Batwing Fairing! Which one should I go for?

[Caddyman]

I have been looking through the posts here about the various batwing fairings and need advice before I purchase one!
Some questions I have are;

1. Will they all keep the cold from my hands?
2. Which will fit my 2003 1500 best?
3. What about mirrors? Do you keep original ones?
4. Should I get one with ready made
cut outs for stereo/speakers or not?
5. Finally which one would You recommend?

I have about $750 to spend which has to cover; buying one, shipping it and then painting it! I will add the stereo and speakers later and I also will buy lowers as well as I am fed up with the cold these past few weeks. A friend of mine just bought a HD Ultra Glide and he keeps warm while I am freezing!!




Thanks in advance for any help!

[Monkeyman]

I've never done a batwing (though I'm in the middle of a sharknose) but I'd recommend genuine HD. I don't know how much one would cost over there but if you look around here, you can pick up an inner and outer set for about $150 if you don't mind a few scratches. (Easily fixed stuff, not actual damage.) Chuckster makes a set of brackets to mount it to your Nomad.

As far as mirror go, you have 2 choices with the HD fairing. Either you can use a pair of mirrors in the stock location or you can add fairing mounted mirrors. I think you can add mirrors to the ends of the fairing on the Premeux, too, but the Premeux is uber expensive (but worth it from what I've heard). I doubt you'll find a Premeux for what you want to spend.

There are some good lowers out there. I can't think of anyone who has said bad things about the AirLite soft lowers. JTD makes some good looking hard lowers. The hard lowers are a bit more expensive but you can add small glove boxes or speakers. The JTD lowers have opening vents.

The batwing fairings are pretty good about wind protection.

[nomadtom69]

This is the brand I have (Reckless) a lot of us have this one you can order it just about anyway you want it painted or black gel coat with or with out stereo bolts to your regular windshield bracketts

http://recklessmotorcycles.com/index...ct_detail&p=20

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kawasaki-Nom...item3cc0be5f56

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_kw=k...ad&_kw=fairing
these come with the holes cut out for radio if you do not want the cut out or no radio they will do that or one of these will work
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Batwing-Fair...item2316334181

[Caddyman]

Originally Posted by Monkeyman

I've never done a batwing (though I'm in the middle of a sharknose) but I'd recommend genuine HD. I don't know how much one would cost over there but if you look around here, you can pick up an inner and outer set for about $150 if you don't mind a few scratches. (Easily fixed stuff, not actual damage.) Chuckster makes a set of brackets to mount it to your Nomad.

Thanks Monkeyman! I never thought of a HD fairing, least of all a secondhand one! I will be painting it anyway so a few scratches won't put me off and if I can get the brackets then this could be a real contender! Good info on the mirrors too. Cheers!

[ringadingh]

I had a Premeux Fairing on my bike, they are not the cheapest and come ready to install right out of the box, painted to match your bike. You can also order them with a radio already installed. Thats the easiest way to add a fairing. They also make the lower fairing as well.
If you use an HD fairing you have to make up or buy the brackets to adapt it to a Nomad, its more work but I like the look of the inner fairing a lot more since it has the holes for instruments molded into it.
Ive heard from some of the guys that use a Reckless fairing that the fit isn't as good and requires some trimming or adjustments before paint, especially around the headlight.
On your budget either the HD fairing or the Reckless will come close the Premeux will be about double that price.

[ringadingh]

Be careful of buying a cracked HD fairing, they are made of a plastic type material that doesn't take well to repair. You can fix scrapes and scratches but broken studs and cracks are difficult to impossible to fix permanently.

[Caddyman]

Originally Posted by nomadtom69

This is the brand I have (Reckless) a lot of us have this one you can order it just about anyway you want it painted.

Thanks nomadtom69! I had a look at those links and they give me more choices and that's for sure! These fairings are well priced indeed, do you know if they are made to fit or do you have to buy a kit from someone?

[Caddyman]

Originally Posted by ringadingh

I had a Premeux Fairing on my bike, they are not the cheapest and come ready to install right out of the box, painted to match your bike. You can also order them with a radio already installed. Thats the easiest way to add a fairing. They also make the lower fairing as well.
If you use an HD fairing you have to make up or buy the brackets to adapt it to a Nomad, its more work but I like the look of the inner fairing a lot more since it has the holes for instruments molded into it.
Ive heard from some of the guys that use a Reckless fairing that the fit isn't as good and requires some trimming or adjustments before paint, especially around the headlight.
On your budget either the HD fairing or the Reckless will come close the Premeux will be about double that price.

Thanks for the response ringadingh.. I suppose you will always pay big dough for the best but as this bike of mine is now in it's 9 year there is no point (IMHO) spending that amount of money on a fairing! Especially since it wouldn't add that much to the value of the bike!! It's looking like a secondhand HD fairing is in pole position at the moments. Any idea what a fitting kit will cost from Chuckster?

[Caddyman]

Originally Posted by ringadingh

Be careful of buying a cracked HD fairing, they are made of a plastic type material that doesn't take well to repair. You can fix scrapes and scratches but broken studs and cracks are difficult to impossible to fix permanently.

Good tip, cheers!

[ringadingh]

Give Joe (chuckster) a call about his brackets, he's a member here.
Bear in mind that if you use a HD fairing that the inner fairing will have all the holes in it for the gauges and stereo which look great when finished. If not you will have a few holes to cover.

[tazfl]

I don't have a fairing on my nomad but I can tell you that I've heard nothing but good things about the reckless fairings. The guys that have bought them report back that their painters commented on how good the quality was and how little prep work it took to get it ready for painting. Of course the less prep work involved means a cheaper paint job for you.

[BudMan]

I just put a Reckless Fairing on my wife's 1500.
The painter said it was basicially ready to paint out of the box.
It comes with the necessary brackets, and mine didn't require any shims or adjustments.
I'm not saying they are a top of the line fairing but IMO they are good fairings at a good price.

[rustyford]

I went with Reckless as well. My bodyman also commented on how nice it was and how easy it was to get ready for paint. I just ordered mine with the speaker cut outs and bought my own steereo/speakers.
Super easy install. The only thing I did was make a couple metal "support" pieces to bolt inside the fairing at the mounting points.

[Jared]

If I had any choice, I would have gone with a Harley Davidson. I really liked the look of Rickyboys at the Crescent City Rally last summer.

That being said, I have a Hoppe Quadzilla and have been very happy with it!

[Monkeyman]

Originally Posted by ringadingh

Give Joe (chuckster) a call about his brackets, he's a member here.
Bear in mind that if you use a HD fairing that the inner fairing will have all the holes in it for the gauges and stereo which look great when finished. If not you will have a few holes to cover.

I don't know what fairing that is, but it's not a HD.