Batwing Fairing choice ????

[Tim L.]

I,ve been interested in the Batwing fairings for a while now and have just been procrastinating as usual. With the recent post about the new Memphis Shades Batwing my interest has peeked again. I think the Batwing looks right at home on the Valk. I seem to go about a year or so between Mods and I'm ready for the next one. I would really like to incorporate a radio into the fairing. I was hopeing to get some opinions on what brands of fairings fit and look good too on the Valk (radio included).So if you have one or have an opinion about one I'd like to hear it. If you have any Pics i would like to see them. Inside and outside...

   I actually started looking at the H.D. Sreet Glide because It looked so good with its Batwing fairing. I like the way they incorporated the radio and instruments on the inside of the fairing. I'd like to find a used one and retrofit it to the Valk. Not sure its possible and probably not cost effective. I did some checking and the 09 Street Glide price starts at 19 k, also not cost effective. Then add another 5 k to get it to run like the Valk (stock) and I'm back to a Batwing (radio included) for my 2K Tourer.  Two guys I work with that ride Harleys recommended I keep the Valk. That impressed me.

  Still not ready for the GoldWing, I'm holding off as long as possible. I think I can see one in my future though.The longer I can keep the Valkyrie interesting the longer I can hold those thoughts off.

[eRaGoN]

I've seen batwing fairings with radio/cd and 4 speakers on the pod.....I went with the i/s fairing assy with std instruments, marine radio on the left bag with wired remote  on the  clamp and couldn't be happier.

[Tim L.]

   I thought about selling my tourer and buying an IS. Then taking off the trunk,and useing the tourer seats. The super Valk looks good. I decided to work with my Tourer to keep the cost down. Can you post a picture of the inside of your IS fairing with the Standard guages ?  That sounds very interesting.

[dreamaker]

Check ou the TrikeShop and it is called a Radio Caddy on there site.

Dan

http://www.trikeshop.com/shop/category/11/?s=id&d=desc&l=15&p=3

[EOD MOE]

I just put a Street Glide fairing on my Valk Standard as a winter project. I did it for cheap, compared to what a bolt on aftermarket fairing with radio would cost, and believe me I am one cheap S.O.B . All parts were sourced from E-bay, maybe $600.00 with paint and everything, you just have to be creative and take advantage of good deals. I regret I didn't take any pictures or document my progress, but used this webpage as rough guide. http://roadstarclinic.com/content/view/172/94/ . Just as an idea of what I wanted to accomplish. I'll try once again to post some pics, I'm sure if I screw it up someone will fix me up.  Moe

[ptgb]

EOD,

That is one of the nicest batwing fairing adaptions to a Valk I have ever seen! Really nice job!
 

[ssober]

I had a friend buy a universal fit with speakers and radio new for like 600 from a vendor at a mc show

[Tim L.]

Dan,

  Is that the Trike Shop radio caddy your running on your Valk ? I have seen them on there web site. Do you have any close up pics ? Are you happy with yours?

[Tim L.]

Moe,

  Very nice job, UNIQUE !!! How much time do you have in the retrofit ?

[EOD MOE]

I never really kept track of how long it took, but it did a good job of occupying my spare time this winter. I found out I could only work on one part of it at a time and then step away for a couple days, and come back fresh. definatly not something you want to do on a short timeline in my opinion. But overall it was pretty straight forward. I've got about a 1000 miles on it so far and everything is holding up.    Moe

[eRaGoN]

   I thought about selling my tourer and buying an IS. Then taking off the trunk,and useing the tourer seats. The super Valk looks good. I decided to work with my Tourer to keep the cost down. Can you post a picture of the inside of your IS fairing with the Standard guages ?  That sounds very interesting.

http://gs179.photobucket.com/groups/w309/HXGFAIXH2Q/?albumview=slideshow

[dreamaker]

Tim,  Yes that is a TrikeShop Radio Caddy on my Valk.  I didn't need a radio because I am using a Zumo 550 with built in XM Radio and MP3 player and my Bluetooth headset has FM radio in it.  I really like and it is tuff. A year ago some hose bag hit and run my bike when it was parked and the bike was upside down, with no damage to the fairing with justa skuff on the corner.  When I was looking for a fairing I considered the Interstate but by the time I got the parts it would have cost almost as mush as a Valk.  Then I looked at the old HD styles but at the time the prices were gold standard.  So I went to the caddy and been happy with it. The disadvantage to the caddy is you have to use a 7" light on it like a VTX. Now Moe did a super job with the HD fairing and it looks like he used the stock Valk. light. I think the simplest way to go is the Memphis shade, the Radio caddy isn't bad to mount, it takes a little work if you can use some simple tools. Not sure what Moe went through but the quality shows.  There is always going to be some trade off on any of them, the one thing that will turn your stomach is the cost of the paint. But it is worth it.

