To Fairing or not to Fairing my Road King
 

Guys, "and Gals"

I know it has been beaten to death but I am going to ask anyway. I have an excellent looking Road King that I have recently purchased a used King TP for. I also have a numbered paint set so getting the TP matched is not as easy as Vivid Black. So since I am looking at sending it for paint, now would be a great time to add a fairing if I am ever going to do it at all.

Questions????
1. For those who have added the fairing for certain trips, was it worth the expense if you only use it for long trips?

2. For those that added a fairing and leave it on all the time....Do you wish you had just added a Street Glide fairing instead of the removable type? Seems to be around the same price.

3. Any reason not to buy a used detatchable knowing that no matter what it has to be painted?

4. Any problems with the Hoppe 4 speaker fairings?


I absolutely love the way my bike looks now but as I get older bar-hopping is no longer an interest and long trips to "get away" are more an more appealing. That being said not every weekend can be a "Long Trip" so "I think" I would rather leave my Road King a Road King when the Geezer Glide stuff wasn't needed. Am I being nieve? Is having a radio and some wind blocked gonna be so great that it sends me into a fairing loving freenzy never to go back to my wind burnt days?????

Bike in question..
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i2...g/RoadKing.jpg

All opinions appreciated....:icon_moped:

no fairing....do some apes and a removable windsheild and a backrest...you'll be glad you did

I was like you with my King, didn't really know if I would like a fairing or not. I decided to get a cheap one to try it out. I got one off of an '80 FL ( not interested in a fairing with tunes and only paid$ 75 for it )and made it removable "just in case". That was two years ago and it's still on. Turns out I love it.

Funny you mention that, I ordered up some apes 2 days ago "16" WOC's" and have considered picking up a windshield used to try out. I have zero expierence with a fairing or a winshield and unfortunately Hoppe will not let you test drive one for 500 miles. I also have a removable backrest when I don't want the bulk of the tour pack. I bought them as a package off of craigslist.

That's kinda my concern, if it is never coming off I would rather have a permanent fairing.

I am a RK rider with a detachable fairing, and I am what appears to be in the minority, that I still like to take my fairing off for most of my riding. Long trips it's great. Temps below 50 degrees it's great. Otherwise I like my windshield.

But your bike with it's awesome paint is going to take some serious coin to match paint. I actually prefer my windshield from a riding perspective and maybe whistlebritches has the right idea for you. You can always add one of the various speaker systems for a windshield if you need tunes. Heck, I see stock windshields on the forum or craigslist real cheap. You could have one clean windshield and one with tunes. Just another idea.

You can't beat the versitility of the RK. Don't get sucked into a one dimensional bike by permently adding a fairing. You have an awesome looking bike. Just my RK $0.02.

This....

Nice looking bike! :icon_headbang:

Will the factory bat wing off of an Electra Glide/Street Glide bolt right onto a RK? I know the electronics is something completely difference.

I have a Woody's fairing on my king and love it. One thing o remember is if you wear a helmet read up on buffering effects over 55mph. Drove me nuts until I learned what causes buffering.

It can in fact be done, and have all the gauges work if you want.