Are FXRT fairings a passing fad?
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All fads are passing, that's what makes them a fad. Being that the fairing is coming up on 40 years in existence I don't consider it a fad, but it has become more popular as baggers have become fashionable. When I was much younger back in the 80's and early 90's, me and my buddies would never consider an FXRT, or Electra Glides for that matter, these were old man bikes. We were pretty much right because, with the exception of me, they all have baggers and they're old men.
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Yeah I remember well we ignored them like a p.o.s., they were a fad (to us) when on the showroom´s floor brand new.
Back then in my circle it was total philistine design to us....remembered us to the BMW tourers of that time which were the uncoolest thing to ever have.
I Would not have believed centuries later I would own two bikes with that fairing.
Zeitgeist is different....taste, point of view, everything, can change....
Vintage and Retro now, but was the to-avoid-pseudo-modern look at that time....
Maybe I would have thought differently, if I had seen one with cool paint and a Klockwerks shield.....which wasn't there of course...
I remember someone told he has seen the fairing for almost free at a village flea market........long long ago
E-Glides were kind of geezer bikes or at least for the older ones, but by far not hated as philistine bikes like we rated the RT´s.
I was an exception in some way as I bought an E-Glide at age 21.
It was a rare FLHX (´84 latest Shovel to get, stock wire wheels and special paint, belt drive) and nobody else in his twenties as a young gun had a HD-tourer back then, but when i cut the windshield (bat wing stayed on), removed the tour pak and stereo, threw a Wide-Glide seat (easy bolt on) and fishtails on, they all said the bike is so cool.
One year later I removed the fairing and bags, lowered it and put a horseshoe oil bag and Staggered´s on. Beautiful bike.
But a RT - no way in hell this would have been a thought for half a second for anyone i ever spoke to, at that time...
Have no pictures left, but this is the same bike :
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Back then in my circle it was total philistine design to us....remembered us to the BMW tourers of that time which were the uncoolest thing to ever have.
I Would not have believed centuries later I would own two bikes with that fairing.
Zeitgeist is different....taste, point of view, everything, can change....
Vintage and Retro now, but was the to-avoid-pseudo-modern look at that time....
Maybe I would have thought differently, if I had seen one with cool paint and a Klockwerks shield.....which wasn't there of course...
I remember someone told he has seen the fairing for almost free at a village flea market........long long ago
E-Glides were kind of geezer bikes or at least for the older ones, but by far not hated as philistine bikes like we rated the RT´s.
I was an exception in some way as I bought an E-Glide at age 21.
It was a rare FLHX (´84 latest Shovel to get, stock wire wheels and special paint, belt drive) and nobody else in his twenties as a young gun had a HD-tourer back then, but when i cut the windshield (bat wing stayed on), removed the tour pak and stereo, threw a Wide-Glide seat (easy bolt on) and fishtails on, they all said the bike is so cool.
One year later I removed the fairing and bags, lowered it and put a horseshoe oil bag and Staggered´s on. Beautiful bike.
But a RT - no way in hell this would have been a thought for half a second for anyone i ever spoke to, at that time...
Have no pictures left, but this is the same bike :
[/URL]
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How do you know they vary in quality, what is this based on?
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Based on what I've seen on Ebay, the RWD website, JD Choppers website and the Big Bear website. They outwardly look similar but it's apparent they are not of the same quality. Some have pockets, some do not. Other little things as well but since I haven't seen one up close, I'm curious about them from people that have them.
Greg
Greg
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Kevin at Big Bear doesn't manufacture anything. There are only a couple places that actually make these. Most are resellers. With or without pockets should not be considered an indicator of quality, but rather an option. I have two FXRP fairings from JDs in my garage right now. One was made two years ago, the other was shipped a few weeks ago. Both f them were almost perfect right out of the box.
But regardless. Here is something to think about. The newest oem harley units were made in '93 for the '94 model years and were made from thin ABS plastic. Would really suck to spend a couple grand on a paint job only to have an antique plastic part crack. I am going to go out on a limb and say that unless someone is doing a concours restoration, why use an antique and uber expensive part when all of the units from reputable sources have superior strength and are without hidden cracks or fractures. Seriously, seems almost a mute point. JD and RWD are well known and respected within the FXR community.
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Start with choosing your favourite inner fairing design first, to find out which one you want - there is the 1983-´85 RT design and the ´86 up.
The 83 / 85 version looks like the RP version, which looked the same for all years.
It's a matter of taste. RT 86 up inner design brings 80´s style car dashboard look and integrated glove boxes with it, some might call it blocky .
83- 85 and RP inner design is fluent.
For the latter are gauge housings available, as well as separate glove boxes (which serve looks better than they provide usable space).
You don't have to use either the glove boxes, nor the gauge housings.
