Official Fairings.ca Blog

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Motorcycle is a dangerous ride for experts and novices alike owing to the fact that the rider is fully exposed. Unlike other vehicles where the driver is considerably safe from direct impact, motorcycle poses an inherent risk for straight hit to the rider in case of an accident. According to a National Center for Statistics and Analysis report, motorcyclists’ risk of a fatal crash is 35 times greater than a passenger car. For obvious reasons, it is advised to always wear a helmet during the ride because it can reduce the risk of death by 37%; but what about minor injuries to wrists, elbows, shoulders or knees? We all know that full protective gear can sometimes cost as much as the motorcycle itself and most of us don’t trouble ourselves with the task of armouring against little road accidents, but we will give you a little tip that can help save your knees.

Below you can see two photorgraphs of motorcycles.

On the first photograph, we have marked an area between the two red lines and a red circle. This area is a little recessed and the red circle is where your knees would probably be during the ride. On the second photograph, we have marked that area with a grey circle. This area is recessed for streamlining purposes. We wouldn’t want your legs protruding from the sides of the motorcycle now, would we? That would disturb the airflow, cause turbulence and reduce motorcycle stability at higher speeds. Our legs sort of fit into this area in such a way as to become one with the motorcycle body. It also serves another purpose: Saving your legs. In most cases, the motorcycle fairing is the first thing to hit the ground so it absorbs most of the impact. It provides great impact protection. Trust us when we say that nobody can take a 450 lb superbike falling on their leg.  One can easily get kneecapped or suffer major abrasions. This is not a carpet burn! It is your knee getting scrapped against asphalt at highway speeds.

How does a good fairing save you? It takes the impact and spares your knee. Cheap low quality fairings crack immediately and increase your chances of leaving the crash site on a gurney. So what are your options except carbon fiber? Good ABS Plastic is not only better than fiberglass, but it is less prone to cracking due to slight elasticity in it. A good fairing can act as a cushion between your legs and the road so never go for cheap stuff. Try our great quality fairings. Check our our product range at our Online Store.

Remember! When We Fall, We Fall Hard. Don’t take chances. Take our advice instead.

Changing your motorcycle fairings isn’t as easy as dumping the old set and putting on a new one. A majority of riders report problems with fairings after a few days of use. The problems arise when the fairings are subjected to exhaust heat which can damage the cowling. Damage can be in the form of fading of paint around the area covering the engine and exhaust or an outright distortion of plastic. This can render your $500 fairing set utterly useless as it will no longer serve its purpose of improving aerodynamicity and aesthetics of your motorcycle.

So what is the solution? The solution is HeatShield™.

HeatShield is a way of shielding your bodywork against extreme engine and exhaust temperatures and it can be done in many ways. The easiest way to do it  on your fairings is to use commonly available heat shield cloths. They can withstand temperatures of up to 1100°F but it varies from product to product. The Heat Shield cloth is made up primarily of aluminium which reflects radiant heat. Commercially available solutions come in various thickness but we know 0.018″ to 0.020″ to be standard and can easily be cut using a sharp tool such as scissors or paper cutter. They will stick to any surface and work good if you know the temperatures it is rated for will work with your ride and give it enough clearance (2″ is the ideal distance from the heat source). Using adhesive tape, you can cover the inside of your fairings with a heat shield cloth. This little trouble will save you from much bigger ones..

But why not buy fairings that come with HeatShield technology built-in? They cost less than contemporary products but will last longer because of high-precision craftsmanship and machinework. So save yourself the trouble and check out our new line of durable and affordable motorcycle fairings @ www.fairings.ca

Thinking about painting your motorcycle satin black? It is not only very easy but a great DIY project.

Without going into the details, we’ll highlight simple points to do it in your garage and briefly go over any problems you may come across.

Stuff you’ll need:

• Satin Black Paint
• Electric Spray Gun
• A couple of rolls of Masking Tape
• Some old newspapers

Process:

• Visit our Online Store and buy unpainted fairings of your choice or look for other pepole selling theirs on free online classifieds.
• Place the fairings on floor on top of old newspapers and ensure that they are clean. Do not wipe them hard with a dry cloth as it may cause static and dust particles will be attracted to it.
• Load the Electric Spray Gun with the paint and test it on some surface to make sure that it is operating smoothly.
• Spray directly at the fairings from a reasonable distance. The fairings must be positioned vertically (rest them against a wall)
• Apply thin layers of paint and keep the gun moving. Spray in order.

Problems you may encounter and how to avoid them:

• The spray gun may release thick blobs of paint if it is low on paint. Keep the gun topped up to avoid this problem.
• The gravity may create problems for you and paint may run downwards in streaks. Avoid this problem by spraying thin layers of paint and letting the paint dry between coats.

There you go! Zoom down the streets with your new satin black motorcycle. The paint job will turn out fabulous and it resembles stealth aircrafts from the cold war era. Awesome!