Dan

[Tim L.]

I just got off the phone with Memphis Shades and they do have a Batwing prototype in the works right now that houses a radio. They couldn't say how long it would be before it was in production. Might be worth the wait, definetley the easy way out. Surely won't be as nice as these custom jobs.

[dreamaker]

Tim, Don't fool yourself the Memphis Shade is a real nice fairing. I probably have about $1600 in my fairing and the MS don't come close to that price. I think the MS is a better bang for the buck. Let me ask you a question. Why do you want a radio on the bike. I have a Zumo with XM Radio to the speakers and I don't use it any more because it is a pain to me.  I get cranking and the music is hard to hear because of the bike, wind and the traffic. When I come to a light my system is blasting because I am controlling the bike and can't turn it down every time.  So what I did is go to a bluetooth headset and I listen to everything and not bother people around me.  Just a thought.

Dan

[Momz]

Whoa!.......

Did anyone bother to check out the Tsukayu website?

[Tim L.]

http://tsukayu.com/QuickDetachableFairing.html

I seen these at Biketoberfest in Daytona last year. I was hopeing someone had one and would chime in on it. The price with radio $899.00 on  there website. Its all kind of a blur now but it seems they wanted a lot more for them during biketoberfest.  I seen the Valk fitted with there Batwing on there website and it looks like the Tach and speedo needs relocated. Is anyone useing one yet ??

[Bagger John - #3785]

I looked at several fairings before I bought my Memphis. In fact, I bought a first-generation Harley Batwing earlier in the year and will eventually fit it to Blondie's Tourer by way of modifying the stock Harley mounts.

The upside to the Batwing - at least for me - is that I currently have an assortment of Fats windshields, plus a Bob Dron Road King fairing...all set up to use the Memphis mounts. Thus, one more "option" in the series made sense.

If I want tunes, I have my Blackberry's MP3 player, the Hondaline CB and an audio integrator. I'm looking at a couple Yaesu VHF ham rigs with built-in FM stereo tuners and bar-mount control heads. One of them will probably end up on my Tourer in lieu of a dedicated AM/FM stereo unit and they're MUCH smaller. Thus, no need for a "radio caddy"-style fairing...

[Tim L.]

Dan I'm not aposed to takeing the easy way out,(Memphis Shades) in fact its very interesting. I understand what your saying about drowning out the music at cruise. I have glass packs so it wouldn't be hard. I really like the looks of the Batwing on the Valk so that would be my #1 reason for installing it. My # 2 reason would be a place to hide some Tunes. My wife and I both wear helmets so Bluetooth might be an option. I could use an education in it cause I don't know anything about it. Tell me what I need to know. We want to hear some Tunes while we ride. I'm not interested in an Intercom system though, don't really want her in my ear !! What are my options with out a radio ??

[dreamaker]

I guess the first question is what does Tim want on his bike. There are many options out there. There are a few headsets out there the two that stand out for me is Cardo Scala and the Camos and some of our friends out there have other systems that are good.  The reason I chose Bluetooth is I didn't want to be attached to the bike in any way, plus it give me options. I don't expect you to do the same as my system but let me tell you what I have. I have a Zumo 550 because I wanted XM Radio and my headset is a Cardo Scala Rider Q2 with a wiREVO D1000 V Bluetooth dongle. What this gives me is GPS voice commands, MP3 music, XM Radio, cell phone call and receive and FM Radio  all to my headset hands free.  Myself I like the Scala and works and priced very well, but some people prefer stereo but I found that after 45mph you can,t tell the difference anyway because of pipes, traffic and wind. See Stereo= separate channels and fidelity= quality of sound and you got to understand this is a bike not your home theater 5.1 surround system.  Lot of the newer devices have bluetooth built in like Ipod, MP3 and GPS's to pair to the head set and also they have bluetooth dongles for the ones that don't have it built in. Now keep in mind many of these devices are not designed to be in the elements such as a car GPS, not waterproof and screen not bright enough in the sun or Ipod and MP3 not waterproof.  So maybe consider cheapo or throw away because waterproof cost a little more. So figure out what kind of a setup you want and we can help you out.  I will put some sites  down for you to check out also the deal of the day sites for super deals on cheap devices but check them every day for the deals. The best deals on the headset are on the net but you need to search around.

