What Are Motorcycle Fairings & What Materials Are Fairings Made Of?
Motorcycle fairings are one of the most essential components of a motorcycle. The fairings not only display the overall appearance of the motorcycle, but they also help improve the riding performance while protecting the rider against the road & weather conditions.
Unfortunately, not many riders are aware of what fairings are and what materials are used to manufacture motorcycle fairings (so, we aim to help inform you through this blog).
Having the necessary knowledge around what motorcycle fairing kits are and what materials are used to manufacture fairings, will significantly help you make an educated decision when the time comes for you to purchase a new set of fairings for your own motorcycle.
Let's start with some basics. Firstly, there are several terms used synonymously when speaking about motorcycle fairings kits. You may hear phrases such as, "motorcycle fairings", "fairing kits", "motorcycle plastics", a "set of fairings", and so on. To help visually illustrate, below is a photo example of a motorcycle fairing kit beautifully crafted by KingsMotorcycleFairings.com!
Secondly, it's worth mentioning that motorcycle fairings can be manufactured and purchased as full fairing kit sets, as well as, manufactured and purchased as individual fairing pieces. The primary fairing pieces that make up motorcycle fairing kits are...
1.) Front Headlight / Nose Fairing
2.) Front Tire Fender / Splash Guard
3.) Left & Right Side Fairings
4.) Tank Cover
5.) Tail Fairing & Seat Cowl
Now that you have a better understanding of what motorcycle fairings are, in addition to their purpose, let's review the common materials used in the manufacturing process of new motorcycle fairings.
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) - This plastic is known for its strength, flexibility and durability, apart from being lightweight. It is most commonly used for creating fairings for sport bikes. Most aftermarket fairing manufacturers also use ABS; thanks to its impressive features that combine the rigidity and strength of styrene and acrylonitrile with the robustness of polybutadiene rubber. Many prefer ABS as it is resistant to scratching and protects the riders from flying debris. Also, ABS was originally created to ensure the best protection to the rider in case s/he faces any type of accident. Now, if you want to dig even deeper into the ABS fairing kit manufacturing process, you can review our blog that outlines the two most common methods injection molds and compression molds respectively.
Fiberglass – This material is made of woven fibers and is largely used as a reinforcing agent for a lot of polymer products. Motorcycle fairings made of this material are mainly used on the racetrack. Typically, fiberglass is more durable and lighter than ABS plastic. In case your fiberglass fairings are damaged, you can repair them by applying new coats of woven fiberglass cloth combined with a polymer such as epoxy, over the damaged part, after which sanding and finishing should be done.
Carbon fiber reinforced polymer – This is the lightest material, but also one of the most expensive materials used in motorcycle fairings. Carbon fiber motorcycle fairing kits are primarily for sport bikes, motorcycle racers or for the rider that is looking to standout.
Now that you are better educated about motorcycle fairings and the different types of materials used, we hope that you feel fully informed so that you can go purchase new motorcycle fairings with confidence!
Thank you!