'08 R6 fit issues, or normal?

Otto Man

John
Control Rider
Let me start off with this:

This is my first time buying brand new body work, and not having a bike that's already been set up. Also, my bike has less than 1,500 miles on it, and never been wrecked, so nothing is bent/broken/out of alignment.

I started with Google (Of course), and ironically, a link came right from NESBA:

http://tracktalk.nesba.com/showthread.php?t=6424

Like him, I also watched the STG video of them installing a set on a '07 R6. It appeared so easily I debated on bribing my yellow lab to install this for me as I drank beer and watched him. It's a good thing I didn't, because he would have given up, peed on it, then walked away.

Tail section fits good. Underdraft is meh at best. Minor trimming needed, but I need to push on the wings, as it seems the mold is curved in an arch too tightly. Slightly annoying, but liveable.

I have no freaking clue what's going on with the upper, but it sure doesn't fall into place. It takes a bit of coaxing (And by a bit, I mean, more than it takes to fit a Hotbodies set) just to get the 4 bolts on (Not including the two additional that bracket into the fairing stay). So, following the directions, the upper fairing bolts were loose going into the install of the lower.

Why in the world is there next to zero clearance to the factory header? I got a M4 mid pipe thinking that would be all I'd need. The header problem comes into play when I try to mate the upper and lower. There's not even enough of a bite for the two pieces to get connected by a dzus fastener.

I got the drivers side fitted with dzus fasteners, and lines up fairly well. Looks like only one of the lower fairing bolts are going to be even remotely close to fitting. Again, liveable, but not something I was expecting from Armour Bodies.

With the drivers side properly mated, the passenger is way off. The ends of the upper and lower just barely meet. I have to push down hard on the upper and pull up on the lower to get anywhere close - and there's still about 1/2-3/4" gap between the upper and lower. And this is where the lower cannot go up anymore because it's rubbing the header. Reading through the old thread, I see a CR had the same problem and glassed in a bubble to resolve the issue.

Front fender fit sucks. For the back bolts to fit, you have to angle the fender so far back that there's like a 1/4" gap between the tire and the fender - No possible way a tire warmer is going to fit. And there's like a foot of clearance under the fender in the front. I wound up compromising, and the back part of the fender actually sits on top of the back bolts - and pinched together with a fender washer. Redneck as hell, but I don't see any other way of it fitting. I couldn't even get it to fit well replacing the factory bolts with an allen bolt head, something with a much smaller head for more clearance in the fender wall part.

- I have a factory header, but why hasn't the lower been redesigned to accept all aftermarket headers since that post (2009)?
- I understand the need for close tolerances, but why is the lower designed so tightly that it's almost mandatory that you have to run a heat shield to prevent melting your lower? Why isn't head shield included with the kit if it's meant to be so close?
- What else could I possibly be missing? While this is my first time fitting race bodywork, this isn't my first time doing something mechanical.
- I was kind of wanting the super bike tail, not the one I have that you reuse your factory seat. When I called, I was told they were on back order. It's February, and I would think a lot of people are starting to build their bikes and get ready for the new season. There's no reason not to have stock on a bike that's extremely popular and hasn't changed since 2008...I don't see why they won't be a popular body kit for at least 2 or so more years.

All other comments that are in my head I will hold as I'm fresh out of the garage and don't want to come off too heated... LOL I am just thankful that I am doing this with months to spare, so I have no problem calling it an early night rather than rushing and screwing something up even more.

On the plus side, the tail looks great mounted up, and the primer/fiberglass finish is great. A quick light sanding with some 400 I had laying around, cleaned it, and looks fantastic painted up. Very flexible also. Just not elated about the upper/lower fit. I think redesigning the lower would fix 95% of the fit problems people (Like me) are having.
 

1up5down

Control Rider
Sorry to hear about your experinecs. AB is quality bodywork for sure. I had a few sets of AB and did not have any fitment issues. However, things can change as development process for bodywork is not a simple process.

Did you give the people @ Woodcraft a call? In my experiences they offer really great customer service.

Again, sorry to hear about your experinces.


PS: Next time get Sharkskinz, hands down the best bodywork out there!
 

Otto Man

John
Control Rider
No, I didn't call Woodcraft. I debated, but not sure what they could have done - I had already painted and drilled the bodywork. Short of saying "Sorry", I don't know what they could do to resolve the problem. I'm getting close to moving to a different state, and I just want this project done. I'm not doing any kind of 1 for 1 swap, if they even would offer.

Anyways, I got it buttoned up tonight. The lower (design) is most definitely 100% of the problem. There just simply isn't enough header clearance. In fact, there's none. It's resting against the header. I am going to look for the most low-profile heat shield at the local hardware store, and I guess just hope for the best that it doesn't melt. The header clearance causes the other bolt holes not to line up, and causes the upper/lower fit problem. I can get two of the bolts in the lower (One on each side) to fit OK. Not great, but OK. It would fit great if the lower wasn't bowed by the header.

Whenever this lower explodes into a heap of flames from the headers, I'm going to do some researching and see how much different a sharkskinz lower is in design, and see if it'd work.

