How to remove your Le Mans Fairing

[Guest JohnInNH]

I have seen a few pics of "naked" Le Mans and need to remove my fairing so I can run down that damn squeak I have.

 

Before I attack the bike with allen wrenches I was hoping I could get some pointers and maybe a few words of caution to learn form your experiences.

 

What is the best way to go about removing the Le Mans Fairing? What order, tips, tricks etc.

 

Thanks

[Guest marcialc]

Have you checked your steering damper. My scura started to squeak, at first I thought it might be the bikini fairing rubbing on something Then I noticed the damper was a bit dry so after little grease and the squeak disappeared

[al_roethlisberger]

John,

 

...nope, no real "tips" other than to take your time. The plastic and finish on the body panels of the LeMans/Sport seems quite soft, so be careful when you unbolt the panels so that they don't fall. And take care to put them somewhere out of the way so they don't get damaged.

 

I've heard, but not confirmed, that to replace the whole fairing is about $1200USD!!

 

I will say that upon reassembly, you'll have to figure out which parts you should bolt-up first, and this will depend on your dexterity, and flexibility... as well as the size of your hands!

 

I found that installing one "side", then the "chin", then the other "side", then finally the "top" worked out well for me. After I bolted most of it together, I then had to re-loosen a couple things to get the gaps between the pieces fairly even. But after a few minutes, it turned out great.

 

I did find that removing the "dash" (behind the guages) required unbolting the gauges/bracket to avoid scratching anything though. It was "possible" to get it out without doing so, but I didn't want to tear anything up or scratch the finish.

 

OH, and I used "medium" loctite on everything

 

So far... *knocking on wood"... everything has stayed tight!

 

al

[profWacko]

Why take it apart in pieces?

 

I remove the two 4mm screws from the wellnuts at the rear of the fairing above the valve covers, then the two 4mm screws in front of the turn signals, and finally the two 5mm screws at the front of the air deflector above the exhaust pipes. Two nuts each to remove the mirrors, disconnect the wires from the turn signals, and slide that baby off in one piece. The plastic it is made of is pretty soft and flexible, and there must be a ton of flex additive in the paint because I have flexed mine quite a lot and the paint has never cracked (that really loud sound you hear is me knocjing furiously on the wooden bookcase behind my desk).

 

FYI, when I got rear-ended by an Impala SS in December, the price for the replacement right-side fairing piece was $700, so be careful.

 

Ride well. Ride safe.

-Jack Price

Glendale, CA

02 V11 Le Mans (26k miles and stronger than dirt)

[al_roethlisberger]

Hrmm, now if that isn't the best, and perhaps most obvious, idea I've heard in a long time....

 

Good grief, I honestly have *NO* idea why any of us hadn't considered this method before.... especially since I was just thinking the other day how much easier it was just to take my one-piece fairing off of my FJ-1200!! duh

 

Great idea, and based on my difficulties getting it all lined-up again, I'll be giving it a try as soon as I need to replace a headlight bulb!

 

THX!

al

[Guest JohnInNH]

Hey man.... THANKS!!! That's just saved me about 3 hrs of messing around.

 

Geez I LOVE this place!