Gotta crack my fairing open...

[rumboogy]

OK...I printed off Freebird's excellent instructions for splitting the fairing...and then as I was reading over them, I noticed these were published in 2006.

 

I have a 2009 Venture WITH THE LIGHT BAR BRACKET, so I know I won't have to remove my lights...but are there ANY other changes on splitting the fairing from the 2006 models up to the 2009 models?

 

Any MORE tips or things to look out for. I am splitting my fairing so I can install (actually replace), the wiring harness for my Garmin 665 GPS.

 

Anything, TIPS, TOOLS, or WARNINGS would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Wally

[Yeah, Just Dale]

Have a 2009 RSV and recently split fairing, had no problems. You'll be fine. No special instructions that I can think of for the fairing - wiring, can't speak to that.

[rumboogy]

Thanks Dale...I'm not worried about the wiring part...since it already has the Zumo 660 (they are almost identical)...all I'll have to do is wire it the same way.

 

I mostly just worried about getting the fairing off and then back on...preferably with no left over parts. :-)

 

Wally

[CMIKE]

Should be nothing to it... Easy as pie...you can do all that in less than 1 hour and be back on the road.

[rumboogy]

Mike..

 

I'm holding you to that...LOL

 

Wally

[Sleeperhawk]

The instructions for the fairing are the same for the 2nd gen, no matter the year. You may have the passing lights on this bike, so put a towel over the fender and be sure you ball end allen wrenches, you will need them for removing the two bolts underneath the front cowling for the passing lamps.

[rumboogy]

Chickenhawk, I was under the impression that with the LIGHT BAR BRACKET installed and the lights attached to the bracket...that I would not have to take the lights off.

 

Wally

[CMIKE]

Mike..

 

I'm holding you to that...LOL

 

Wally

No problem...it is really nothing to it.

While you are in there...why don't you get some of that dielectric grease and dab some on all those connectors and plugs in there. And you could take some tyraps and secure all that wire so it don't bounce around and get in your way going back togehter with it. Look nicer also.

I blew a fuse on my running lights up in the Tenn mountians once...I split the faring in the parking lot of a hotel cause I suspected the wires were pinched in the driving light bracket. The guys with me were amazed how quickly I got it back together, actually but the time they got one beer drank.

Problem was a shorted diode under the seat I had installed to prevent some LED's from leaking into the brake circuit.

[Sleeperhawk]

Only if you have the lightbar adapter that sets the lightbar out about an inch or so. If you have that, yes you are correct, you will not to remove the lightbar.

[rumboogy]

Cool...that's the one I have. The one from this site.

 

Great. Hey, how heavy is the fairing...is it pretty light?

 

Wally

[Sleeperhawk]

Very light actually, so be careful when tightening the bolts, just snug them is all.

[CMIKE]

Cool...that's the one I have. The one from this site.

 

Great. Hey, how heavy is the fairing...is it pretty light?

 

Wally

 

Quit procrastinating. You are worrying about nothing. You can do it. Go get it done.

[Venturing Sole]

The chrome plastic windshield trim piece has little plastic tabs to mate into slots on the fairing. The tabs break easily when you try to put the trim piece back on. Both of mine have broken after numerous fairing splits. There's a do-it-yourself fix somewhere on the site if your reasonably crafty. I haven't bothered and the trim piece still stays secure. Bigger problem I have is the windshield mounting bar on either end has broken from the fairing mounts, so the only thing holding my windshield is the six screws attached to the mounting bar and the mounting bar is zip tied to the fairing in the center.