Not every of the nice aftermarket windshields does fit the 86up RT version, because it´s higher underneath the windshields.
But there are versions for both of them (all the 86 shields fit the earlier fairing too, but not the other way round).
For aftermarket, some make the RP / RT 83-85 version, some the 86 up version.
If you choose fiber, don´t get one that's rough on the inside, unless you don´t care or you are willing to pay your painter the extra day.
None of them usually has the cut-outs and inner provisions for the stock signals, if you like those.
TOL Designs tunnels the fairing where the signals would be on a stocker. They also have their own inner design. They might not be your first choice if you don´t like
speakers / stereo or the overall custom look does not match the rest of your bike.
Some make them from Carbon fiber.
Sometimes I saw pictures where the fitment of aftermarket upper fairing and lowers was not good where they connect.
It's either from different molds so they don`t fit together or a general fitment issue.
I usually was not convinced of fiber parts in general when I had them in hands, speaking of fenders etc.
I can't stand it when my eyes are falling on edges with varying thickness or other irregularities that often come with them.
But tolerances of people vary as well so I might be too demanding for that matter, although I know more than one painter which
hate fiber parts.
But I don't mean to judge the RT fairings out of fiber in particular as I never had one in my hands.
I have two 83- 85 oem RT fairings and one oem RP fairing sitting, so far I did not spot any cracks, but maybe I am just lucky.
They appear very stout and solid to me. The lowers are a perfect fit at the seam, but these are oem too.
Fiber can be repaired, ABS too but is a job more for specialists if you have to replace sections.
I remember someone on here repaired his dented clamshell bag with heat, there´s a thread. It popped back.
Fiber would have been broken.
My oem RP fairing has less material strength than my oem RT ones at the lower half of it, so I guess it's somewhat lighter.
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"JD and RWD are well known and respected within the FXR community"
Agree 100%. I have JD clamshell bags on my RP, many times more durable than the OE which crack easily.
Agree 100%. I have JD clamshell bags on my RP, many times more durable than the OE which crack easily.
Mine is an OEM fairing, which I lucked into via eBay about six years ago. Most used ones are pretty tired and many have cracks in various places. If I was in the market for one today I'd get an aftermarket one. Most of the vendors offer the mounting parts as well which was something I had to track down separately. The old style OEM turn signal lenses and housings are a challenge to find in decent shape and are pricey, which is another reason to go aftermarket so that you don't have the triangular/rectangular holes in the fairing to deal with.
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I was trying to figure out if he's messing with the guy or serious. It'd actually be much more hilarious if he's being serious.
Biker fashion is weird and many follow trends like a teenage girl. The prices for nine-spoke mags have gone insane lately because everyone has to have them. FXR prices are a bit odd too as most HD riders never exploit what FXRs are best at (weighing only~ 600 lbs and being nearly as agile as a Sportster) but buy them to be kool. Fine with me since they're not ruining necks to make Marlboro Man bar bikes out of them. (Bikers are so pathetically desperate for bikertainment that anything sells, hence the success of the Sons of Assbanditry soap opera.)
If I score an RT fairing cheap enough I'll hang it on the wall and wait for prices to go even further nuts. Today is "peak FXR" era since men who wanted one in their youth are retiring with plenty of toy money but still mostly young enough to ride them. It would be a wise time to sell off collections but collectors rarely collect to cash out (that's a good excuse for wives though) and mostly just hoard until they die then their clueless descendants cash out cheaper than they could.
If I score an RT fairing cheap enough I'll hang it on the wall and wait for prices to go even further nuts. Today is "peak FXR" era since men who wanted one in their youth are retiring with plenty of toy money but still mostly young enough to ride them. It would be a wise time to sell off collections but collectors rarely collect to cash out (that's a good excuse for wives though) and mostly just hoard until they die then their clueless descendants cash out cheaper than they could.
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Eventually they will be as unpopular as the low slung, billet choppers of the early 2000's. For now they're very popular and overpriced because every basic Harley "bro" wants one to match his flat brimmed cap. That's just my opinion though. That's the beauty about bikes, make them your own.
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Actually the "flat brimmed cap" (you forgot the green or yellow high tops with white soles) type doesn't care for RT/RP fairings, they like the quarter fairings (I do like quarter fairings also however), all thats necessary to wheelie to the cornwr bar and back..Mile makers, rain or shine, love the best fairing HD ever designed. They don't care about what's in style or not. A Roadglide rider will agree, about the 2nd best fairing, HD designed.
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Good one. I’ll use that.
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I somehow missed this post. Thanks for these pictures.Unfortunately they did not give as the Nova tour pak...
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It looks like the engine is part of the frame, the structure. Or else it just hangs from the backbone, but I'd think not.
joe
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