[Vigor_Mortis]

Hey '04 guys.

How easy is it to remove the side panels on the '04 R1? Does it have a lot of bolts, tabs, wiring harnesses, and rivets interlocking those fairings in place?

I have a Hayabusa and EACH side fairing is held in place by 10 bolts, one large plastic rivit, and one small plastic rivet. Some aren't very easy to get at. And it takes a bit of manuvering/bending to get things apart and back together again.

I'm considering an R1, and it would be great if the fairings were easier to remove than the Hayabusa.

Thanks

 

[SkiBum]

I removed the lowers to change my oil and it comes off easy except at the front, at the bottom part of the V. It seemed kinda stuck there and I had to pull on it pretty hard for it to finally let go. Haven't removed the uppers yet.

 

[r1-superstar]

Hey '04 guys.

How easy is it to remove the side panels on the '04 R1? Does it have a lot of bolts, tabs, wiring harnesses, and rivets interlocking those fairings in place?

I have a Hayabusa and EACH side fairing is held in place by 10 bolts, one large plastic rivit, and one small plastic rivet. Some aren't very easy to get at. And it takes a bit of manuvering/bending to get things apart and back together again.

I'm considering an R1, and it would be great if the fairings were easier to remove than the Hayabusa.

Thanks

All the fairings on the R1 are easier to remove than the Busa.:fact

 

[Liquid-R1]

The side mids are kinda funky... There is a tab at the front under the headlights... You have to angle it in a certain position to get it off... When you put them on, make sure you fit the hole where the ram air tubes are... The fairings are a tight fit, and if you don't fit the ram air, the rest of the bolts won't align...

 

[Jeff]

LOL busa fairings are a BITCH!!!!

 

[Vigor_Mortis]

LOL busa fairings are a BITCH!!!!

They sure are. There are metal tabs to recieve the bolts that can scratch the h#ll out of the paint along the fairing edges if you're not careful.

The side fairings have extra fairing bits bolted onto them too. Along the top they mate with the gauge surround, tank, fairing upper, and main side fairing. On the inside/nose, they mate with the underside of the nose, radiator shroud, and the main side fairing.

Fortunately you don't have to remove all the fasteners to remove a fairing side panel, since those extra fairing bits can come off with the main panel. But at least 12 must be removed and then carefully aligned for reassembly.

Everytime I do it without messing up the paint or cracking something, I'm surprized.

It is good to hear that the R1 is easier to disassemble. How many bolts have to be removed to change the oil? Do all the panels on one side have to be removed to get at the oil filter and plug? Are all the fairing fasteners allen head bolts or are some plastic rivets?

 

[PurpleLion]

The side mids are kinda funky... There is a tab at the front under the headlights... You have to angle it in a certain position to get it off... When you put them on, make sure you fit the hole where the ram air tubes are... The fairings are a tight fit, and if you don't fit the ram air, the rest of the bolts won't align...

I have spent hours trying to get mine off. Scared about breaking the plastic tabs, etc.

I have been cussing you out under my breath for not explaining how to disengage the tabs under the headlights. However, after finally getting both sides off, I now know why you didn't explain it. Because, frankly, I couldn't explain it myself!!!

If anyone could write an exact method for disengaging the front tabs, it would probably be useful to many people. Should probably be a sticky!

Anyone know a guaranteed method to do this?

 

[rorlow]

How many bolts have to be removed to change the oil? Do all the panels on one side have to be removed to get at the oil filter and plug?

Install one of these (CycleGadgets Oil QuickChanger) and you probably won't have to remove the plastics to change the oil, on my 02, I do it without removing the lowers :yesnod

 

[Hood Ornament]

The fasteners on the R1 are 1/4 turn unlike the threaded Busa screws. The Busa fairings are a pain, but I learned a long time ago to use a butterfly air wrench to cut down the time it takes to unscrew all those pain in the ass screws

There's no reason to baby the fairings. They aren't going to break apart at a little preassure. A quick yank and the tabs pop right out. Putting them back on can be a birt of a pain getting the pieces under the nose lined up. But aside from that it's very quick and easy. Getting the lower off to change the oil is a breeze.

 

[Eyespy]

Install one of these (CycleGadgets Oil QuickChanger) and you probably won't have to remove the plastics to change the oil, on my 02, I do it without removing the lowers :yesnod

But if you change the oil filter at each oil change, the left lower still has to be removed. After doing it a couple of times, it's easy.

 

[rorlow]

But if you change the oil filter at each oil change, the left lower still has to be removed. After doing it a couple of times, it's easy.

Got me there Eyespy (knew someone would spot that) :lol

I'm lazy . . . I swap filters every other oil change (2-4K street) :lol

 

[PurpleLion]

Eyespy - Don't your lowers have an aluminized heat shield holding the rear of the right and left lowers together?

Mine does, so you have to take off both sides to change the oil. Contrary to the instructions in the manual.

 

[BLU99VETTE]

-

I'll try to be consise.

Mids on the R1 - Take out all of the QuickTurn Fasteners both sides. Take off the side fakecarbon under the tank. Unscrew the bolt near the seat. Then slide FORWARD 1/2" both sides.

Once all the hardware is off. Everything drops once you pull the fairings forward slowly 1/2". The tabs are right below the right side of the RAM AIR Port. Be very slow and do not force it.

Tail - The tail is two piece Top Tail cover and bottom tray.

The top has two plastic screws near the rear of the front seat. The other is the Torx screw at the rear of the rear seat. There are also two Quick Plastic slide bolts in the under side midway back on both sides. You will need to fully remove these in order to release the tail. Once you have all of these out, slowly slide the tail BACKWARDS a 1/2". Do not let the top tail dangle. It is held now by the seat cable. It quickly unlatches by twisting it backward in the mechanism.

Make sure to have a soft towel to lay all plastics down on. One dropped plastic on cement will mar the paint to the quick.

:fork

 

[Eyespy]

Eyespy - Don't your lowers have an aluminized heat shield holding the rear of the right and left lowers together?

Mine does, so you have to take off both sides to change the oil. Contrary to the instructions in the manual.

Yes, but I used an exacto knife to carefully divide the heat shield material into a left and right section, and to remove three small square sections on the square tabs. Now the two lower halves are easy to separate so that one or the other can be removed individually, and the heat shield is still neat and functional.

To make these exacto cuts, I first removed the lowers as a single unit, placed it on a work bench, and cut the heat shield there.

 

[KneeDragger77]

Yes, but I used an exacto knife to carefully divide the heat shield material into a left and right section, and to remove three small square sections on the square tabs. Now the two lower halves are easy to separate so that one or the other can be removed individually, and the heat shield is still neat and functional.

To make these exacto cuts, I first removed the lowers as a single unit, placed it on a work bench, and cut the heat shield there.

hmmm heat shield? I think I had one of those on my lowers too. I ripped that crap off a long time ago:sneaky