Motorcycle fairing refers to the
shell which is placed over a sports bike or any other motorcycle in order to
reduce air drag on the vehicle. The major benefits of fairing include reduced
air drag, protection of the rider and the engine components in case of
accidents. You can have front as well as rear fairings on motorcycles. When the
air drag on a racing motorcycle is reduced, it can lead to less fuel
consumption and also increases the life of the engine.
If you go back a few years,
almost all bikes were 'naked' without any fairings. Sports fairings have only
been around for twenty to thirty years but they have become so popular now that
you will hardly see a 'naked' sports bike these days. The main purpose of
fairings is biker protection and aerodynamics. For sports bikes, achieving top
speed quickly is of paramount importance while for touring motorcycles, biker
protection and comfort are top priority. In both cases, fairings can be highly
beneficial.
However, a naked bike has its own
advantages like lighter weight and convenience. A bike which is normally used
for short trips at moderate speeds is better off without fairings. Naked bikes
have another big advantage as they offer more comfortable sitting position than
the sports bike crouch. Another big advantage of naked bike is that there is no
expensive fiber to replace when your bike encounters an accident! So, for
commuting short distances at slow to moderate speeds (50 miles per hour or
lesser), a naked bike is perfect.
On the other hand, if you travel
long distances in all types of weather conditions at highway speeds, then you
definitely need to add some fairing to your bike. When you are riding on a
naked bike at highway speeds you can get hit with pebbles, dirt etc. The wind
blast will also tire you quickly. When you add fairing, it protects you by
deflecting a lot of things away from the windshield. It is said that riding
naked bikes over long distances can make your arms ache due to the wind
pressure on your chest.