Motorcycle Fairing Reviews

Get Comfy, Get Out of the Wind!
Discover How to judge Motorcycle Fairings

Motorcycle fairings are super aerodynamic on race bikes and street bikes. And you'll find hardly any fairing on a custom bike. The following tips will be helpful if you are ever messing around with them.

Fairings have come a long way since the introduction of motorcycles. With the higher speeds it became more and more essential to deflect the wind around the bike to improve the performance. Most of these improvements came from the race track. Later development has made motorcycle fairings so effective that weather has less and less influence on the motorcycle (of course I am now talking about the bigger Goldwings, Electras and BMWs fairings)

Most fairings are very fragile and need to be handled with great care. Pulling at the wrong part can easily result in a crack. A motorcycle fairing is often attached to the body of the bike with screws, bolts, clips etc. Find out where exactly the piece of fairing is attached (do this with your manual instead of trial and error).

You'll often come across side panels, access panels, lower fairing. You don't need to strip off all panels for basic maintenance. This is often why you will find access panels on a bike. Made exactly for the reason you don't need to remove everything. Side panels are also not hard to remove just make sure you double check the attachment points. Lower and front motorcycle fairings are often large, bulky and difficult to handle by yourself.

Once you have the motorcycle fairing parts detached place them away from where you are, lay them on a piece of cloth and be very careful with them. This is where often where the most common scratches and breaks take place.

If your bike goes down fairings are the first to get damaged. Even a slow speed drop can result in some costly damage. In some circumstances you will have to take the bike to be professionally repaired. For smaller things you might be able to do it yourself. Super glue helps from the front side of the panel but use a stronger glue from the back. Even add a duct tape once finished. You can also use an epoxy kit or even solder it together with a soldering iron. Work in small steps!

Function
The addition of a motorcycle fairing can turn a long, grueling ride into a pleasurable cruise. They also provide storage, instrumentation mounting, sun screening and aesthetics, but their main function is to shield the rider from wind, rain and debris.


Full
Widely used by touring motorcyclists, the motorcycle full fairing provides the most protection of any of the fairing types; fully covering the torso, face and hands of the rider. It minimizes air drag and provides protection to the engine, gearbox and chassis, as it covers both lower and upper portions of the motorcycle. Motorcycle full fairing also gives the bike a sporty look.


Half
Motorcycle half fairings include a windscreen extending below the handlebars. Many half-faired models have kits by the original manufacturers to convert them to full fairings.


Quarter
Quarter fairings include a windscreen and minimum motorcycle fairing around the headlight. Usually made from polycarbonate polymer, a form of plastic; these windshields are lightweight and scratch resistant. They are widely used among cruising motorcyclists to stay out of the rain and wind.


Belly Pan
Using a belly pan motorcycle fairing in conjunction with quarter or half motorcycle fairings below the engine will minimize the aerodynamic lift and improve the look of the bike.


Weight
Weight of the motorcycle fairing should also be taken into consideration. Generally, the lighter the weight of the fairing, the higher the speed of the bike. But this also affects stability. Be aware that a very light fairing may cause handling issues.


Mounting
There are two types of fairing mountings. Fork-mounted fairings, which actually turn as the rider turns the handlebars, allowing the rider to direct the headlight as needed. And frame mounted fairings, which are rigidly attached to the bike and immovable. Some riders prefer this type of fairing for added stability.


Visibility
It's important to choose the right kind of fairing to avoid dangerous vision impairment and improper wind direction.


Handling
Motorcycle fairings do add to the wind resistance of the motorcycle. This can effect handling when riding in heavy cross winds or at high speeds.


Cost
Motorcycle fairings are available in a wide range of pricing, selling anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand. Many come as an integral part of the motorcycle and are included in the initial sale. Others can be purchased from aftermarket motorcycle companies and can be mounted in more custom applications.

We really appreciate tips from other riders. If you would like to add a tip to this list, feel free to send it to us using our contact form.

Useful tools for fixing damaged fairings: super glue, removal fluid, epoxy glue (including hardener), soldering iron and duct tape.

To repair cracks in panels use super glue on the front and epoxy glue on the backside. Cover the backside with duct tape once finished.

Before you work on any scratches or cracks make sure you clean it well with a solvent to remove wax / dirt / crease.

If you have scratches get the right touch-up paint sticks from your manufacturer / dealer. Instead of wiping the paint over the scratch, let it very gently run from the stick into the scratch. Works much better. Then let it dry for two days before washing and waxing.