Britannia Composites WR250R Fairings Review

[MotoNews]

Published in: Gear

During the process of modifying one of our two ADVMoto project Yamaha WR250Rs (see other bike compatibility list below), we needed a rugged fairing to make it better suited for long-distance riding. While searching for a solution we came across Britannia Composites.

Britannia’s fairing replaced the tiny and rather feeble stock version, providing features WR250R owners are not accustomed to having. There’s an adjustable windscreen (with two size options, Sport and Touring); Cyclops or Baja Designs LED headlight with separate LED high beam; an instrument panel with optional gauges along with space for more, switches, etc.; a fuse box for adding accessories; and an optional GPS swivel mount.

“I decided that it was feasible to build a composite fairing that was strong enough to be a structural part of the assembly which would negate the need for a mounting frame, which would keep cost and weight to a minimum.”

—Ian, owner of Britannia Composites

It’s no secret that fairings can save you from wind battering, especially if you face hours and/or days of it. This windscreen is easily adjustable up and down (with two optional sizes), so you can dial things in for most riding conditions. There are several options worth considering: top quality USB and “cigarette” ports with snap-on waterproof caps; an ambient temp gauge to keep an eye on potential hypo- or hyperthermic conditions; and a voltmeter which allows you to monitor the battery’s condition. I also opted for the GPS swivel mount, which comes set up for Garmins but can be adapted for most other units. On this bike I’m temporarily using a smartphone, so I went with QuadLock’s mount (QuadLockCase.com), which works great.

The fairing is worth the price of admission for the brilliant LED headlights alone—far superior to stock lighting. For those who haven’t yet ridden with LEDs, the improvement makes them a MUST upgrade.

While converting the entire bike to LEDs, there was a minor issue with the 12oclocklabs (12oclocklabs.com) turn signal module, but it turned out the voltage coming from Britannia’s fuse box was a wee bit higher than the stock bike. 12oclocklabs is now aware of this minor issue and if you plan to install their module (which I highly recommend) their products will not only correct the blinking rate but also turn the signals into aux amber safety lights for added forward visibility. Speaking of which, you can either move your existing blinkers to the fairing, or (wiser) convert them to smaller footprint LEDs, which will also be mounted to the fairing. Or, go with what I did—use turn signals integrated into the handguards (RockyMountainATVMC.com). It’s easy to do, and makes it so there are fewer parts to snap or break off, while being highly functional.

For practical reasons and quality control, Britannia builds each and every fairing to order. Even better news is that turnaround time is only a few days; for example, our project bike’s fairing arrived within a week of ordering, and that included factory installation of several options. Everything comes in a neat package with clear online assembly instructions. If you’re not too handy or short on time, Britannia will install the dash components for a reasonable charge.

I’ve made about a hundred mods to the project bike, and the fairing upgrade is among the most obvious and noticeable while changing some of the bike’s characteristics for the better. And it’s a tough and repairable product; Britannia designs their fairing to make it through most off-road crashes because it’s tucked in close to the forks/bars with very little overhang. Another notable aspect of Britannia is that they sell spare parts. For bikes that’ll be ridden off road, the potential for breaking things is all but guaranteed. It’s just nice to know the manufacturer is thinking ahead and makes the individual parts readily available.

If you’re looking for improved long-range riding conditions, and a cockpit/dashboard for additional gauges, Britannia Composites fairing provides you with an ideal solution. There’s a lot to like about the Britannia fairings and nothing to seriously complain about. Indeed, the only “issue” is that it requires a bit more time to remove the fairing for servicing. But after a few times, the process becomes second nature and takes less than five minutes.

Every now and then we come across a product that’s outstanding in design and build quality, both of which are unmistakable with Britannia Composite fairings.

Here’s a complete list of bikes Britannia currently supports:

• BMW F Series, GS twins and 650 X-Challenge/X-Country
• Honda XR650L/R, CRF250L and CRF450L
• Husqvarna TE610/TE630, 501 and 701
• Kawasaki KLR 650
• KTM 690, 350/500 EXC (2014–18), 950 SE and 990 ADV
• Suzuki DRZ400 S/SM and DR650
• Yamaha WR250R

BritanniaComposites.com

MSRP: Most base models start at $615 + options

PROS:

• THE best add-on fairing design out there for these bikes
• The highest level of craftsmanship and ruggedness
• Absolutely functional, with smart options
• Cyclops and Baja Designs LED headlights
• Killer customer service

CONS:

• Only one—it’s a little extra work opening up or removing the fairing for service

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