2WheelGuy
January 30th, 2010, 07:08 PM
I just finished fitting my new set of Hotbodies bodywork to my Ninja 250r. Over the years I have had Sharkskinz, Catalyst, Airtech, Cheetah and now Hotbodies. Everyone gives Hotbodies a bad rap but they are not the worst bodywork I've owned. That distinction goes to Cheetah.
I know that Sharkskins and Catalyst make great bodywork but the reason I went with Hotbodies was price. Here are the prices I could get the bodywork for:
Sharkskins - $823
Catalyst - $797
Hotbodies - $453 (including shipping)
There are several other body sets that I discounted because the fairing was made of more than 2 pieces (upper and lower). The other sets had an upper, left side, right side and oil pan. At the track I have to remove the lowers every day for tech and one piece is much easier to deal with than three.
The first thing I noticed with the bodywork was that the upper and lower didn't match at all well. When bent the upper did match the lower but on its own it wanted to hold a different curve. This made fitting the DZUS fasteners a real bitch. Once the fasteners were attached all was good.
I had to notch the belly pan to clear the kickstand tab. I know some people cut the tab off but I need to be able to attach a kickstand for track day work. It also looks like I will have to make a notch for the exhaust. The stock exhaust touches the belly pan. When I get my Sportisi exhaust next week I'll know for sure.
The tail piece fit very well with one exception. There are two large indentations on the top of the tailpiece. They are obviously meant for mounting screws, but where do they attach? The mounting points are part of the rear fender that is removed when a race tail is used. Weird. I filled the holes in with bondo to make a smooth surface for my numbers. The two screws underneath the tail are sufficient to hold it in place.
The front fender is a fiberglass copy of the stock fender and attaches easily.
There are numerous imperfections in the finish but 98% of them can be fixed with a light sanding. Little dabs of filler can fix the rest.
The Hotbodies parts are definitely not show bike quality but are more than sufficient for a race bike on a Top Ramen budget. I plan on doing a rattle can paint job as I am into function and keeping costs down.
I'm told Hotbodies don't crash well but I don't expect to put them to that test. If I do I am pretty handy doing fiberglass repairs and the pieces appear sturdy enough to make repairs on. If not I can buy another complete new set and be out little more than the cost of one set of Sharkskinz.
So far I am happy with my Hotbodies. I probably spent twice as long installing these than I would have with Sharkskinz and I will probably spend twice as long prepping them for paint. That is ok, I'd rather have the money to spend on tires and race entry fees. I'll post more thoughts after I finish painting.
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z193/Chester1469/2008%20250/01302010272.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z193/Chester1469/2008%20250/01302010274.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z193/Chester1469/2008%20250/01302010275.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z193/Chester1469/2008%20250/01302010276.jpg
I know that Sharkskins and Catalyst make great bodywork but the reason I went with Hotbodies was price. Here are the prices I could get the bodywork for:
Sharkskins - $823
Catalyst - $797
Hotbodies - $453 (including shipping)
There are several other body sets that I discounted because the fairing was made of more than 2 pieces (upper and lower). The other sets had an upper, left side, right side and oil pan. At the track I have to remove the lowers every day for tech and one piece is much easier to deal with than three.
The first thing I noticed with the bodywork was that the upper and lower didn't match at all well. When bent the upper did match the lower but on its own it wanted to hold a different curve. This made fitting the DZUS fasteners a real bitch. Once the fasteners were attached all was good.
I had to notch the belly pan to clear the kickstand tab. I know some people cut the tab off but I need to be able to attach a kickstand for track day work. It also looks like I will have to make a notch for the exhaust. The stock exhaust touches the belly pan. When I get my Sportisi exhaust next week I'll know for sure.
The tail piece fit very well with one exception. There are two large indentations on the top of the tailpiece. They are obviously meant for mounting screws, but where do they attach? The mounting points are part of the rear fender that is removed when a race tail is used. Weird. I filled the holes in with bondo to make a smooth surface for my numbers. The two screws underneath the tail are sufficient to hold it in place.
The front fender is a fiberglass copy of the stock fender and attaches easily.
There are numerous imperfections in the finish but 98% of them can be fixed with a light sanding. Little dabs of filler can fix the rest.
The Hotbodies parts are definitely not show bike quality but are more than sufficient for a race bike on a Top Ramen budget. I plan on doing a rattle can paint job as I am into function and keeping costs down.
I'm told Hotbodies don't crash well but I don't expect to put them to that test. If I do I am pretty handy doing fiberglass repairs and the pieces appear sturdy enough to make repairs on. If not I can buy another complete new set and be out little more than the cost of one set of Sharkskinz.
So far I am happy with my Hotbodies. I probably spent twice as long installing these than I would have with Sharkskinz and I will probably spend twice as long prepping them for paint. That is ok, I'd rather have the money to spend on tires and race entry fees. I'll post more thoughts after I finish painting.
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z193/Chester1469/2008%20250/01302010272.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z193/Chester1469/2008%20250/01302010274.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z193/Chester1469/2008%20250/01302010275.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z193/Chester1469/2008%20250/01302010276.jpg