I'm curious if anyone else has had this issue with hotbodies fairings. As you can see from the pics the bottom section of the upper fairing (where the upper attaches to the belly pan) is molded at an extreme inward angle. This makes it impossible to slide the fairing into my bike or attach the belly pan. Hotbodies have told me to "let it sit in the sun" in order to re-mold the fairing. Needless to say I got a great laugh out of that one. They've sent me a second set in the exact same condition.
Yeah, hotbodies gets their poor reviews from people who want a good fitup with no extra work. If you want good fit-up out of the box, spend the extra and get SharkSkinz, the end/ Hotbodies are only a good deal in November with their 2 for 1 deal. I'm on my 2nd set that I got for $325. Yeah it took a little work, but I don't mind. Ultimately, the fairings worked and looked fine. Hotbodies are NOT for the kind of person who will spend $800 on a paint job. They are for the kind of person who spends $15 on a paint job. Here's my $15 paint job, 5 cans of $3 Krylon from Walmart, and less than 15 minutes of prep time for the win! EDIT: Anyway, what you want to do is just flex it into position and bolt it up. Run it like that a while, and indeed let it sit in the sun, and it will be easier to fit up next time you remove them.
I have used Hotbodies for many years.... Fitment is not as good as Sharkskinz but I am happy for the price... Looks like those were set down after pulled from the Mold and not hung up...
The upper wouldn't slide on to the bike without cracking. There's no way I can bolt the belly pan. I hate to keep calling hotbodies and asking for a replacement but this is ridiculous. I'm not looking for perfect but this wouldn't work period.
I haven't had that problem. Looks really bad from that second photo.. I'm very happy with my Hotbodies (two for one). Took some extra work sanding certain areas for a proper fit, but I enjoy that part of the hobby anyways. But yeah, that looks too off to repair with just heat from the sun. After multiple sets like that, would be pissed, get my money back, and then look into a set of optimals..
My buddy and I went in together on their one buy get one free deal. I don't see how they would give "me" my money back. I'll have to call them once again.
Armour Bodies here. The sbk tail was a bit of work, but overall they are great. Partial paint job from advance auto/Home Depot.
This discussion has encouraged me to head into the basement to have a look at the set of hotbodies I have in waiting for my winter build on my 2015 bike. ('13 D675R) Looks ok, nothing too warped. I see I will need to grind a couple of tabs to have the lower fit the upper. I also see the tail section is built a lot better than the 2006-2012 version. I previously had to fab a bracket to keep it from flopping around. I will still need to work out a new place to put the regulator/rectifier, common issue on a lot of bikes. Well I hope you get that worked out, let us know how it goes. Maybe a heat gun to help it flex into place? Keep in mind these can flex a lot. I think it's unlikely the fairings will crack if flexed to install.
I've got hotbodies on my K4 600, and had issues with the belly pan coming nowhere near close to clearing my exhaust. Exhaust setup is Arata full Ti for a K5/K6 1000. I ended up having to cutout the bottom of the pan to mimic the factor belly pan, and making a crescent shaped cut where the exhaust cuts out. Lots of work, but its held up just fine after the modifications. Minimal prep and hit it with John Deere BB out the gun...doesn't look too bad.
My hotbodies for my SV was total crap. Warped everywhere, had to do tons of trimming and ended up having to make a bubble in the belly to clear the STOCK header. I reluctantly just picked up a set for my ZX6R, and it is loads better. A little trimming here and there, but over all a good fit. Seems they are pretty hit or miss
A little heat gun action will go a long way. The fiberglass continues to cure after they release it from the mold and it wants to curl... If you heat it and find a way to manipulate it into position and fix it to that point, it will help with fit and finish.
At least their not Godfather Plastics. Then you'd be really irritated. Heat gun, some patience, don't heat it up in one area, gradually heat up a large area around where it needs to be flexed.
I like the Hotbodies fairings....I have never had any issues with the 4 sets I have bought from them....The KTM RC8r fairings didn't fit perfect but after flexing into place and letting them heat up they fit perfect.
When they are green off the mold, this is correct. However, as the resin more fully 'cures' this becomes a less likely option. Reheating it doesn't really 'uncure' it, it just cures it further...
Oh I never seen this response... I used to own a body shop and this is what we would do to help install the cheap body kits that people would bring us for the Hondas.... Not so much trying to manipulate the curing... the heat helped make the panels pliable and fit into place much better... Now I cant speak for how well it stayed once cooled as we weren't taking them on and off like on our bikes... However between the first install and then taking them off for painting we didn't have any issues on that stage of the re-install. Like anything the higher prices of some products isn't just for profit... sometimes the extra cash can go a long way.
https://www.motofairings.com/ I have had BW from both companies and had to deal with both companies. After saying that, I would buy / use Motofaring any day over HB.
Knew the fitment wasn't going to be perfect, but mine came with cracks and a small hole. Must be for quick install? https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0jaqX4F5MisQTVFTkk4OTFjbXM https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0jaqX4F5MisdGc3aHFuWTRPUms Sorry if links don't work. Don't know how to post photos and don't feel like looking into it. Sorry.
I thought I'd chime in since this is a current topic. I just got a set of Kawasaki bodywork from Hotbodies. I can't say anything for fitment, but out of the box, they look really good. They're not absolutely the best I've ever seen, but with all the intricate lines and layout, they look really well done. They flex well. They feel sturdy. I've had bodywork in the past that made cracking sounds with every movement and they were very thin. These don't have any of those properties. Construction wise, again out of the box, they seem on par with higher end sets I have. The contours on some rounded surfaces aren't going to win any awards at a custom bike show. But for race plastics, they'll be great. I'm very pleased thus far. We'll see when I get to mounting them up next month if I still feel that way.