So I was very excited to see complete fairing kits on the big auction site with reasonable prices. My question is that none of them seem to come with the rear tank cover. Is the rear tank cover metal or plastic? Is it a cover or the actual tank? Anyone know of any kits that come with this piece as well or would a guy have to get a paint job just for half a gas tank???

* Last updated by: darkarcher on 1/11/2016 @ 8:41 AM *

Not exactly sure what you mean, but the tank is metal ... and so the part your knees rest against, and the part where the fuel filler is, and the part where your belt buckle would touch, that's all metal tank.

And the part in front of the tank is plastic.

The part up front by the handle bars is plastic and it's not a part of the tank.

Ok so that is why the fairing kits dont come with the back half, just that front plastic piece. So that basically answers my question. Any fairing kit that made a color change to the bike would have to blend with the current tank (belt buckle/thigh area) or it would need to be painted. Thanks!

Yep, the back half is not a fairing, it's steel gas tank. You would have to have it painted if you bought new fairings of a different color and wanted the feel tank to match. Good luck on that if you go with a candy color. It might be hard for a painter to match the fairing color. Prolly best bet would be to have the whole thing painted. Also, get some recommendations on those after market fairings. They might not fit right. I don't hear of a lot of people using those but when I do...it's usually not good. One member had his blow off at about 170 mph last year. Heard one aftermarket set of fairings was great for the busa. Looked good fit good and no high speed problems. I'd probably go with OEM but a whole set would be expensive

Yeah, a number of guys over on the Honda RC51 forum, a bike which Honda quit making in 2006, have tried the inexpensive (aka cheap) Chinese aftermarket fairings, some for track use, and I haven't read about a single satisfied guy. Usually they break easily, fit poorly so you have to re-drill holes which are sometimes in place where there's very little material anyway, and these things even melt! It's inferior plastic, and they don't insulate them where needed. Buyer beware. Or make sure you get a reputable brand.

and these things even melt!

That might explain how that guy I mentioned before lost his fairings at 170 mph. You out there Freddy? I know your not riding (I hope!).

They seemed to fit good and they looked good but he had no explanation for the spontaneous defrocking of his 14 on the expressway.

* Last updated by: Rook on 1/11/2016 @ 7:14 PM *

My experience with cheap fairing kits is the same as mentioned by extrapolator with the Honda forum. The parts do not fit well with Kawa original parts, you normally end up with gaps between panels (fairings).