[slinger]

damn! I'm riding this weekend and I noticed the left top edge of my outer fairing has pulled away and is sticking up a bit. Tried to tighten it up and guess what? the hole is stripped AGAIN! I just fixed a couple of these (thanks to some great ideas on here). I will never understand the idiots who designed the outer fairing and not put the inserts that the bat wing has. Love my glide but sometimes I wonder why I swtiched..
Sigh..thanks for letting me vent. Any ideas I would sure appreciate them. Looks like I'm going to have to take it apart again and redo it.

 

[Speedie]

Just a guess, but I would suspect the fins on the fairing are not properly aligned with the inner. Have that happen and the two just won't come together and play nice unless everything is aligned.

 

[twistr]

Just a guess, but I would suspect the fins on the fairing are not properly aligned with the inner. Have that happen and the two just won't come together and play nice unless everything is aligned.

Agree...when those fins are not lined up properly it will apply additional stress on the outer fairing screw hole threads.

 

[Big_gary]

Learn how to properly install the outer fairing, or just don't look at the misalignment.

 

[h-donut]

I rode about 20 miles one day before realizing the 6 screws didn't get tightened at all

with the front hooks, top and side tabs and main fairing support, the 6 screws do something, but by no means the complete job, they seem like they are mainly there to verify alignment and lightly snug the two pieces together

good luck, it's frustrating, but the more you take it apart, the easier it becomes next time

at one point, kind of early in, I put some black RTV in the threads, because I had been not getting the front hooks correct and putting too much stress on the screws

 

[reds4]

Fairing Sucks

Slinger- it would be a plus if it actually did
bad design with no insets, yes
cumbersome to manage, yes
lack of easy access, yes

FLT- (T) three point fixed, yes
breaks wind like no other, yes
feel good about having, yes

 

[09Sharknose]

I put white paint on the fins that line up on the outside so when I realign my outer fairing with my inner fairing correctly, I only see the white fins. I won't put any screws in until it's seated properly.


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[slinger]

Learn how to properly install the outer fairing, or just don't look at the misalignment.

The fairing IS installed correctly and yes, the fins ARE aligned up. As I said, the hole is stripped again. That is what is keeping it from being pulled into the inner fairing. but thanks for the assumption that is it wasn't..

 

[PFWiz]

The engineer who designed how the faring attaches eats shit with a fork!

 

[runmanpkll]

The engineer who designed how the faring attaches eats shit with a fork!

once you figure out the orientation of the black fins and the colored fins, it fits together easily and everything snugs down with no stress on the screws.

 

[runmanpkll]

I will never understand the idiots who designed the outer fairing and not put the inserts that the bat wing has. Love my glide but sometimes I wonder why I swtiched..

I have a friend with a street glide and those inserts strip too. he has a couple that are stripped.

 

[Big_gary]

once you figure out the orientation of the black fins and the colored fins, it fits together easily and everything snugs down with no stress on the screws.

That's the ticket. If your using the screws to pull any thing together, something wrong.

 

[slinger]

I have a friend with a street glide and those inserts strip too. he has a couple that are stripped.

I had that happen on my old one. You can at least replace the inserts there.
love the comments that assume because the screws strip out they are "pulling" the fairing together. The screws hold the fairing together to the inner fairing so I dont see how there can't be a bit of stress on them. Stripped out holes are actually somewhat common on these since they are just cut into the plastic. At least thats what I have seen when I researched them. Anytime I have it off I have made damn sure the fins line up and its properly seated on the hooks. Like it was pointed out, it wont fit right if it isn't.

 

[100edition]

Slinger I agree with you. I think we can all admit it a $hit design at best. I does get easier after a couple of times and getting the hooks over the headlights in place. I still avoid mine at all cost.

 

[Ohiobellboy]

Just put mine back together today and didn't have any issues.










(but then again, I do have a '15)


I hear ya on the design. It was hit or miss on my '11 I had. Some days It'd go right on, other times it was a fight. I got lucky and didn't strip any of those inserts though.

 

[09Sharknose]

Here's what I do, works every time! Unless you have Daymakers.

Take the headlights out. This allows you to look from the front and hang the fairing on the hooks on the first try. Once you hang it there, it's very easy to line everything else up. It's also very easy to install the headlights with the fairing on. Unless you have Daymakers.


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[thedude]

I'm on my third RG. It took me a few times but I learned how to get the fairing on and off with little trouble on the 03. Never had a problem with the 11. Now I have a 13 and every time I take it off its like I have never seen a RG when I try to put it back on.

 

[e.nigma]

I'm on my third RG. It took me a few times but I learned how to get the fairing on and off with little trouble on the 03. Never had a problem with the 11. Now I have a 13 and every time I take it off its like I have never seen a RG when I try to put it back on.

Youse guys are not exactly instilling confidence in me, I need to pill ime to put the headwinds LEDS and run the power and antenna for my Inno into the left hand storage compartment.Guess I'll have to watch the Youtube video a couple dozen more times.
ED

 

[slinger]

Slinger I agree with you. I think we can all admit it a $hit design at best. I does get easier after a couple of times and getting the hooks over the headlights in place. I still avoid mine at all cost.

Yeah, I try to avoid it when I can but I have had to take it off a few times. Once you get it lined up it isn't bad. What I shoud have said is that everything is lined up and fits tight. It's one area about 1/2" between the middle and top screw that rises a bit above the the inner fairing where they meet up. Probably less than a 16th of an inch gap. Almost like something is warped but don't think so. It was ok about a week ago. Loosened the screws just in case they were overtightened but that didn't help. My biggest complaint is why would HD NOT put a screw insert like the batwing has? common sense says after a while the plastic will strip..oh well. Gonna take it apart and see if I did miss something.

 

[sfcusaret2004]

My biggest complaint is why would HD NOT put a screw insert like the batwing has? common sense says after a while the plastic will strip..oh well.

And the answer is, they don't have to, they redesigned the fairing for the '15 and like they do with all other previous year models, they do not give a shit about anything in the past! I found an automotive insert that would fit inside the screw hole if the boss on the fairing was 3/32nds bigger, but it ain't, ain't gonna be either. Bottom line is we all have to get good at repairing these when they strip, (and they are gonna strip!) Bitching about it ain't gonna fix it. Next time mine does I'm gonna try the abs/MEK sluury method as this sounds the most promising.