There have been many threads started about "which bat fairing" on here, so I thought I'd give my impressions of the Kuryakyn Deluxe Audio Bat Fairing. I did a lot of research, soul searching and back and forth before finally deciding on this one. It was a bit more pricey that the others, but the singular selling point for me was the locking glove box.

First, what all it came with: It came with a CD/MP3 head unit with ipod interface, Hog Tunes (I'm fairly certain) speakers, two 12 volt outlets (one inside the lock box with a cigarette lighter, and one on the lower left side of the inner fairing), a GPS mounting bracket, and cables for Ipod and another auxillary cable. Oh, there's also a rubber mat for the interior of the lock box.

I cannot say how easy the install was because I had the dealer install it along with a lot of other work I was having done. But as far as material quality, I'd have to say I am really impressed with how well it's put together. There's another thread here where someone post pics of various fairings to give an idea of how stout they are, particularly where the mounting and bracing are concerned. I'd have to say DragonFly does seem to have the better system where the mounting brackets run vertically up through their fairing. The Kuryakyn is probably second best in that it uses a bracket which once it runs up into the fairing, it fans out to the wings. (I'll post pics when I get home tonight). I think the design of the DragonFly would decrease the amount of shake I get in the fairing at idle. Sitting side by side with my buddy who has one, mine is shaking pretty good, while his is virtually still. My 103 may have something to do with that also. But, once we get going, it seems rock solid.

As for the headunit itself, it's pretty amazing. It's Kuryakyn branded, but could be from any manufacturer. Another point for me was to have a CD player. I expected there to be a lot of skipping while under way, but the thing performed flawlessly! Of course, it also two card slots for removeable media, but I still like my cds. The headunit also controls ipod functions. I experimented with that just a little, and it functions well enough.

Probably what most are interested in is the sound. The speakers work great. Volume control goes to 40. I typically keep it at around 25, even at highway speeds, and the music is pretty crisp. At 40 it's very loud! There is not a great deal of bass response, but likewise there is virtually zero distortion..which was quite a pleasant surprise, even at max volume! Also, I was able to command the player with gloved fingers while under way. The buttons are not huge, but it was really manageable to change tracks, modes, and volume while riding.

I would say the only thing lacking are hand controls for a bit more ease of operation...although I'm able to manage just fine without them. I don't know if they are even an option, but there is an extra wiring connection which might be for those. I'll have to look more into it. Bluetooth is another thing missing.

All in all, I'm happy with the set up. I don't have any plans to upgrade speakers or unit at this time...not until I get a Scala G4 set up, then I'll look to swap the HU for something with bluetooth capability. I do recommend it, but if I had to do it again, I'd probably go with a fairing without the system, and do it my way. But for a "plug and play" system, this is very nice...especially with that damn lock box!!

 

any possibility that you can post some photos as well? Your review is helpful - photos would really make it complete.