Re: NEW Full GFracing system installed on CBR 400
Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2021 8:33 am
I'd have kept it too, completely standard bikes are always worth more in the long term.
Basically the two belly pan sections wouldn't fit with the exhaust in place. The lower sections of the headers, just before they meet the collector, are a few centimetres too close to the 'V' of the belly pan. In other words they sit forward of the original down pipes. This means they obstruct the fitting of the 2 lower panels, so that they won't join along their bottom length.
When I bought the bike it came with the stainless system fitted and I didn't think anything of it. But not long after I discovered a couple of tiny cracks in both the upper and lower sections on the left side. I used a torch to look inside, and could see where repairs had been done, so I removed the fairing.
I discovered quite extensive, but solid, repairs to both panels. The bike had obviously been dropped. This explained the shiny footpeg and new-looking indicator on that side and probably the respray. I was more than a little pissed off. The previous owner had clearly lied to me and I felt rather foolish for not spotting the damage
. I actually contacted the owner before, who had bought the bike from the importer, who said it was immaculate when he sold it and why would he lie?By an amazing stroke of luck not long afterwards an OEM upper panel came up on eBay from Fastline in Preston, in Type 1 colours..same as mine! I bought it. Several months later I was chatting to the Fastline guys and they said they thought there was a lower section 'around somewhere'. OMG!!! Yes, I got it.
Now where am I going with this tale of both bad and good luck? When I came to fit the new lower panel the exhaust stopped it meeting up with the right hand side and I could see a a section had been cut away. I had two choices. Refit the old panel or cut the new one. What a dilemma! In the end I used a Dremel to gradually shave off tiny slivers of the new panel until it fitted. I hated doing it but I made a good job of it and once it was smoothed down you can't tell it's been altered.
So there you go. A sort of happy ending but you can see why I want Bowches to tell me whether his panels fit or not.