I really, really didn't want to spend $900 on bodywork, and the NESBA member discount along with the good reviews made it seem like a logical choice. I would honestly be pretty stinking pissed if I had paid the MSRP and had it fit like this. It's just a let down to have a Hotbodies style fit on AB bodywork. The lower is going to be a pain in the ass each time to remove/install, and we all know the lower is the one that sees the most removal/installing. I still just can't believe guys were having issues from '09 and it hasn't been resolved yet. After a bit more digging, I'm not the only one with lower bodywork problems (Within the past 6 months)
 

matt2212

Member
Otto,

I did have some issues with the lower fit on my 600rr but only after I changed to a yosh full system. Stock fit but I had some heat issues around the catalytic converter.
The belly pan needed to be modified to fit properly. The people at armor bodies where helpful but the facts are the facts it needed modified...
I would recommend wrapping the exhaust with heat wrap it will save your paint and possibly your bodywork from blisters and burn through.
 

z064life

New Member
Otto...buy a full race exhaust...and before you say anything I had to switch bodywork when I added a radiator to mine LOL

You guys make everything so difficult :D
 

Otto Man

John
Control Rider
z064life;264655 wrote: Otto...buy a full race exhaust...and before you say anything I had to switch bodywork when I added a radiator to mine LOL

You guys make everything so difficult :D
Hind sight is always 20/20...but if I had to do it over again, I wouldn't waste a grand on an exhaust when I could spend a few hundred more on Sharkskinz and they would fit with the OE exhaust.

I understand it's not cheap to make a new mold, but if you have customers that already have an exhaust system that isn't compatiable with your bodywork, how many potential sales did you just lose?
 

z064life

New Member
Otto Man;264665 wrote: Hind sight is always 20/20...but if I had to do it over again, I wouldn't waste a grand on an exhaust when I could spend a few hundred more on Sharkskinz and they would fit with the OE exhaust.

I understand it's not cheap to make a new mold, but if you have customers that already have an exhaust system that isn't compatiable with your bodywork, how many potential sales did you just lose?
Just kidding around. I run a '10 R1 but never had AB on it until after I replaced the full exhaust so I don't know if it is just an issue with the R6 or not. I do know the AB didn't have room for the MB radiator I added which I switched to a SBK sharkskinz kit for. Oh well.

I will say Sharkskinz...at least the SBK stuff FAR exceeds AB...and yes I crash tested both.
 

Ex. 39

Member
Call Woodcraft. The owner of Armor Bodies has been GREAT with customer service issues.

With that being said, a few years ago, Armor Bodies took their manufacturing process to China. I talked to the owner of Armor Bodies at the dealer show a few years ago and when he told me that, i just shook my head. He swore the fitment quality would not change and that he and others in the company would be there ALOT to make sure the quality and integrity that had been one of armor bodies selling points would not suffer. From what ive seen and heard from folks that have purchased their stuff in the last year or two, it appears it HAS suffered, but as i said, the owner and woodcraft have been bending over backwards to make the problems right.

Give them a call and the chance to make it right.
 

Emerson

BobbleHeadMoto
Control Rider
ATP/3C
If you ever get a full exhaust do not get Leo Vince, you'll have to cut a huge hole on the bottom of the lower and then you'll have to fabricate a hump for it.
 

Smithereens

Control Rider
N2
I have two 08 R6's....... Both bikes have AB fairings and Leo Vince full exhausts ....... No problems.
Maybe I got lucky but it sounds more like you were unlucky. I'd call Woodcraft.
 

HondaGalToo

Control Rider
When I bought my first set for my '07 gxsr, I had the same problem. The stock headers touched. I have a slip-on only. I called Woodcraft. AB at that time was in the process of redesigning the lower with a bit more room to accommodate the stock headers. For lack of a better description, there's a lip; it allowed the lowers to be extended. The old piece was flat on the bottom. Woodcraft sent it to me free of charge when it was ready. Check with them, perhaps there's been a redesign for the R6 as well?
 

Meat

Member
Not sure of the color of the belly pan, but if it is a common color, like black, the fix probably won't be too difficult.

In that case I would just cut the belly pan out a bit larger than the interference and just lay in new fiberglass to allow for the extra space for the exhaust, using a form you taped together out of stuff like a toilet paper tube, plastic eggs..whatever.

BTW: I hate scabbing something on like that, but I would most definitely do it if needed.
 

Lonewrench

New Member
Meat your bodywork is un- altered straight from AB and it fits like a glove,just like every other set of AB Ive ever mounted. The big issues with body work is bar far using stock exhaust systems. Most companies do not design race bodies with stock ex in mind.
 

Otto Man

John
Control Rider
Well you guys lead me in the right direction, as always. Ryan @ Woodcraft was the poor victim to answer my call about the problems with my bodywork. He told me to send him some pictures and see what's up. They agreed the front fender is definitely lacking material, and said they would mail me another one. To be honest, I was not expecting them to do shit about it, hence me not wanting to call in the first place. They earn major kudos points. He informed me of the vent in the upper sometimes not being trimmed enough for fit, and mine was just over 1 cm longer than it should be. Unfortunately, I am literally right in the middle of moving, and don't have the time needed to tinker with it in the garage, not to mention all my tools are packed anyways.

It sounds dumb, but the lower is fitting a bit better after being mounted on the bike for a week or so. I don't know if it's possible to have the bodywork get tweaked during shipping, because it fits a LOT better than it did out of the box. There is still minor contact on the factory header, where it goes 4 into 2, but there's a bit of an OEM booger weld. I will clean it up a bit with the grinder after my move is completed. There's a ton of room from the M4 mid pipe on back. Inside of the lower is lined with heat shielding - I'll find out at RA how well it holds up.

Still very much an avid Woodcraft fan, and glad to see they're making right of the situation. Guess I'll go with Woodcraft rear sets when I'm ready to junk my OEM ones. :)
 

HondaGalToo

Control Rider
Good deal. I've been very happy with Woodcraft's products and customer service. They've redesigned their footpegs. They feel like they will be grippier, but not at the expense of boot soles (I haven't ridden with them yet, though), and they have slots in them that looks like it will enable them to break away instead of bending everything else.
 
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