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[Jerry/MD]

I used to dread removing and installing the batwing fairings...but this sharknose POS makes that design look like a piece of cake. As some of you know I like to provide these little 'public service announcements' whenever I can. If I can save just one of my CVO Brothers from a similar unhappy experience...then the self-imposed shame was worth it.  

I recently installed J&M 7.25" Rokkers in the bike and went through great pains to re-install the outer fairing. First off, the acoustic foam J&M provides got chucked because it will not compress easily. Not sure if anybody else has experienced this issue...but that stuff now resides in my trash can.

Second, and this is just a tip and the overall reason for this post...remove the windshield before re-installing. I know...the manual and common sense says you don't need to...but it does help. With the windshield off you get a better view of the mating to the top of the inner fairing.

I won't say how long I fought with this thing...it was longer than I wish to admit.

Jerry

[Cvostu]

Just one of my several reasons I stayed with a batwing bike.   7 screws and it's off/on. 

[dayne66]

...and I thought my mind was made up on getting a RG next...now there's a downside.

[gabe]

I used to dread removing and installing the batwing fairings...but this sharknose POS makes that design look like a piece of cake. As some of you know I like to provide these little 'public service announcements' whenever I can. If I can save just one of my CVO Brothers from a similar unhappy experience...then the self-imposed shame was worth it.  

I recently installed J&M 7.25" Rokkers in the bike and went through great pains to re-install the outer fairing. First off, the acoustic foam J&M provides got chucked because it will not compress easily. Not sure if anybody else has experienced this issue...but that stuff now resides in my trash can.

Second, and this is just a tip and the overall reason for this post...remove the windshield before re-installing. I know...the manual and common sense says you don't need to...but it does help. With the windshield off you get a better view of the mating to the top of the inner fairing.

I won't say how long I fought with this thing...it was longer than I wish to admit.

Jerry

i did mine a few weeks ago off and on i found removeing the headligths did the trick for me and i left the windshield on

[Jerry/MD]

...and I thought my mind was made up on getting a RG next...now there's a downside.

The ONLY downside I have found so far. 

[Cvostu]

I had a good friend that had an 02 road glide.   I coolant not believe the effort it took when taking off the fairing and worse putting it back on. They need to do something about that. 

[Twolanerider]

There is a "touch" to popping the fairing on and off.   On e you get that down its no big deal though.  First time mine was on and off it took a long time punctuated by bad words.  Looked it all over and figured out what ass going where and how hard to push and pull and after that's its no more difficult than the Electra Glide.   No need to take windshield or headlight off.   Just cant be afraid to pull and push a little at the appropriate times.  

[HDCrazy]

Here is a link to a great thread on this topic on another board. Great directions & illustrations.
http://roadglide.org/showthread.php?t=5613

[Dan_Lockwood]

I have an '09 SERG. The first time I took it off I had big issues getting back on. I called Twolanerider Don and picked his brain a bit. But the problem was a misplaced harness that was stopping the reinstall.

I too found it easier to see the top clips in place with the windshield off on reinstall.

Like someone said, there's a touch you acquire.

I had installed my new J&M 7.25" speakers on Saturday afternoon and buttoned everything up. My wife and rode to meet friends for the evening at a local pub. It was about 9:30 pm when the party broke up. There were eight of us and they all walked us up onto the brick street where I was parked under an old tyme not so bright sidewalk streetlight. We got our helmets on and fired the beast up. What I notice right away was no headlights.  I had forgotten to plug back in the headlight wiring harness and plugs.  The only way to plug them in is to pull the outer fairing off for access.


Damn.....

I used my little SERG tool kit and under poor lighting and 15 to 20 minutes later we were on our way with headlights. 

I would NOT recommend to anyone doing that, but despite the "help" of several drunk buddies, it still turned out okay.

The only complaint I have, and it's probably the same with a batwing, is the narrow black trim between the two halves.

So after a conservative guess of probably 10 to 12 fairing removals, it's really no big deal. When at home I always remove the windshield first, it really helps. I think it was blind luck and the need to impress my buds that I pulled off that near darkness removal/reinstall so quickly.

By the way, I've never lost a windshield rubber mushroom nut and I still have all the original nuts in use.

In this case practice makes a big difference.

Good luck and don't chuck a potential RG because of the fear of the fairing.

[charles05663]

First off, the acoustic foam J&M provides got chucked because it will not compress easily. Not sure if anybody else has experienced this issue...but that stuff now resides in my trash can.

Are you referring to this?

http://www.jmcorp.com/ProductDetail.asp?ProductID=FSAP-HDRG

[martys]

There is a "touch" to popping the fairing on and off.   On e you get that down its no big deal though.  First time mine was on and off it took a long time punctuated by bad words.  Looked it all over and figured out what ass going where and how hard to push and pull and after that's its no more difficult than the Electra Glide.   No need to take windshield or headlight off.   Just cant be afraid to pull and push a little at the appropriate times.  

I agree with Don  My first time was a bad experience because of all the "unknown" little things to watch for.  Now that I have done it a dozen or so times it is a matter of patients, making sure all the harnesses are in the right places and you can set the faring on the hook.  From there on its just a matter of lining it up properly and your done 

Marty

[Rio]

Been there, and it's about the only thing I've done right.  1st of all, get someone to help you, it makes it very simple with two more hands.  You have to tuck it under the bracket and lift up to get it to lock correctly.  It's helpful with another set of hands to look and balance the fairing.  Not nearly as simple as the batwing fairing, but I read somewhere in the threads that someone did a survey and they discovered the sharknose riders have a higher IQ?  Another note to be very very very careful, that is screwing the screws in without damaging or stipping the inlets.  I did that on my 2007 and I had to refill them with a hardener and re-tap them so they would hold tight. 

[Dan_Lockwood]

Been there, and it's about the only thing I've done right.  1st of all, get someone to help you, it makes it very simple with two more hands.  You have to tuck it under the bracket and lift up to get it to lock correctly.  It's helpful with another set of hands to look and balance the fairing.  Not nearly as simple as the batwing fairing, but I read somewhere in the threads that someone did a survey and they discovered the sharknose riders have a higher IQ?  Another note to be very very very careful, that is screwing the screws in without damaging or stipping the inlets.  I did that on my 2007 and I had to refill them with a hardener and re-tap them so they would hold tight. 

Right now I have one hole that's iffy on the threads.  I just cut a short piece of a small cable tie and stick in the hole and then thread in the screw and it's as holds as tight as any of the other screws.  But at some time there will need to be a permanent fix.