Fitting the Wunderlich ‘Trophy’ fairing and screen 2.0
Buying on-line from Nippy Norman’s (UK) avoided the 20% VAT (sales tax) for non-EU residents: the saving helped appreciably and more than paid for the spray-painting. But still, IMHO, far too costly for what it is.
Wunderlich does not yet produce the Trophy fairing in 2013 colours, so I specified Biarritz Blue – very similar to my bike’s Montego Blue paintwork – so that if the repainted fairing suffers any damage the almost-matching underlying coat will help to camouflage it.
My local motorbike painter did an excellent job of spray-painting the fairing – I left with him one of the under-seat side panels from the bike, which he used to check colour-matching, and even to my ultra-fussy eyes it near-100%.
The fairing and screen are both very nicely made and finished. The fittings are also excellent and comprehensive. Installation instructions, however, are a different matter, sadly…
The Trophy fittings kit mainly comprises two pairs of very nicely-finished silver-anodized laser-cut aluminium (I’m guessing) brackets, looking aircraft-like in design and finish. One pair is triangular in shape (support for the upper part of the fairing), the other pair roughly ‘L’ shaped (supporting the lower part). Two other small ‘U’ shaped brackets are also included to allow the front LED indicators to be moved outwards.
An assortment of small nuts, bolts, screws, washers, spacers, and bushes completes the package, along with a length of clear pre-slit plastic snap-on edge guard to run around the edge of the fairing, if wanted. All fastenings are Allen heads, and on final assembly all threads were given a touch of Loctite for extra security.
The steps of the process are as broadly follows after having mounted the brackets onto the inside of the fairing:
(1) remove OE screen (if fitted)
(2) remove cowl above headlight – it’s a push-fit into rubber grommets so a gentle upwards wiggle just using fingertips does it
(3) remove headlight – place a thick towel on top of the front guard to hold/ protect headlight
(4) undo 2 x screws securing OE screen bracket (if fitted) inside/underneath headlight recess, and 2 x screws on outer/ rear ends of screen bracket
(5) snip 3 x zip-ties securing (a) indicator wires and (b) 2 x small junction plugs, one each side
(6) remove indicators from mounting points and pull out ends of wires from junction plugs
(7) pull out wires to extend length by about 5cm (2”)
(8) re-fit headlight, not forgetting to realign its beam afterwards
(9) attach screen to fairing – very important, this: proceed with fitting fairing via pre-attached brackets, after re-securing wiring and plugs with new zip-ties: thread indicator wires through the ‘U” bracket keyholes and headlight bracket: re-attach indicators on ‘U” brackets outboard of original locations: and replace cowl after checking indicators’ operation
(10) pour and consume large very cold beer, e.g. Grolsch.
Re-zipping the wires and the two under-cowl junction plugs is only a few words, but it was time-consuming and extremely fiddly, as I was working blind and entirely by touch, but I now feel competent to take on brain surgery!
The new brackets are attached to the fairing before assembly onto the bike is started. The two pairs of brackets – one pair for each side – simply screw onto the fairing via a total of eight (8) threaded inserts that are moulded into its inner surface.
The upper brackets then screw onto the bike via the two (2) x external threaded holes left when the OE screen’s supporting bracket is removed.
The lower brackets screw (firstly) into the new small “U” shaped brackets then secondly (into) the two (2) x threaded holes revealed when the front LED indicators are relocated outwards on these “U” brackets. For clarification (I hope!) one of my pix shows the arrangement of the brackets on the lhs of the bike, but without the fairing being there – again, the brackets are fitted to the fairing before installation onto the bike***.
This rather clever use of existing fastening points (a) makes it relatively easy to fit and align the fairing and (b) removes any need for makeshift clamps or other fastenings.
The instructions were very poorly worded and incomplete, and the illustrations not all that helpful, both deficiencies totally out of kilter with the excellent quality of the package’s hardware.
I followed some useful hints from this Forum, and especially from <las>: thanks, all. Following his lead I attached the screen to the fairing before fitting it to the bike, as he’d indicated this made final assembly easier. It certainly did, as the fairing is pulled into shape to better align the eight (8) fastening holes in the screen this way. I’ll paint the screen fastening screw-heads in matching blue later.
I worked through it, though, and took the trouble to do a pre-assembly of the brackets onto the fairing - before it was painted – to ensure that everything would work. This took about 30 minutes, working carefully and slowly so as not to damage the fairing, strip threads, or whatever.
Once this trial assembly was done it was easy enough to see how the final fitting onto the bike would work, much of it being intuitive.
A deal of patience and a fair bit of head-scratching and ‘fiddling’ were needed at times, especially when it came to de-coupling the indicator junction plugs under the cowl to allow the wires to be threaded outboard to the new location of the indicators, but I got there! Allow at least a couple of hours for a first-timer.
Finally, after a bit of alignment of everything the all-important ‘how does it work’ road test was pretty satisfying.
Although I’ve added the fairing largely for cosmetic reasons rather than wind protection, it does seem to smooth out the blast appreciably, directing the breeze largely onto my upper body (I’m 5’9” and-a-bit). It is certainly more effective than the tiny OE Sport Screen - and it looks good!
I’ve always been a fan of naked bikes, so this – together with the PUIG rear hugger – is as far as I’d want to go in adding anything to compromise the unclad look of the R, but I do think that Wunderlich’s Trophy fairing adds a certain amount of style as well as moderately improved wind-protection on the bike. For what it is the cost is ridiculous, but what’s a girl to do…?
Well recommended! Pix attached – if any reader would like others here, or more info, I’ll try to oblige. Or PM me…
Pix attached(if the system will accept them: having difficulties!!! ) (Will try again later - meantime, enjoy the words!)
· inside fairing shows threaded inserts for screws to brackets
· brackets attached (2 pix)
· hrdware kit
· underneath cowl shows junction plugs L and R, and 4 x securing rubber fastening grommets
· exploded or X-ray view of brackets without fairing attached (refer *** above)
· brackets blend-in nicely with the R1200 R style
· view of cockpit
· finally installed on the bike – colour of fairing paintwork is a better match than these pix suggest!
Lawrence of Suburbia
Outer Brisbane, SE Queensland, Australia
2012 R1200R: Montego Blue with ABS, ESA, RDC, OBC, Puig rear hugger, Stebel Magnum horn, Grip Puppies, ss oil-cooler guard, Abdeckring installed, Wunderlich ‘Trophy’ fairing.
