FIT PERFECT FAIRINGS
Serious about trackdays? It’s time to protect your plastics
1 What to look for
Fitting pattern bodywork to your bike is a good idea if you’re a trackday regular because a whole set can often cost less than replacing even a small original panel after a slide. When sourcing a pattern fairing look for one that has dimples in the moulding where the fasteners go, and comes with Dzus clips to join the bellypan and fairing halves.
2 Unclip the connectors
With your bike on paddock stands, start removing the original panels along with lights and indicators. When unplugging lights from the bike’s loom, depress the plastic spring tab on the connector before pulling it apart as this will prevent damage. Keep all of the fasteners in a tray as some of them will need to be used later – any others should be labelled for the future.
3 Pick your seat
If your bodywork set includes a tailpiece, make sure you know whether it needs to retain the standard seat pad or requires some racing seat foam to be stuck to the base; this Suzuki GSX-R1000 K3 uses the stock seat. Remove the rear light, and relocate the rectifier from under the side panel to the back of the subframe if necessary.
4 Consider your intakes
Intakes that feed directly into the airbox are really important and the new bodywork must allow for them. On this GSX-R air is ducted from the front of the bike through the frame and into the airbox, and there are two rubber seals where they fit into the frame to help maintain the forced air pressure. Make sure you understand exactly how these should be refitted.
5 Time to drill to perfection
The rear seat cowl needs to be secured using the original mounting points. Check the location of the holes on the subframe then make sure they line up with the dimples on the pattern bodywork before drilling holes to the correct diameter. Check they align before doing the other fasteners.
6 Secure all loose wiring
Use cable ties to tidy loose wiring from disconnected lighting, and cover open connectors. Bunch the wiring into a bundle and secure it but avoid kinks that could cause damage. If there are cables that need sorting near the forks or yokes, check that the steering is not impinged in any way.
7 Trial means no errors
Offer up the top fairing, don’t worry about the air intakes just yet – just try to get a feel for how it all lines up on the fastening points. Start fixing the upper cowl to the bike, drilling holes in the bodywork as required. Keep all of the fasteners loose at this stage because the fairing might need adjusting when the bellypan is fitted. Refit the intakes.
8 Get down low
Fit the lower cowling or bellypan. Check the location of the fastening points on the bike, drill as required then secure firmly using original rubber dampers and bolts. Repeat the same on the other side and tighten up the bolts on the upper cowling. Check all over for correct clearance, especially around the exhaust, and the steering should move freely to both lockstops.
9 Trim to fit
Quite often pattern bodywork requires a little bit of trimming in places, for example to allow for aftermarket exhausts or a different set of clip-ons. Mark the excess material with a marker pen, and using a flap wheel on a drill lightly work it backwards and forwards until the unwanted material has been removed. Don’t leave any rough edges.
10 Vision technician
If you’re fitting a new screen, you may have to drill holes in it. To do this line the screen up with the fairing so it’s overlapping the inside of the fairing by about 2cm, then poke a fine marker pen through the holes in the fairing and mark the screen. Drill two holes first and loosely put screen bolts in then, making sure the other holes line up, drill the remaining holes.