How difficult is R1150RT fairing removal?

[CharlieAllnut]

I've just gotten an oil cooling fan, housing, and miscellaneous bits for my '04 1150rt, but I'm wondering whether I should do the installation myself or let my dealer do it. Installation with direct fused connection to the battery and an on/off switch looks pretty simple, but taking off the necessary bodywork looks to be a royal pain. The dealer estimates one and a half hours of labor. Any opinions? TIA

[JHD]

Hey Charlie,

 

Removing the body work is actually quite simple. There's alot of screws to remove but once you do it once or twice, it's a piece of cake. Good luck, Jim

[Ken/OC]

The dealer estimates one and a half hours of labor.

 

I hope he doesn't charge that! A good mechanic with a power twister can remove both sides in less than 10 minutes, re-mount at about the same. It takes me about 20 minutes each using an allen T-wrench.

 

There are two types of screws: Short and long. Just remember (mark on a piece of paper) where the long screws came from. The process looks intimidating but it's really pretty simple. Take your time on your first go and you'll be fine.

[Clive Liddell]

I have never had my RT to a dealer as I do my own work but I think I would cringe if anyone used a power twister on my bike's 3 mm screws! Also, I believe I would be quicker just using my little 3 mm ball ended screwdriver which fits everywere (except the plastic bayonet fastener(s) at the back on which I use an ordinary 3 mm allen).

[SWB]

You need a good, ol' fashioned recharable electric screw driver, a set of metric hex bits, and an interfacing bit to fit both the screw driver and hex bits, and then just unscrew em. I've emailed you a diagram indicating where all the screws of various sizes fit (it's too large a file to attach here) . Don't forget the screws underneath the heads - about 4 per, and easy to miss, and the two connecting the dash with the two (left/right) side fairings.

 

The only tricky part for me was actually removing the fairings after the screws are out. No one explained to me how to get the fairings off, and I was certain I was going to break something.

 

First step: The mirrors just pop off - grab them and push out and foward. (If they're sticky, like one of them I had, use steel wool to smooth the "bullet" pins that protrude from the side of the nose fairing.) Then remove the bottom (skid plate?) fairing section - four screws and it pops off - I think their are tabs on the bottom plate that insert up into both side fairings. Then, remove both triangular plastic covers just to the rear of the side fairings (all snaps, and one twisting plastic fitting, removes them). The left side is tricky - the triangular piece doesn't like the lefting handle sticking through it very well, and it's a hassle to get off. Also, there are bottom tabs on both triangular plastic thingies which have to be lifted upwards - everyone breaks these things.

 

Next step: I found that starting on top of the gas tank, and lifting the fairing straight up from the gas tank center fairing (which doesn't need to come off, btw), was the best place to start. The plastic moulding on the side fairings interlock with (and on top of) the tank fairing - that "lock" has to be broken (but not actually "broken" if you know what I mean )

 

Next: After that, pull at the nose fairing, and after that, pull down on the section of the side fairing between the mirror mounts and nose, and there's a tab on the side fairing that intersects and fits up into the nose fairing. You'll have to pull the side fairing down to clear the tab from the nose fairing.

 

Finally: The side fairings will start "falling off" pretty easily at that point. The only remaining thing to do is ensure that the fairing cut-outs which fit around the cylinder heads clear the heads when you pull off the side fairing.

 

Last: Nose fairing - have only had it half apart when I had to get into the dash; can't speak to that procedure.

 

Last -last: RTP's (like mine) are an additional pain in the ****, because the fairing has metal crash bars and wiring threaded through them. Those crash bars have to come off before anything else, which is why it takes me an hour to do this whole procedure.

[SWB]

I have never had my RT to a dealer as I do my own work but I think I would cringe if anyone used a power twister on my bike's 3 mm screws! Also, I believe I would be quicker just using my little 3 mm ball ended screwdriver which fits everywere (except the plastic bayonet fastener(s) at the back on which I use an ordinary 3 mm allen).

 

Oh yeah, he's right. An electric screwdriver is OK taking them out, but don't use it to put them in - too easy to cross thread or strip out a fitting. (I do it anyhow, but manually get them started, and stop before they cinch down tight - I tighten them all manually after all screws are in.)

[CharlieAllnut]

Hey, thanks for the help, folks. I've gotten the bike stripped and it looks like I'll get this istallation done without paying my dealer $150--$200. What a nice feeling.

[jcousins]

hey scott - is this about the same for the 1100? and if so might i also get a copy of that schematic?

 

many thanks

 

 

jerry

[Francis]

Scott,

 

I too would appreciate a copy of your schematic.

 

Francis

[Ken/OC]

I think I would cringe if anyone used a power twister on my bike's 3 mm screws!

 

I start 'em manually, use the power twister with a light tough to snug 'em. and tighten with a T-wrench. Not a problem.

[Jim VonBaden]

I think I would cringe if anyone used a power twister on my bike's 3 mm screws!

 

I start 'em manually, use the power twister with a light tough to snug 'em. and tighten with a T-wrench. Not a problem.

 

By "T-wrench" you mean T-handle allen right? Not torque wrench?

 

Jim

[hrk123]

Can you forward me the schedmatic as well. Thank You

[roydog007]

Thanks guys, I'm probably going to pull off the tuperwear sometime Sunday to install the battery connection for the gerbings.

Maybe an hour or so for a first timer off & on, not counting poking around in there to see what else is going on

It doesn't sound too bad.

[Ken/OC]

By "T-wrench" you mean T-handle allen right? Not torque wrench?

 

Yup, a T-handle allen wrench, not a torque wrench. Although I suspect the purists among us have the figures in nanometer-centigrams.

[roydog007]

Just finished my first tuperware removal to hook up my gerbings cord, Piece of cake

 

The drawing a quick little sketch on a piece of card board and poking the screws through each side idea was a big help.

I read that somewhere on a post.

 

Total time on & off plus hooking up the cord about an hour or so, including bs'ing with the neighbor

[Green RT]

It is actually pretty easy to know where the different length screws go without any fancy diagrams or keeping track, at least on the 1100. I assume, but don't know, that the 1150 is the same.

 

On each side there is/are:

One long screw - it goes behind the mirror housing

Three medium screws - they all go into the foot peg plate

Lots of short screws - they go everywhere else

 

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[Michael_T]

Could you also PM me your diagram?

 

Thx

 

Michael

[DiggerJim]

It is actually pretty easy to know where the different length screws go without any fancy diagrams or keeping track, at least on the 1100. I assume, but don't know, that the 1150 is the same.

Since I have the fastest color 1150, I used a silver Sharpie marker to make a little L in the tupperware recess that surrounds the long screws. Can't see it unless my face is in there looking to put a screw in.

 

Jim