Even though Singapore technically does not have a winter season, it does get colder and much wetter during the last quarter of the year. Not particularly good weather for riding in general. Which is why I took the opportunity to do something which I had been procrastinating for way too long.
As the title of this article suggests, I bought track fairings for the R6. If you do enough research on the topic, two names would pop up a lot, namely
Sharkskinz and
Armour Bodies. When it comes to race body kits, Sharkskinz is without a doubt the leader in the market. But they are also one of the most expensive manufacturers out there. Armour Bodies' race body kits rank a close second to Sharkskinz, but they are substantially less taxing on your wallet. It is ultimately your money and your choice, I chose Armour Bodies.
Here's why.
Service
Service, service, service. Armour Bodies is all about service. I probably spent close to 4 weeks shooting emails back and forth with an Armour Bodies sales representative. Not because they were lousy, but because I asked a lot of questions. And partly because I was waiting for the 2013 Triumph Daytona 675R body kit to be ready, so I could order for a friend who changed his mind last minute, sigh. If I did not have to wait, and could order right away, I would have probably received the body kit within a week, which brings me to my next point.
Delivery Time
Armour Bodies used DHL to deliver the body kit, which provided very accurate real-time tracking. From being shipped out from their factory in China (I'll explain more on this later), to me receiving the parcel took no more than 4 days. The parcel was huge, I could probably fit myself in it. Inside, the body kit was properly insulated with foam, though I would wish it had more foam but it did its job.
Product
On to the important stuff, the product itself. I mentioned earlier that the body kit was shipped out from China, that is because it is currently being manufactured there, well that was not always the case. Armour Bodies started by making them in the United States, but due to rising costs, they moved their entire manufacturing to China. It took a while for them to resolve quality issues to be at least on par with the quality they had in the United States. The important thing is, they managed to resolved the issues.
Using my acute sense of touch, the fairings feel tougher than the OEM R6 fairings, but at the same time also have pretty good flexibility in case of a crash. I have seen people crash Armour Bodies fairings, and they seem to hold up pretty well.
If you're considering buying from Armour Bodies, do note that the lower fairing does not come with heat shields, and I strongly recommend that you get it in case your exhaust headers burn a hole through it.
Overall, I am happy with the quality of the body kit.
Fitting
Fitting was fantastic. The drill markings on the upper and lower fairings were spot on, just drill onto the markings and you would be guaranteed a perfect fit. The only minor issue I had was with the superbike tail, there were no drill markings. Not a big problem if you are patient and don't mind spending the extra 10 minutes marking out the drill spots. To put it simply, I had zero problems with fitting. The lower fairing could even accommodate my catalytic converter, which was a huge plus because I had intended to keep my exhaust legal. There are no legal full exhaust systems for the R6 in Singapore, bummer.
Paintwork
There is no paintwork so to speak, but the fairings do come pre-primed and ready to accept fresh coats of paint. I decided on a black and white paintwork, which my missus calls a killer whale. Oh well, time to find some decals to spice up the paintwork.
Legality
If you live in Singapore like me, you must remember that track fairings can be considered as an illegal modification. And unless you cut the fairings to fit your OEM headlight, brake light and signal lights, your bike would be 100% illegal on the streets. Or you could be like me, and do what I did and hope for the best.
An aftermarket projector headlight, mirrors with integrated signal lights, small brake light and rear signal lights. The lights and mirrors were secured in such a way where they can be easily removed by just loosening a few nuts and unplugging some sockets. The mechanics at HKL Racing helped me to do that, I'm a total idiot when it comes to motorcycle wiring.
Oh, and when you get cheap Chinese mirrors, remember to add some glue as reinforcement or it could end up like my right mirror. The damn thing flew away!
Price
Including shipping costs, a seat foam for the superbike tail, and a set of Dzuz fasteners, it cost me SGD$1171. That is after splitting the shipping costs between myself and Edwin, who bought similar things as me except it was for his GSX-R750.
Conclusion
I would definitely recommend the Armour Bodies Pro Series Bodywork if you are looking for a set of quality track fairings. A lot of value for the money you are paying. If you have extra dough and want something slightly better, try Sharkskinz.
RB Rating: 8 / 10
Ride safe.
