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New Rider ForumsJust joining the motorcyclist hobbie? Looking to get some information about a first bike? Or have some newbie questions. Are you new to the website?
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Sportbike: I plan owning either a hyosung gt650x or Yamaha fz6 or a suzuki sv650s
Fairing vs Non-fairing
Hello, What I am wondering is that whats the big deal. Are fairings on bikes more for looks or are they really functional for blocking wind? Are naked bikes hard to ride because there is no fairing when you get up in speed? I am looking at a couple of bikes that are naked and faired. I like the nakeds/ streetfighter look but worried about being hard to drive because the fairing is not there to block the wind. So Whats are your guys opinion. Thanks Derrick Holland
locking the wind isn't really a major function of fairings. Their main purpose is to look good and to get scratched when the bike is dropped.
Wrong. Their main function is as a post-sales revenue generation tool for the OEM and parts manufacturers. When they get scratched, you get to lay out more jack for new ones! Everyone wins, except you, of course.
Seriously, fairings are ideally for directing airflow around the bike and also INTO the radiator.
Most faired bikes give your legs decent protection from the wind, compared to a naked. The don't do much for you hands, and, depending on the upper, they may or may not be good at blocking the wind to your head unless you are tucked under them.
Unfaired bikes have more wind-buffeting at speed, but I wouldn't call them more difficult to ride, just different. Some people like that, some don't.
The windshield arguably has a lot more to do with blocking the wind than the rest of the fairing. A fairing probably is functional at 100mph+ in race conditions to help shape the airflow around the bike.
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I got rid of my ZX-10R for a BMW K1200R naked bike. I went from slight head wobble at 165+ to the feeling of my head getting pulled off. I love the mechanical look of a naked bike, but the high speed stuff is brutal.
Fairings make the bike a lot more comfortable to ride because, as stated above, they provide wind protection.
You will, however, pay dearly for that comfort since it doesn't take much to ruin fairings...and fairing prices are extremely high. Many riders are surprised when the cost to replace the fairings is more than the cost of the bike.
Possibly the best of both worlds is to get a nakkid bike, and then put a GIVI windscreen on it. They (and windscreens like GIVI) provide considerable wind protection but only cost $150 or so.
Also, the new fad of putting the blinkers in the mirrors is about as logical as codpieces.
I got rid of my ZX-10R for a BMW K1200R naked bike. I went from slight head wobble at 165+ to the feeling of my head getting pulled off. I love the mechanical look of a naked bike, but the high speed stuff is brutal.
Fairings do take a lot of the wind off of you when riding, more than you realize. They are expensive to replace if you damage them, but so is replacing the exposed stuff that gets dinged up on a naked bike if you drop it. Also, faired bikes are easier to keep clean-there's not all those exposed nooks and crannies to get dirty.
Fairings do take a lot of the wind off of you when riding, more than you realize. They are expensive to replace if you damage them, but so is replacing the exposed stuff that gets dinged up on a naked bike if you drop it. Also, faired bikes are easier to keep clean-there's not all those exposed nooks and crannies to get dirty.
Best answer so far.
If you like the look of the naked bikes, get an after-market mini wind screen as was mentioned above (Givi, Targa, etc.). I had an '00 sv650 which I found to be brutal at any speed over about 50 until I added a wind screen. Much better.
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Depends on the person. I can ride all day on a naked bike at highway speeds, others can't.
I'd say that for 75% of people naked or faired does not make a difference for wind or comfort. For the last 25%, it matters, either higher standards or they hate the wind or whatever, but it matters.
Fairings do take a lot of the wind off of you when riding, more than you realize. They are expensive to replace if you damage them, but so is replacing the exposed stuff that gets dinged up on a naked bike if you drop it. Also, faired bikes are easier to keep clean-there's not all those exposed nooks and crannies to get dirty.
I thought I might add a personal experience to this. I ride a naked SV650. I recently lowsided @ 20mph on the highway. I had to replace a screw on my bar end, my gear shifter, a small rod that connects the shifter to the engine, a windshield. Total cost of repair: $200 + some elbow grease.
Someone I know had her bike parked in a parking space. Someone turned into the space and knocked the bike over, scratched her fairings. Total repair bill to replace fairings: $3,000 @ the dealership (insurance covered)
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<coffee> OMG OMG I HAF D GREEN FONT HERE! LUKZ @ ME! WHEEEEEE!
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Wrong. Their main function is as a post-sales revenue generation tool for the OEM and parts manufacturers. When they get scratched, you get to lay out more jack for new ones! Everyone wins, except you, of course.
Seriously, fairings are ideally for directing airflow around the bike and also INTO the radiator.
Ill give you airflow into the radiator. but around a bike? don't kid yourself.
This directs airflow around the bike.
This doesnt.
Fuck, even this doesnt.
farings will considerably alleviate your suffering at high windspeeds. Especially on gusty days.
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Ill give you airflow into the radiator. but around a bike? don't kid yourself.
This directs airflow around the bike.
This doesnt.
Fuck, even this doesnt.
farings will considerably alleviate your suffering at high windspeeds. Especially on gusty days.
If the primary purpose of fairings on a sportbike wasn't for aerodynamic 'control', they wouldn't be in use on race bikes. That GSXR you posted is nothing but a race bike with turn signals and mirrors to make it street legal. A motorcycle isn't as slippery as a car, but the fairings on them make them much more slippery than they are without a fairing.
I thought I might add a personal experience to this. I ride a naked SV650. I recently lowsided @ 20mph on the highway. I had to replace a screw on my bar end, my gear shifter, a small rod that connects the shifter to the engine, a windshield. Total cost of repair: $200 + some elbow grease.
Someone I know had her bike parked in a parking space. Someone turned into the space and knocked the bike over, scratched her fairings. Total repair bill to replace fairings: $3,000 @ the dealership (insurance covered)
I low-sided on a Nighthawk 750 that I used to have. It didn't even go down on pavement, it went over an grassy embankment. The tank was dented, and there were little dings and scratches, dents, etc. all over it. By the time the dealer got done with the estimate it was totaled. Really, the bottom line is if you like the look of naked, then go for it. When on the highway, you'll have to lean into the wind some. I used to like that look, but I've been into the "plastic" look for a while now, although I DO like the look of the new Z1000!
I got rid of my ZX-10R for a BMW K1200R naked bike. I went from slight head wobble at 165+ to the feeling of my head getting pulled off. I love the mechanical look of a naked bike, but the high speed stuff is brutal.
Ive always wondered how that would feel on a naked bike. I know on my gsxr when I tuck down at high speeds, I can literally feel my helmet pulling up on my head because of the lift created by the wind.
Fairing vs Non-fairing
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