Head-to-head
Should you spruce up your bike with a set of cheap Far-eastern plastics?
Chinese fairings tried
FIRST IMPRESSIONS MEAN a lot and a few scratches on a fairing can make a bike that is sound underneath look decidedly disappointing when you open your garage door. The problem is, however, replacing plastic panels can be costly, especially for a bike whose spare parts supply has been exhausted. Could a complete
Chinese-built fairing kit be the answer?
Fully painted, with a screen, mudguard, hugger and even a pillion seat cover for just £319.99 delivered to your door, a pattern kit seems almost too good to be true, which is why we decided to put one head-to-head with an OE fairing.
Taking a 1998 Yamaha YZF-R1 in the classic red and white design, we ordered a stock Oe-replica fairing kit from an ebay seller Auctmarts, which is based in China, then got a highly experienced mechanic to fit it to see how it stacked up against Yamaha's 22-year-old version. We assessed fit, paint finish, the quality of the logos and its construction to see if it represents money well spent or if secondhand OE panels would be a better option.