How To-Front/Upper Fairing Removal

BiGxbOix510 · May 13, 2006

Found a write up on it earlier but his pics are [X]. So here's a quick one.
Had to take mine off to play with tripage's third light+install magic blinker for my watsens, so I thought "Hey, what the hell..."

HOW TO REMOVE FRONT FAIRING
(On my 05, shouldn't be that different from 03-04)

1. Start with the 3 Hex bolts on each side of the fairing.

2. Go under the fairing, behind the wheel and find the last screw that connects to the radiator, loosen it until you can spin it with your fingers and yank that sucker out. Each side.

3

EDITED, BIG THANKS TO NewRedRider FOR THIS SHORTCUT!)-You don't have to take the mirrors and the windscreen off. All you need to do is remove the 2 bolts holding the main fairing stay on and the entire front clip comes off. The guage cluster and mirrors stay on the front clip. All your doing is removing the ram air covers and disconnecting the PIN connectors.

4. No go back up to the mirrors and lift/pull the fairing up to get it off with the stay and windscreen in one big piece. Might get caught around the middle fairing, reach down and guide triangle ram air tubes out.

BiGxbOix510 · May 13, 2006

5. Pull it slowly towards you and down, wiggling from the bottom to loosen the airducts from their locations. But don't take the fairing out completely, just to break it free.

6. Look under the clutch side airduct and unplug the 2 main connectors, there are lock buttons to push in+hold then you pull it apart.

7. Pull off the fairing slowly making sure it's not connected to anything on the bike. Now it's halfway to a streetfighter...

8. And you are pretty much done.

Putting it back is not as easy as getting it off, but it's pretty easy. While slipping on the airduct tubing+reconnecting the 2 main connectors to the wire harness. Play around with it to fit. Then it's rather basic reverse steps. Good Luck.

TonyTheTige-rr · May 13, 2006

very nice write up, when we first took out my front fairings we took alot of screws underneath where the intake air ducts are, after doing that we were like "wait a min didnt need to take those out"

NewRedRider · May 13, 2006

Nice write up. One thing though. You don't have to take the mirrors and the windscreen off. All you need to do is remove the 2 bolts holding the main fairing stay on and the entire front clip comes off. The guage cluster and mirrors stay on the front clip. All your doing is removing the ram air covers and disconnecting the PIN connectors.

I borrowed your picture.

TonyTheTige-rr · May 20, 2006

NewRedRider said:
Nice write up. One thing though. You don't have to take the mirrors and the windscreen off. All you need to do is remove the 2 bolts holding the main fairing stay on and the entire front clip comes off. The guage cluster and mirrors stay on the front clip. All your doing is removing the ram air covers and disconnecting the PIN connectors.

I borrowed your picture.

so all you do is take off the 3 side allen bolts and those two bolts you circled and ur done?

NewRedRider · May 20, 2006

Yeah, instead of taking the fairing stay off the front fairing, you take the fairing stay off the steering stem. Don't forget the trim clips in the resonator by the radiator and your PIN connectors to your gauges. That's about it. Just use the mirrors to hold each side. Why they show all that crap in the SM is beyond me. This is so much easier and faster. Less parts to take off and replace. You can bet your a$$ the dealer doesn't take all that crap off.

anicca · May 30, 2006

i can't see the pics of the original poster, is this sticky fuct or should i go with what Red wrote up?

NewRedRider · May 30, 2006

anicca said:
i can't see the pics of the original poster, is this sticky fuct or should i go with what Red wrote up?

Trust me. Go look at the bike and tell me I'm wrong.

BTW, Photobucket sucks! Use www.imageshack.us. Never had a problem with them.

BiGxbOix510 · Jun 3, 2006

Bump, Fixed the pics!
(i moved them in my album, forgot about what it affected)
Edited in NewRedRiders shortcut.
(Thanks a lot! That way saves a lot of work.)
A few pics are not what it would look like with taking off the fairing stay,
but I doubt anything crucial is missing. Take care.

NewRedRider · Jun 4, 2006

Good fix man! I don't want to see my boys working any harder then they have to.

Ichiro · Jun 10, 2006

what's the torque spec for those fairing stay bolts?

NewRedRider · Jun 11, 2006

Ichiro said:
what's the torque spec for those fairing stay bolts?

I haven't found one anywhere. So I'm guessing 15-20ft/lbs with lock-tite.

Ruler007 · Jun 11, 2006

Ichiro · Jun 11, 2006

Dude, your attachment didn't work try again

Ruler007 said:

blue_rrockit · Jul 2, 2006

DAMMMMN i wish i read this two days ago *cry*

blue_rrockit · Jul 7, 2006

I had to take my nose off again to install a HID and flushmounts...one thing this guide doesn't mention is the trim clips connecting the air duct cover to the ram air tube. Don't forget those or else u'll rip a new one in ur air tube.

ProphetX · Jul 30, 2006

....................................

TonyBarron · Sep 24, 2006

thats the problem with the service manual, it reads like an installation in reverse.
To put it back together... that is. In reality, well thats different.
Great work BiGxbOix510...

cojolio · Sep 24, 2006

good info...a little too late because i took all that crap off yesterday... but now i know better...

BTW it was a B!tch to get the front fairing off....

DysanRR · Nov 9, 2006

TTT

I just did this install lastnight!. OMG!. What a PITA! I followed the guide here and successfully got the Front end off as shown. That was about as easy as it got. Putting it back together was a nightmare.. I highly recommend anyone else attempting this to have a buddy helping.. It would have saved me so much headache. Trying to hold that front peice by myself with one hand while attempting to get everything to line back up, holding wires out of the way, plugging in those 2 connectors, etc with the other hand. Ughh! Then I tested the lights only to find one side not working!. :sad3: While still holding everything I managed to get a better lock on the wires with the inline splicer so it's working again.

The biggest issue for me after the above was getting all those little plastic tabs you pop into place to line up. Then I kept losing those rubber fairing nuts.. They'd pop out and fall down inside the bike somewhere.. Son of a!.

Anyhow, the aggrevation was worth it.. The bike looks 10x better already!. Thanks for the Guide!

belleater · Nov 11, 2006

what did ppl use to get the 2 bolts off? im having trouble fitting a wrench in there.

BiGxbOix510 · Nov 11, 2006

Try this....(hope you've got TOOLS!)
12mm flexible socket, extension, and ratchet.

belleater · Nov 11, 2006

thx for the picture but i dont have that long of an extension. i got the top bolt off with a wrench. but the 2nd one is sill cramped in there. i think even if i did have a long extension i still wouldnt be able to get the lower bolt off. i have an 03.

BiGxbOix510 · Nov 11, 2006

The extra leverage with the ratchet just makes it alot easier to reach and loosen.

If you've got enough wrist+arm power :jerkit:
Small ratchet...

Small wrench...

There's always a way, just gotta find it.
And if you don't have the tools.....you gotta do it the hard way. :\

belleater · Nov 11, 2006

alright im going to give my friend a call for some tools. thanks a bunch for the pictures!

chrism67177 · Jan 5, 2007

if i would have seen this before, i couldve saved 80 bucks to get my LP flushmounts installed!

How To-Front/Upper Fairing Removal

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