Anyone ride without your fairing until you feel confident about your riding skill? With the cost of fairings, I wouldn't feel so bad about dropping a bike if it didnt have a fairing. Is this a dumb idea?

 

uh, you do realize that many things cost more to replace than fairings right? especially, the frame...

 

just take it easy when you ride. fear is a vital part in riding a motorcycle. once you become complacent on your machine you are already dead. im still no where close to pushing the limits on my f4i but just always keep aware of your surroundings and always ride withing your skill level

 

It sounds like a reasonable question to ask, but what types of accidents do plan on having while learning?

There is problably 1000 ways to let your bike fall while in the garage or at a stoplight or other things that happen at less than 1mph. I don't know if trial and error is the best way to learn.

If you plan on crashing at higher speeds, then your fairing will probably be the least of your worries (I'd rather replace every fairing on my bike then lose a toe). My plan (and I am a real newbie) is to be focused and do everything deliberately. There are great threads on this forum that describe stupid mistakes that people made that hosed up their bikes. My plan is to learn from those folks that are nice enough to pass on some wisdom.

 

Fishfryer: I was thinking about the low speed dropping of bike (0-5 mph). Yes, for the high speed crashes, the fairing is least of my concerns. Seems like everyone drops their bike when learning, probably most at low speeds: dropping when making a sharp turn, a little too much gas when making a turn & the rear slides out.

 

i say keep the fairings on AND get some frame sliders.
check it...bike is like 400 lbs...say...now you let it fall over with you on it...you may try and hold it some or you may just let go, but at 5mph, while moving and dropping the bike, you're leg will not come out and it'll SLAM to the ground, with the weight of you on it.
granted it's not dropping directly on the groud as you're tilting over, so not all of the 400 lbs is going straight down, but with your weight on it, it will be close.

so without any fairings, as suggested before, your frame will take a pounding and a dent in your frame will make your bike worth much less than a nick or scratches on your fairing.

so keep them on and be smooth

 

Tahoe has got it right - The frame sliders are a 'must have', two or three days ago some guy came up to me and described a brain fart he had while moving his F4i in the driveway, he said that his sliders saved the day. I've started looking for a 'no cut' set for my bike. Like I said, the people on this site are a wealth of information.

 

No such thing as a no cut set. I looked into a set of no cut sliders when I first got my bike, but it was really weak. Bad part on the frame, and the bolt that held it on was very small. To do it right you must cut the fairing. No way around it. When you first start looking into frame sliders, you are hopeful that there is a way to do it without cutting the fairing. Unfortunately that is not the case. I found a great site for installation tips on regular sliders.

Guy used play doh and stuff. Forgot the URL tho.

 

doubt if anyone makes a no-cut set for the F4i
Shogun does a good job for the 1000RR - mine have been tested both ways ;-)

 

Great, now I need to buy a saw, this is turning out to be a pain. What if I just left the fairings off, has anyone suggested that yet???