Hey all,

I pulled both side fairings on my bike to do a little work on it the other day(was a very frustrating day...), and I don't think it looks to bad without 'em.  Sort of nekid, but you get the windscreen and don't have to mess with the headlights.

I'm on the fence as to whether to put them back on or not.  What are ya'll's thoughts?  Anybody else running like this?  Something I'm missing that'll make my front end fall off?

Here be some pictures.

Thanks

+1 full fairings

I have an 04 myself, and I got it with mangled fairings.  I bought it fully intending to put the bucket headlight on, and I have, and I like the look a lot more.  I HAD IT with the front cowl and no fairings.   My fear is that this directs wind and, on occasion, water, all sorts of weird places, and the parts of the cowl that meet the mount pegs stick out and are likely to catch, get broken, etc.  I really, really didn't like it like that.  For less than $100 you can get a bucket HL.  You said you like the windscreen.  Eh.  Not messing with the headlights.   Eh.

I think putting fairings on the GS was a marketing move that backfired.  I would encourage everyone to go naked.  My 0.02.

PachmanP, I thought about doing the same thing one day when I had the fairings off to do some work.

If you like it leave them off for a while, I can't see it doing any harm. The only problem I can see is the bottom of the fairing is wobbly as it's not connected to the side fairings anymore.

Ugh, I thought of the same thing for a little while. Problem is its super ugly. Go full fairing or naked. Not this.

I would have said go Full fairing or Naked, but with the flushmounts(which I personally wouldnt use), it doesnt look half bad.  The only thing I would do if I was gonna keep half faired is to repaint the color scheme. Bright blue front and white back dont match the black frame or silvery metal parts.

Full fairing.  And personally i like the look of the full fairing more than the naked look.  Probably because im just 20 though.

it's your bike
ride it a while
if you don't like it change it.
peer pressure is crap
if you like ape hangers.....put ape hangers on your bike, saves on deodorant by keeping your pits dry

it's like a movie
i really enjoyed some movies that the critics said were crap.

Kinda looks like an SV650S. Also without side fairings. Side view looks ok but from the rear quarter looks like a big chunk missing from the bikes fairings unlike the SV which is all filled in with plastic.

Quote from: werase643 on March 20, 2009, 04:30:58 PM
it's like a movie
i really enjoyed some movies that the critics said were crap.

I usually enjoy movies critics say are crap...maybe im not on the same  page as them.

Quote from: efushi on March 20, 2009, 03:32:20 PM
I would have said go Full fairing or Naked, but with the flushmounts(which I personally wouldnt use), it doesnt look half bad.  The only thing I would do if I was gonna keep half faired is to repaint the color scheme. Bright blue front and white back dont match the black frame or silvery metal parts.

Yeah I didn't even realize the flushmounts weren't stockl, until I broke my rear turn signal and started looking around more.   I think the guy before they guy I got it from did it, or maybe some guy before that that I don't know about...

As for painting and such, I figure if I kept it this way, I'd pull the white rear fairings or whatever they're called and do the wire frame look I've seen before, and I think the blue is ok but the dangling stickers not so much.

@werase643 I think ape hangers on a GS could be fun   It's also always fun to read the reviews so you can say to yourself gah those critics are pretentious 'tards that can't appreciate a good fart joke.   

I'mma "F" girl myself! Kinda looks weird like that one way or the other I say. But, it's your bike do what you want!

Mary

I thought about doing that same thing myself.  I like the way it looks, you get the agressiveness of the naked look and all the wind protection and sportiness of the fairing.  To make it work you will need some kind of reinforcement along the bottom, I thought about bolting some sheet metal strips along the bottom using the existing bolt holes.  If you don't reinforce the bottom the vibrations will eventually cause the fairing to tear, especialy if you have dropped it a couple of times and punched the turn signal through the fairing.     It would be nice if someone with some with more fiberglassing/ABS plastic experience could come up with a cleaner half fairing design and put it into production

just like everyone has said to me, I'm gonna say to you (as a few others have already).... its your bike, you have to ride it, make it your own.  

My personal opinion is, I can't stand that look.  I'm still on the fence with the naked version (although somre are pretty cool looking), but the faired without the lowers is a major no-no in my opinion.

I'm with Werase...  Don't listen to peer pressure.  You know what you like. When you change your mind, then make a change on your bike. That's where the fun begins!

Quote from: 5thAve on March 20, 2009, 07:15:28 PM
I'm with Werase...  Don't listen to peer pressure.  You know what you like. When you change your mind, then make a change on your bike. That's where the fun begins!

NO!  I don't know what I like!  I need that peer pressure. 

That said they're off for now and need to be cleaned before they go on, so laziness may win out and I'll tool around like this for a while.

Although, the idea of them tearing that Critter brought up is a little worrying. 

No one can tell you what to do everyone on the board has different tastes on the gs I had mine like that for awhile and it looked great keep in mind I had a bellypan ans r6 the bike filled itself out look at my post called 4th of july ride and see for your self

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=42661.0
added the link

The tearing/cracking issue I was talking about wouldnt be an issue unless you rode long periods of time without reinforcement such as months or years.  Just riding around a few days or weeks you should be fine

Ok I need to call bullship on the tearings issue, I rode mine almost a year with just the chicken head and no side fairings. The nose fairings is boltes solid in three places two bolts on the stem and one on each side of the frame the sides don't hold the nose but the nose holdes the sides from moving. You won't tear shaZam! riding like that but it will look ugly. The nose is too wide the skinny ass which is why I added a bigger ass.

I think critter also had already punched a hole in it and dropped it once or twice

That said yours does look kinda hawt, Mach1.