Fitting crash bungs

[Scotty]

Good idea, I hadn't thought of that! I have just sent a request through a breakers site. Can anyone recommend anywhere worth looking for a cheap set of fairings? Is/are there any other parts worth getting protection for or spares of?

If you're looking for other panels with trackday use in mind, just use the tatty ones, or better still, if you're looking at removing panels for this, get a race fairing instead of using OE stuff, they're easy enough to fit and you won't have headlights and indicators to risk damaging, though to be honest, the only real danger to your bike on a trackday is yourself. Ride within your limitations, don't get carried away thinking you're the new Valentino (because you definitely won't be...) and you'll be fine, you and bike will come home in the same shape as you went, minus a bit of rubber off the edges of the tyres 8-)

[R1chie]

Can't emphasise enough about what Scotty says about drilling the fairings in reverse, and I know it doesn't matter from which side you start from but I would advise from the inside (just in case the worse happens and the drill slips...and I have seen it when the worst happens ;D)

With regards to the fitting of the crash bungs, do not over tighten the bolts. The bung bolts do not require the same torque as the OE engine bolts....well...I'm speaking R&G here. Over tighten the bolts and they will lose flex and will simply just snap off after any decent off.

[Squashed_Fly]

[quote author=Squashed_Fly link=1295948752/4#4 date=1295957039] don't get carried away thinking you're the new Valentino (because you definitely won't be...)

What, not even if I fit the replica fairings? Damn it! lol

Don't worry, I won't be acting like a nob. I can't afford to waste the money I spent on it!

[Green Man]

I got R&G ones on my ZX9R they used the front engine mounts and didn't interfere with any of the plastics. [smiley=thumbsup.gif] [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[Squashed_Fly]

I got R&G ones on my ZX9R they used the front engine mounts and didn't interfere with any of the plastics. [smiley=thumbsup.gif] [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Yeah, most of the models are fine. But for some reason with my model and year, they didn't forsee the need to get to the holes to mount them, in their infinite wisdom!

[Mark_Able]

[quote author=Squashed_Fly link=1295948752/4#4 date=1295957039]Good idea, I hadn't thought of that! I have just sent a request through a breakers site. Can anyone recommend anywhere worth looking for a cheap set of fairings? Is/are there any other parts worth getting protection for or spares of?

If you're looking for other panels with trackday use in mind, just use the tatty ones, or better still, if you're looking at removing panels for this, get a race fairing instead of using OE stuff, they're easy enough to fit and you won't have headlights and indicators to risk damaging, though to be honest, the only real danger to your bike on a trackday is yourself. Ride within your limitations, don't get carried away thinking you're the new Valentino (because you definitely won't be...) and you'll be fine, you and bike will come home in the same shape as you went, minus a bit of rubber off the edges of the tyres 8-)[/quote]

Exactly what I was going to suggest Scotty. Fibreglass replica fairings are cheap (cost me £300 for the whole lot, seat unit included, on the R1), and easy to repair (might have had to mend a couple of cracks, a couple of times :). I had crash bungs fitted to the swingarm pivot, and upper engine mounts. So that's two each side. The swingarm bungs were the biggest and best ones, but they do not save your plastics. They saved my engine casings. Forget the tiny little mushroom things, they're a waste of time. They couldn't save themselves, let alone your fairing...

[Dabz]

I had to cut my fairings for my R&G's but they totally saved the bike in the recent slide down the tarmac..no fairing/plastics damage whatsoever so worth every penny

[Jon_W]

I had to cut my fairings for my R&G's but they totally saved the bike in the recent slide down the tarmac..no fairing/plastics damage whatsoever so worth every penny

Absolutely.

Have always had a set on my Sv. And they have saved the bike more than once. Took a decent spill in wales a few years back, slid down the road, and the only damage was a cracked fairing, and broken gear and clutch lever. Trashed the bung (it tore off) but it saved massive damage.

[Nooj]

The Missus has often dropped her bikes at slow speeds (and mine twice!), she has R&G stuff on both her bikes that's saved her bodywork a number of times now, unlike on my old Fazer with no protection where the fairing lower mount punched a hole through the plastic when she dropped it in the garage >

For a road bike, crash protection is designed to lessen the damage, not prevent it completely, there are too many variable involved in every crash and drop to do that.

It's the silly little things where it comes into it's own. A set of bungs may cost however many pounds, but a smashed fairing panel, snapped indicator, dented tank and a holed crank case are going to cost a lot more to put right and take up a lot more time than the half hour it takes to fit bungs.

A mate of mine had a slow speed slide on a brand new R1 and holed his crank case outside my house. If he'd have had engine sliders and bungs fitted the bike could have been ridden home, as it was he had to pay over £140 for a new parts and oil, then wait a week for the parts to come in and have me fix it up again. Good job he crashed outside my house, not in the middle of Wales.

R&G parts are expensive, but they are good quality, a lot of work has gone into their stuff. There's cheaper protection out there, but although the plastic bits may look the same, it's the bracketry underneath that's the important bit. I have Aprilia's own bungs on my bike and the brackets are just a couple of hollow steel tubed with no connection between them. The R&G equivilents are billet aluminium blocks with a connecting steel bar between them, way stronger. As soon as I can afford it (oh, the irony!), I'm swapping to R&G.

Some times you do have to drill holes in the fairings. That's not the fault of R&G or other bung manufactureres, but the fault of the bike designers for hiding any suitable structural mounting points behind acres of plastic, eg. The new VFR1200 has no visible fairing mounts anywhere. Drill the pilot hole from the inside, but drill the proper hole from the outside, it'll give a cleaner finish to the visible side of the hole. Top tip about running the hole saw in reverse!

The tip about not over tightening is also correct, the bolts R&G use are designed to bend and not snap off. Using nice stainless or titanium bolts instead will look way better, but will be much more likely sheer off in the event of a slide. If a bolt is bent, DO NOT be tempted to beat it straight and reuse it! It's done it's job, chuck it away and buy new one. When fitting, screw in the bolt until you feel it start to tighten. Turn a little more so that you feel the compression increase slightly. Then apply a quarter turn. Do not over tighten as damage can occur to the bike and the bung. Also the bolt can stretch, again making it more likely to sheer. Do not exceed 40nm of torque on R&G's bolts! A dab of mild Loctite will stop them rattling loose and falling out.

Yes I can fit R&G stuff for you if you want, but it's not that difficult. If you really want me to do it, fitting a pair of bungs normally starts at £20, or £30 for drilling your fairings. Sounds expensive, but it's half the price of the local shops I spoke to about doing it.

As an exclusive forum offer if you buy any R&G kit through me, come into me in Newbury and I'll fit it for free, how about that?

[Squashed_Fly]

How much would you charge for a set for a ZX636r A1 (02)?