I installed a new fairing the other day, and took the bike out for a roadtest.
I went north to our section of deserted freeway (Yes, we still have them on our island!) and did about 50 miles, never dropping below 140 KPH (that'd be about 90 mph American). At one point I saw an indicated 180 (113 mph).
There are some long sweepers, a couple of dips and bumps over bridges you need to be mindful of, but for the most part it's wide open. Haven't seen any radar "up-island" here (knock-knock). So I had a good ride. I then cut over to the coast road and headed back. Close to home I stopped to refuel. I looked down and, you know where the battery and all those electrics live, and there's supposed to be a cover over them? Yeah, well that's what was missing from my bike. It had to have been blown off by the airstream, or jarred loose over one of those bridges. I never felt it hit my leg, I didn't hear anything that sounded like rending metal, I saw nothing in my mirror nor flying by in my peripheral.
Yaaaaagh!
So I immediately went back and retraced my route--all fifty miles of it--this time at a more prudent, search along the ditches speed. Every time I saw a likely looking black shape on the road or in the ditch it turned out to be a bit of truck tire tread. There were a lot of them! As for Sportster sidecovers?
Bupkis. Nada. Nothing. It must have taken off like a 100mph frisbee! (Imagine what that could do to a hitch hiker?).
When I got home, I phoned the local MC wrecker, but he had nothing to fit an '06. I could've searched ebay, but I wanted that sidecover like NOW!
Do you know what the stealers want for a new sidecover? Well, first let me say that our local (local as in 75 miles away) had none, so I phoned our western distributor and was told there were seven on back-order in Toronto who was awaiting them to be delivered from the factory. The distributor said it would take "at least" two months. There is a small dealer over on the mainland, and I phoned him. Guess what? He had ONE in stock. I told him to put it on the next Greyhound. It arrived the very next day, and I installed it right there at the bus depot in front of a gathering of binners.
So, have you prepared your answers to the price question?
OK, here's the cost: $125 plus tax, plus $12 for the bus ride.
Well, what can you do? I needed a sidecover.
Insult to injury dept: My sidecovers have/had those silver art deco appliqués smucked on. If I want the new one to match the oil tank, that's another 50 bucks plus for a pair.
There it is. Moral of story: check the tightness of those covers periodically.
Or don't go 113 mph while riding over bumps.
Oh, and BTW-- The fairing works good at speed!
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