Share photos of your paint job in the comments below. The best paint job photos will be featured on our blog.

Want this look for your superbike? Visit us now @ Online Store

One of the most common problems faced by bikers who use aftermarket fairings is fitment issues. How a fairing fits your motorcycle is the best way to identify whether your fairing set is made for your motorcycle or just a mass-produced plastic toy made in China.

Nearly all modern fairings are designed and pre-drilled for optimal fitment; however some may require manual drilling. If your fairing requires manual drilling, it is best to have a professional install it for you. In case of pre-drilled models, you can install it yourself in less than twenty minutes with the right set of tools. You can find many guides on the internet on how to install motorcycle fairings.

A mal fitted fairing can cause many problems for the biker, such as rider discomfort (due to vibration), motorcycle instability (at higher speeds) and overall deterioration of ride quality. Vibration can be caused by lose rivets/screws or simply be a result of amateur craftsmanship during the installation. The quickest way to identify vibration problems is to rev up the motorcycle while it’s standing still. Upon close inspection, you’ll be able to spot any quivering parts of the fairing.

It is, however, best to avoid such problems by choosing the best product from the best retailers. There is a fine line between affordable and cheap. A certain product may cost you less but it may cost you a lot more to own that product in the long run. There are many great retailers out there who offer motorcycle fairings that are easy on your pockets and cost you less to maintain.

For more information, visit http://www.fairings.ca/

Contrary to what the title suggests, this article is more of an expression of personal opinions than a technical diatribe. What you are about to read is based on years of experience riding motorcycles combined with a sound scientific background. Over the past decade, I have owned several cars and motorcycles; but here’s the fundamental difference between the two: A four-wheeler takes you where you need to go – a two-wheeler takes you where you want to go. Nothing says ‘I own my life’ better than slicing through air at 160 mph. You are at odds with the whole universe — and winning. It brings us to grips with inherent human frailties, and that, in turn, makes us aware of what we stand to lose.

It is, however, often ignored that this ‘ecstasy on wheels’ comprises of thousands of moving parts, each one essential to our safety during the ride. Motorcycle fairing is one of the most critical parts of your crotch-rocket. As a matter of fact, it is so critical that I think it’s probably the only thing that distinguishes a modern superbike from the metal chunks of the yesteryears. You may remember the first and second-generation CB900F from Honda. They were pretty good machines with brilliant engines; but not exactly a ‘dream come true’ for a motorcycle enthusiast. They lacked full, sometimes even partial, fairings, and were terrible at higher speeds. Turbulence at high speeds made them dangerous to ride and affected their maneuverability.

All of that, however, changed with the introduction of full fairings. The concept of ‘fairing’ was borrowed from the aviation industry where fairings were used to smoothen up the outline for the purpose of reducing drag and increasing aerodynamicity. Fairings consolidate the ride and the rider into a single unit resulting in streamlined airflow. Apart from the obvious performance advantage, fairings give motorcycles a menacing, hawk-like look. Add to it a custom paint-job and you have a ride worth identifying with!

What happens when you need to give your crotch-rocket a new look? It can be very confusing and frustrating because customization ends only where your budget does. There is no limit to what you can do to your motorcycle to make it go faster and look more dashing. So where do we draw the line? What kinds of fairings give you the best value for money? One thing is for sure! OEM fairings are not easy on your wallet. They may cost up to 30% of the motorcycle itself which is just way too expensive. Some people would argue that they are sturdier and more durable in comparison to the aftermarket fairings. Let me bust a myth for you: they’re not. If you bought the wrong product, it’s probably because you didn’t know where to shop. There are many good vendors out there offering ABS fairings at an affordable price. They just cost a fraction of what an OEM fairing set would cost and often include free goodies such as tank covers and windshields; but here’s the key to finding excellent aftermarket fairings: You have to know what kind of molding process was used during the manufacture. The two commonly practiced methods of producing ABS plastic fairing are Injection and Compression molding. Compression molding is an older method where the end product lacks uniformity because some manual work may be required to scrape away any excess plastic. Injection molding requires molten plastic to be injected directly into the mold cavity. The fairings produced using this method is accurate with a fitment that rivals OEM fairings.  Starting at US$ 599, these aftermarket fairings are tough and built with ‘no compromise’ philosophy in mind. These fairings are not cheap, they are just affordable. It is also worthwhile to mention that even the OEM fairings are manufactured using the Injection mold technology so there is no point in spending a large sum of money just to have an international motorcycle manufacturer’s name printed on it. Aftermarket fairings are available in the color of your choice or you can have the vendor design it in the way you prefer or look for other people selling it in classifieds.

On another note, aftermarket fairings are highly recommended for the daredevils with affinity for stunts. Don’t let a bad stoppie cost you too much! You’ll probably get a free windshield with your new set of aftermarket fairings.