How to Choose the Right Fairing for Your Cruiser - Buyer's Guide

Fairings are the most popular aftermarket parts for cruisers as they improve the performance of a motorcycle by providing several benefits. It can improve the aesthetic of a motorcycle by providing an impressive front-end look. You can also mount a windscreen on a fairing to provide wind protection and ensure a comfortable touring experience. You can also install an infotainment system and speakers on wide fairings for a fun riding experience. Fairings are used for multiple purposes, which makes them a useful motorcycle attachment, especially for longer rides.

Fairings can come in different types and sizes. Choosing the right fairing that complements your motorcycle’s design and style is important or your motorcycle’s look and handling will suffer. For example, installing a shark-nose fairing on a lightweight cruiser will look odd and make the front end heavier, making the motorcycle difficult to handle. This article explains how to choose the right fairing for your cruiser.

There are different aspects to consider before buying a fairing for your cruiser. These include:

The fairing’s size can affect the overall performance of a cruiser. A large fairing provides extra room to install speakers, storage compartments, an infotainment system, and a large windscreen. However, it also increases the overall weight of the motorcycle and reduces handling and steering capability. A novice rider can find it difficult to ride a motorcycle fitted with a large fairing due to a heavier front end. A motorcycle with a heavier front end reduces handling, cornering, and maneuverability, especially at slow speeds.

There are different types of fairings, such as batwing and shark-nose fairings, ideal for bagger-style cruisers. Baggers are bulky motorcycles designed for long-distance riding with ample storage capacity. A wide fairing such as the batwing fairing looks good on a bagger and ensures better wind protection.

Installing a shark-nose fairing is the best option as it is mounted to the frame and does not add extra weight to the front end, ensuring neutral handling. For midsize cruisers, there are various suitable fairings available, including Quarter, Krater, and Gauntlet fairings. They help provide wind protection and improve the aesthetics of a motorcycle. If you love motorcycle touring, you should choose fairings that support the installation of a large windscreen.

Choosing a fairing that can support installing a large windscreen has more advantages since it can protect your face, eyes, and torso from the incoming wind. If you are looking for a fairing that also supports the installation of speakers, TXR RWD and FXRT fairings are ideal options for midsized cruisers.

Weight is also an important consideration before buying a motorcycle fairing. Modern motorbikes are manufactured using lightweight materials to ensure fast performance and better acceleration. The lightweight materials, such as carbon fiber and avio fiber, are also used to manufacture motorcycle fairings to help keep the front end lighter.

If you do not want to spend too much money on an aftermarket fairing, an ABS plastic fairing is an affordable choice. It is the most common type of fairing installed on most motorcycles, especially older models. There are also many products in the market that can be used to fix or repair cracks on ABS plastic fairings.

If you want to use a high-quality and lightweight fairing, then avio fiber and carbon fiber fairings are the best choices. A carbon fiber fairing is more common as it is lighter than avio fiber but more expensive than an ABS plastic fairing. Also, if you want to paint your fairing, that will cost you an extra $300-1,000.

A fairing should be easy to install and must fit your motorcycle. A perfectly fitted fairing does not vibrate and ensures a better riding experience. You can also save some money if you can install the fairing by yourself. Most motorcycle companies also offer quick-release fairings that are easy to remove.

The quality of the fairing matters a lot since it is installed at the front of the motorcycle and takes the brunt of incoming wind while riding. If the wind speed is too high, a low-quality fairing can break, come loose, or start to rattle uncontrollably. Buying an aftermarket part from a credible motorcycle manufacturer ensures better quality and easier fitment.

Buying a genuine motorcycle fairing lasts longer and also helps your motorcycle retain its value. If you buy a genuine motorcycle fairing, it also comes with an official warranty.

Before you buy a motorcycle fairing, make sure to check the customer reviews on websites and other social media platforms. This will give you an overview of the quality, durability, and value of a product.

There are different types of motorcycle fairings designed for different purposes. You will need to determine why you need to buy a fairing, whether for aesthetics or wind protection.

There are two main reasons why a rider will need to replace the fairing: to replace a broken one or to replace the windscreen. Therefore, installing a fairing that supports an interchangeable windscreen is a better investment as it allows riders to mount windshields of different sizes.

Motorcycle fairings are expensive motorcycle parts; therefore, it would benefit you to take time to research and decide why you need a fairing before buying one. Identifying the purpose can help you decide what size and type of fairing you want. Make sure that you get the best value by getting a fairing that supports an interchangeable windscreen, is easy to install, can be quickly released, and has a large windscreen. Also, the rider needs to make sure that the fairing does not add too much weight to the motorcycle’s front end to avoid negatively affecting handling and steering.

If you are looking to customize your motorcycle, Viking Bags has several high-quality aftermarket parts to transform your cruiser into a touring bike. These aftermarket parts include fairings, sissy bars, crash bars, handlebars, seats, and sissy bar pads for a comfortable touring experience. To increase the storage capacity of your cruiser, there are also different luggage options available at Viking Bags, including sissy bar bags, handlebar bags, and saddlebags.