6th gen fairing on 5th gen VFR?

After a high speed encounter with a suicidal deer a few months ago (second deer for this VFR, third overall, but first trip to the hospital), my various body parts are finally starting to work well enough again that I've begun thinking about repairing my bike. I'm debating whether turning it into Frankenbike or going back to more or less stock is the way to go. Both side fairings, front cowl, and headlight were completely trashed, but miraculously, the seat, tank and rear unit came through unscathed. Other damage was limited to the left side of bike, including a snapped clip-on and footpeg, and crushed radiator and coolant reservoir.

Now for the big question - does anyone have firsthand knowledge whether 6th generation bodywork will mount on a 5th gen. frame without needing mods? Due to funding constraints, if I go for a new fairing it will likely be a Chinese eBay special, and the 6th gens on there are apparently better quality than the 5th - injection vs. compression molded, respectively - which is why I'm asking the question.

If the fairings mount the same, are there any other potential pitfalls I should be aware of? I know the 5th and 6th gen headlights are different, but is the wiring pretty similar?

Thanks,
Deerslayer <----(potential new screen name)

P.S. Is there a way to turn off auto spell-check here? The damned board keeps trying to turn the word "footpeg" into "footage".

 

Having both a 5 and 6 Gen, I often thought about doing a swap just to see if it could be done, but based on the front sub-frame, the two do not seem interchangeable as-is. I suppose one could relocate the mounts or even switch the sub-frame although I don't know the level of involvement that would take.

The Chinese fairings seem to have their plus and minuses, but from what I read from most who bought and posted about them, the fitment isn't always the best. It's mostly the mounting holes that do not seem to line up and sometimes the paint isn't that great either.

I'll often troll eBay for VFR parts every now and then and there are some 5 Gen body panels in decent shape that you might be able to pick up for a decent price right now. If you're not in a hurry, you can wait for just the right moment and find some good deals sometimes.

 

Don't believe it will work as was said but check with tinkerinWstuff .... he married a 5th gen front to a 6th gen rear. Came out damn nice!!!

 

I found tinkerinWstuff's thread, but unfortunately it doesn't really apply to my case, since he put a 6th gen rear subframe and exhaust on a 5th gen bike. But "came out damn nice" is certainly an understatement. Seeing the pile of parts he started with and then the finished bike was seriously impressive.

In the end I suspect trolling for parts on eBay will be necessary, and if that's the case the naked Frankenbike route is likely what I'll settle on. I just wish Honda hadn't waited until their resurrected VFR800 model to finally put the radiators in a normal, front mounted location. Side mounted radiators on a naked bike kind of suck.

 

The 6th gen fairings won't fit the 5th gen due to the differing locations of the mounting holes as well as the headlight/dashboard setup difference.

Like OOTV said, if I was in your situation and not in a big hurry see if you can keep browsing ebay and craigslist for used OEM fairings. Even if you find something that's a little scratched it'd be worth it as long it's easily fixable with a paint job or even a really thorough wax job.

The chinese fairings from what I've read aren't the best quality and you'd most likely have to do some grinding and bending to make it fit. I would only consider chinese fairings if you're comfortable with modifying the fairings and you have tools handy such as a dremel and a drill and that you're in a rush to get it up and running quickly.

 

Thanks for the info on the fairing mounts. Trolling eBay it will be. When I killed Bambi I also broke both of my wrists, along with a number of other bones in my hands (among other things like several ribs, big toe, a tooth, and a collapsed lung). So I've got some time to keep an eye on eBay for parts before I can ride again.

 

Collapsed lung! Glad you didn't become a road statistic. Although we do have deer here in the local mountains, they really seem to be few and far between. Lot of Coyotes in the Hollywood hills though! Almost took out one in my car once. Never had an incident or pucker up moment on the bike as of yet...(knock on wood) I'll keep my eye open for goodies for you too. I hope you heal up well and soon.

Cheers!