Batwing on Fatboy?

[lilfatboy]

Anyone out there put a HD Batwind fairing on a softail, specifically a FatBoy, or no anyone who has? After buying my new FatBoy the Street Glide fairing has really grown on me. They are both FL front ends so it should be a pretty easy swap, right?

[rprokop63]

There was a guy over on the Delphi Road king forum who mounted a batwing fairing on the quick disconnect hardware for a Roadking windshield so he could switch back and forth when he wanted. It looked pretty good. Maybe you could rig something like that and have the best of both worlds? Sorry but I can't find the picture of it.

Originally Posted by lilfatboy

Anyone out there put a HD Batwind fairing on a softail, specifically a FatBoy, or no anyone who has? After buying my new FatBoy the Street Glide fairing has really grown on me. They are both FL front ends so it should be a pretty easy swap, right?

[US Ranger]

I found a 1969 batwing, without hardware on ebay. Mounted it to a spare RK windshield. Should work the same on a Fatboy I'd think.

[RABNTN]

Originally Posted by lilfatboy

Anyone out there put a HD Batwind fairing on a softail, specifically a FatBoy, or no anyone who has? After buying my new FatBoy the Street Glide fairing has really grown on me. They are both FL front ends so it should be a pretty easy swap, right?

I had an '02 SE RK that had a batwing fairing, just attach as a removable windshield...it fit only a touring bike, as the forks differ from a Softail. (the wife's ST Deluxe is different dimensions that my RK was).

Try this site...I've never used them, but my brother-in-law added one to his RK for long trips, and loves it.

Good luck...

[lilfatboy]

You have to forgive my ignorance. I thought the FL front end on the FatBoy would be the same as the touring bikes. So I take it I can't buy a Street Glide front end and bolt it up with some changes to the upper fork legs? Or is it possible but just a ton of extra work and effort when I can buy something aftermarket?

[Phil P.]

Originally Posted by lilfatboy

You have to forgive my ignorance. I thought the FL front end on the FatBoy would be the same as the touring bikes. So I take it I can't buy a Street Glide front end and bolt it up with some changes to the upper fork legs? Or is it possible but just a ton of extra work and effort when I can buy something aftermarket?

It would seem to me that "IF" you can, in fact, put a FL front end
on the Fat Boy the cost factor and devaluation of your bike would
be of concern. Have you thought of selling or trading your bike
for the Street Glide you admire so much? Just a thought.

[1bdBagr]

Put a dragonfly detachable fairing on it. The dragonfly piece is good and will get you the look you want. The actual FLHT batwing wont go on at all unless you do the trees and EVERYTHING from there...too much change and a tad extreme.
http://www.dragonflycycleconcepts.com/index.htm
or mckays cycle products
http://www.mckayscyclecreations.com/
mckays used to have a QD fairing kit available...don't see it right now, but you could inquire.
later, Tim

[route66paul]

Originally Posted by rprokop63

There was a guy over on the Delphi Road king forum who mounted a batwing fairing on the quick disconnect hardware for a Roadking windshield so he could switch back and forth when he wanted. It looked pretty good. Maybe you could rig something like that and have the best of both worlds? Sorry but I can't find the picture of it.

The fatboy has different mounts than a Road King, but it might work. Some Softtails have different mounting hardware also, you might have to fab a bracket to hook the mounts to.

[BryanL]

The triple trees are backwards on touring bikes. The forktubes are actually behind the neck. Swapping the whole front end would not be cost effective.

[Knightenforcer]

I have a detacheable fairing with stereo on my RK, it was made by deadcenter cycles...it's awesome! can be attached and detached like my reg windshield. It's also lockable, it works on the fatboy but you'll need some kind off QD adapter.(just read/checkout website)

link :http://www.deadcentercycles.com/compatibility.aspx

You might try the radiocaddy, here's the link: (it works on the heritage softail)
http://www.jpcycles.com/productgroup...ore=All&page=1

Also check out this link: It's supposed to work on some fatboy models

http://www.kendayproducts.com/

[lilfatboy]

Phil P., the difference between the FatBoy and the other softail models is the fact that it has a FL front end. My problem is I wanted my cake and be able to eat it too. It is an '07 with a SE II 103" kit so I am afraid I will take a bath trading it in. I wanted the lowered fat tire look and still have the fat FL front end. Hence why I went with the FatBoy. It wasn't until I took a longer trip then normal that I realized how much of a difference a windshield makes when you don't have one.

Looks like I will take a closer look at the Dragonfly or some of the others. I may ask my local dealer out of curiosity what it would cost to change out the uppers on my fork tubes and get a factory fairing just for a comparison in pricing. But it sounds like from you all that my initial idea might be a little far fetched.

Knightenforcer, thanks for the link. That is the best aftermarket one I have seen yet. All the others I have looked at are just a shell.

[rprokop63]

Here are a couple more choices that were out there. I don't know anything specific about them but it will give you a few things to look at while you decide what your plan is. Hope they help. The Roadking one I mentioned before was a home brewed example where the guy fabbed the mounts from a detachable windshield to a used FL fairing. If I recall correctly he got it for next to nothing but he put some serious time and work into it.
http://www.kendayproducts.com/
http://www.thegaragefather.com/Index...=Products/List

[1bdBagr]

Originally Posted by lilfatboy

It wasn't until I took a longer trip then normal that I realized how much of a difference a windshield makes when you don't have one.

Looks like I will take a closer look at the Dragonfly or some of the others. I may ask my local dealer out of curiosity what it would cost to change out the uppers on my fork tubes and get a factory fairing just for a comparison in pricing. But it sounds like from you all that my initial idea might be a little far fetched.

I don't think there is ANYTHING you can change (within reason) to get the factory fairing to bolt on your Fatboy. The factory batwing fairing bolts on through a cast in mounting boss on the upper and lower cast iron trees (FLHT type), which are physically wider than those on your fatboy. I too came off a batwing equipped bike ( a 92 ElectraGlide), and it makes it a tad easier to rack up the miles. I looked into the Dragonfly unit, and both talked to their reps and looked it over pretty closely. To me, it most resembles a factory fairing. Their fairing does not QD, but used 2 bolts ea side to attach. Not too much headache to R & R. I personally think the ones with the extra speakers ea side are too much (Hoppe Quadzilla) but to each his /her own. The Dragonfly is the one I'D buy it i had the coin laying around. JMO
Tim


My photo gallery
92 EG and 2000 RKC
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49503198237@N01/

[lilfatboy]

Yeah I don't know what to do. Told the wife I was thinking about trading it back in for the Street Glide and she just rolled her eyes at me (which I get a lot). I really like the FatBoy so I will probably just grin and bear it until I can get up some extra cash for one of the aftermarket windshields. Probably still go over to the dealer this weekend just to see what they say and see how bad they can irk me when they tell me my bike is now only worth 8 grand or something ridiculous.

[james62]

I put a windshield on my fatboy, the hd nostalgic model, and then cut it down
to a tombstone style, i couldnt take the look for much more than a couple of weeks, so off it came.

james