Dan

www.cardowireless.com

www.woot.com

www.dodtracker.com

[fldragon6]

Being in the music business I find that the sound of the engine is music to my ears. My riding buddy John on his Valk Interstate can't live without his Ipod playing thru his stereo. Here in South FL I don't want the distraction. The Memphis Shades Fairing was a simple install and the roundness of it fit the round shape of the Valk. Due to an accident the bags are off in this photo. Hope to have it all together this week.

[ssober]

http://www.wideopencustom.com/dotnetnuke/Fairings/tabid/60/Default.aspx  Here is one that is reasonable priced and the ones I have seen in person seem nice and I plan on ordering one next week

[MP]

Check out Woodys Fairings for the Valkyrie.  Hand made fiberglass in WI.  Not plastic.

http://www.woodysfairings.com/fairingsetc/HNFVLKX.html

Top quality, reasonable.

MP

[ssober]

I am not trying to start something but what is wrong with abs?  Aren't the sidecovers abs from the factory?  I have seen 2 up close and they looked good to me and didn't spend $200 moving gauges and a headlight.  The woody's and the trike shop looks like good products but I am going to try the wide open customs.  I will let you know.

[Bagger John - #3785]

I am not trying to start something but what is wrong with abs?

The only thing "wrong" with ABS is that fabricating a construct from the stuff requires an injection mold, whereas a fiberglass part can be hand-laid.

If you crack an ABS part, it must be heat-welded - using ABS rod as the bonding agent. A fiberglass part can be repaired via the overlay of more fiberglass matting that has been wetted with binding component...usually some form of epoxy resin.

ABS is somewhat lighter than fiberglass and from a manufacturing standpoint, the creation of parts is a little easier to automate.

[dreamaker]

You sure you are not talking about polypropylene that has to be heat welded, that has a waxy, oily feel to it and doesn't take paint well . I use to vacuum form and work allot with ABS and we never welded it, maybe chemically welded. I guess now you can goto to the hardware and get a bonding glue for ABS. But I maybe wrong about the welding.

Dan

[Bagger John - #3785]

You sure you are not talking about polypropylene that has to be heat welded, that has a waxy, oily feel to it and doesn't take paint well . I use to vacuum form and work allot with ABS and we never welded it, maybe chemically welded. I guess now you can goto to the hardware and get a bonding glue for ABS. But I maybe wrong about the welding.

Dan

Dan,

I own and have used a plastic welder outfit with several types of filler rods: PVC, CPVC. polystyrene and ABS. If you want a structurally strong weld, you'll have to use a re-melt/filler method. I have successfully welded ABS by chemical means in the past but find that most solvents react with the plasticizers to a degree that the area becomes too soft to resist shear loads. Chemical "filling" works well on surfaces with gouges (no cracks).

[dreamaker]

That interesting I will have to check it out, when I still in the model shop we use to take MEK and ABS shaving and make a wet paste and bond and use as a filler, it worked well.
Well one thing I can say about TrikeShop fairing it survived the crash test. I had my bike parked and a women hit and run my bike. She knocked it 6ft and flipped the bike over and the fairing ended up with a few scratches on the left wing. So its been tested. Thanks for the info.

Dan

[¿spoom]

current Woody's "deerscore" is Woody's = 1, deer = 0 A guy with one on a Road King in the milwaukee area killed a baby bambi with one last Spring. Fairing's still in use and it'll be repaired this winter  
There's nothing inherently wrong with a plastic fairing, it comes down to what kind of plastic, any reinforcement, all sorts of things. I prefer to make mine in fiberglass because it's stronger and easily repaired and modified. Bike fall over more than cars and we like to modify things, so it fits in with what I want to do. Much is made of the fact that our sidecovers and current H-D fairings are plastic. The sidecovers don't have any load on them, and H-D fairings have internal metal bracketry to support the plastic.