How to remove front fairing?

I'm stuck in the middle of a mod gone bad!

In attempting the simplest and fastest of all mods, putting a new windshield on, I've gotten myself well into a rat hole an on '07. One of the six "well nuts" that the windshield screws into (the lowest one on the left) got pushed through the front fairing and fell inside. I thought I was good when I finally managed to retrieve it from the top of the headlight case, but realized inserting it again (which is done by pushing it from the inside of fairing though its hole) is very problematic because the fairing blocks good access to that area.

So I have to remove the fairing, it looks like. I've removed the inner liner that covers the headlights. I've removed about four screws that attach the fairing to the frame. There is one screw behind the instrument cluster that is still holding the fairing in place. It looks like the instrument cluster needs to be removed to access that final screw. But the two screws that hold the instrument cluster in place are directly behind the cluster, and seem only to be accessible if the front fairing is already removed. Catch-22.

So I'm hoping someone has an idea of how to procede.

I wish I could help but I have no idea. I wish I knew more and you the best of luck.

Darn, you got me excited by seeing a response to this post. At least you popped it to the top of the stack, so thanks for that!

I can resolve the issue if I simply get a new well nut. Those things have the characteristic of being able to insert them into the hole from the top, but once you screw something into it the first time, it gets locked so that it cannot come back out the way you put it in. But I suspicious that it will take me a long time to get one, and I'd rather just figure out how to get the one I have installed from the back.

it's not too bad to remove the fairing , I normally start by removing the inner side pieces they are held on by four screws. two are on the out side of the fairing one is by the gauge pod and the last is under the rubber boot for tne mirror stock. they will pull out. be careful not to scratch the paint when pulling them. once they are off you have access to the wiring harness plugs. unplug them then your ready to remove the fairing. if I remember correctly there are two 12mm bolts that hold the fairing stay to the front of the frame. unbolt those and the whole assembly will come off the bike.

hope this helps you out if there are any more questions about further disassembly PM Wavex he is an ace at stripping the FZ down naked he probably knows the fairing inside and out.:thumbup:

EDIT: sorry, I guess I didn't read your whole post, I stopped at the question. but maybe that will still help you. it's easier to work on, on the bench instaed of the bike.

Easy way.

before you start do you just want to get the wellnut out?

Anyway

Two 12 or 13 mm bolts hold the fairing stay to the frame. Unplug the two plugs on the clutch side of the bike and the whole front fairing is in your hands.

You can shake it and get the well nut out.

If you have the well nut out, put it back in the hole. Set the windshield in place start that one first. The start the other one thats a pain in the butt get to. Leave them loose and start all of them. Then tighten them down in a pattern, none all the way untill you get them all tight.

Easy as pie.

wrightme43 said:

Easy way.

before you start do you just want to get the wellnut out?

Anyway

Two 12 or 13 mm bolts hold the fairing stay to the frame. Unplug the two plugs on the clutch side of the bike and the whole front fairing is in your hands.

You can shake it and get the well nut out.

If you have the well nut out, put it back in the hole. Set the windshield in place start that one first. The start the other one thats a pain in the butt get to. Leave them loose and start all of them. Then tighten them down in a pattern, none all the way untill you get them all tight.

Easy as pie.

Click to expand...

Uhhhh sorry Danny. I didnt read yours.

To the 39 people who have read this post and the tension is killing you in the continuing saga of how I can get my well nut back into the fairing when I cannot figure out how to remove my fairing to get access to that area... you may now breath again.

Although I could never figure out how to remove the fairing, I was able to, with a needle nosed pliers, get the well nut positioned behind its hole. There wasn't enough leverage to push it through the hole, but it could screw a bolt from the outside of the fairing, through the hole, and into the threads. With that, I had a "handle" on the outside of the fairing to the well nut on the inside. Pulling on the bolt with pliers, I eventually was able to work the lip of the well nut onto the outside of the fairing, as it is supposed to be. So now I am back to where I started when I first tried to install the windshield and had my well-nut accident. Also a little wiser too about what it looks like inside in the fairing.

I bet there is not a single person who has any idea what I'm talking about. No matter. The act of writing my previous post on this topic was how I came up with that way of resolving it. Indirectly, you all helped me solve it!

Old, dead thread, but just wanted to say I feel the pain of the OP. Also had the well nut poke through and become trapped in the fairing. Used the "easy way" to remove front fairing and shook it out w/o any problems. Like you said easiest mod, gone horribly wrong.

Being it looks like his last post was in 2009. I doubt he will feel your condolences!

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