I got the refabricated mounting brackets (with a 5/16" offset) back (I needed them due to the custom nacelle) and put them on the fairing, installed the windshield, connected up the wiring and put it on the Road King Custom. Rode it over the weekend. Interesting to compare it to my new Ultra CLassic which I picked up last week.

Some initial observations, the good and the bad,for those that may be considering this fairing:


1. Cd player skips way too much (It comes with Eclipse 2000 or 3000). Very disappointed in that.

2. Another disappointment. The speakers, while weatherproof, are inexpensive. They are an odd size: 5", and come with an integral grille that cannot be removed. When I tried to upgrade them I found there are not many 5" speakers out there. 5 1/4" is the common size. Polk Audio is coming out with a new 5" speaker this month (http://www.polkaudio.com/caraudio/pr...akers/5/db501/) and Jensen has one with an integral grille (http://www.asaelectronics.com/detail...d=&pid=106) Eithermay work as a replacement but the Polk does not come with a speaker grille so I don't know what the solution would be there. Hogtune speakers will not fit; another disappointment. The design of the areas where the speakers go is such that you cannot fit a 5 1/4" speaker there and have it look right.

3. While dimensionally similar to the Ultra fairing (visually the twoappear almost the same) on the Quadzilla,the point, wherethe windshieldmeets the inner fairing, is about 2" inches higher than the Ultra (12" Quadzilla vs. 10" for the Ultra) from the center of the handle bar where it exits the clamp. With the 5" smoked windshield that comes withthe QuadzillaI find this an obstacle for night riding as I am looking half through and half over the smoked windshield. I have the Corbin Holywood Solo seat so I may be sitting lower than with a touring seat. (I am 6' tall) I plan to change the seat out for touring. Even so, I will probablyget a 4" solid black wind deflector and cut it down to 2". This should place the total height the same as the Ultra with the 4" wind deflector;14" above the handlebars at the clamp. For curiousity's sake I would be interested, from those of you that have the Dragonfly and Dead Center fairing, in what the measurement from the center of the handlebar diameter at the clamp to the point where the windshield and fairing meet is.

4. It rides well. No vibration and it shields you from the wind as well as the Ultra. Even with the inexpensive speakers the sound is OK; even at high speeds. The handlebar controls and auto volume control on the Ultra spoil you so I am looking into putting the Biketronics Retro unit in with the Sony head unit and installing handlebar controls with a quick disconnect plug.

5. I am pleased with the overall quality of the product and I particularly like the sealed bottom. They should sell it without the electronics as they are not the best quality, and go with a more common size speaker hole as there are few 5" options out there (at least as far asI have been able to find so far).

Next step is to get it painted and get thehead unitand speaker issues worked out.



[IMG]local://upfiles/21029/A6BEEF6BE30340EFB8F7AC9A48E442F6.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/21029/B177DEDA9FD34CA88B32535B3C66CA8C.jpg[/IMG]

 

Great post. Thanks for the detailed info.

 

Comparison with and without the fairing (The deep bags were scratched by my mechanic and are being re-painted. They will be re-installed).



[IMG]local://upfiles/21029/D80BBCA0893246CFBC042774B928B740.jpg[/IMG]

 

Badass ride it is! Are those Howards Horns?

 

Thankss for the info am thinking about that same faring so you opionion is appreciated

 

You need a unit with an anti skip shock memory. I HATE CD skipping, so I put a Clarion Pro Audio unit in my Dragonfly fairing. The Clarion has a 45 second anti skip shock buffer & in over two years of riding it has never skipped once.

Those weird speakers in the Quad where one reason I went with the DF fairing, mine uses 6.5" speakers.

~John

 

this may be a question thats been asked many times- but, by you buying a RK Custom and swapping out the leather bags for hard bags... and then adding a fairing- why didnt you just buy a SG?

 

1. Those are Howards Hog Horns.

2. John: I have a Clarion Marine Stereo in my boat with an anti skip buffer and have not had skipping problems except if going too fast in extremely rough seas and nothing can stand up to that kind of a pounding. If I had been aware of the speaker limitations Imight not have chosen this fairing.One of the reasons I put this information out is to assist anyone else who may be considering one of the aftermarket fairings.

3. Domestic: I bought the Custom in August of '04. No Streetglide on the market then. If it had been I would have probably gone for it asI was taken by itthe first time I saw one. The Custom and Streetglide share a similar stripped down philosophy where you get a touring bike chassis with smooth fenders and less ornamentation than the other touring bikes. As for this bike I only plan on using the fairing one or two months of the year when we are touring. Otherwise it will be off. I just got an 07 Ultra last week and will be stripping it down to a Streetglide. Why do that? Well,the Ultrahas some features I like that are not available on the Streetglide and given the cost to add those on to a Streetglide vs. stripping down the Ultra I come out $$ ahead this way. I purchased the Utra from a private party, used, with only 280 miles on it for less than the price of a Streetglide.


[IMG]local://upfiles/21029/5DCA8A38DA44428199D4B34CA26D949E.jpg[/IMG]

 

Eddie, that is one GORGEOUS Custom!

 

Have a DeadCenterCycle fairing on my Road King.

The measurement your looking for is 11 1/4 inches. from the center of the handlebar mounting to the top edge of the fairing.

I'm running a 9 inch windshield and have only 8 3/4 inches of glass exposed. The same starting point to the top of windshield is 20 inches on the nose.

I don't have a problem seeing over my glass. I'm 6'3" have to bend down to see through it.

Speakers are 6 1/2 inches.