.
7. Use the orginal factory bolts to mount the fairing to the frame of the bike.
8. Riv-nuts are a great thing to use on race fairings if you can afford them (google rivnut). They are like a rivet but with a captive nut inside them and are very handy for fixing lower tails to upper tails and sometimes even frame mounting. It's having these sorts of options available to us in the shop that helps us get the job looking really good.
9. If you need to drill holes in the screen make sure you put tape over the area first (both sides), then use the drill in reverse at a very high speed and don't push too hard our you'll crack the perspex.
Hmmm, I think that's if for now but if anyone has any tips to offer I'd love to hear them.
Good luck!