Alright, so today I’m gonna walk you through what I did with my MT-07. Been thinking about fairings for a while, you know? The bike looks good stock, no doubt, but I wanted to give it a bit more… presence. Something a bit more aggressive, maybe. So, I finally pulled the trigger on a set.
Getting Started with the Bits and Pieces
The box arrived, pretty standard stuff. Opened it up, and there they were – the plastic fairing pieces, a bag full of bolts, nuts, and some brackets. First impression? Looked decent enough for the price. The finish was okay, not show-quality, but good enough for a daily rider like mine.
Instructions? Well, let’s just say they were… minimalist. A single sheet of paper with a diagram that looked like it was drawn by someone who’d only seen an MT-07 in a blurry photo. But hey, I’ve wrestled with worse. How hard could it be, right?
So, I gathered my tools. Nothing fancy:
- My trusty socket set.
- A good set of Allen keys.
- Some spanners.
- Maybe a flathead screwdriver for prying, gently of course.
Cleared out a bit of space in the garage, put on some tunes, and got ready to dive in. Took a good look at the bike, then at the pile of parts. “Okay,” I thought, “let’s see how this puzzle fits together.”
The Actual Fiddly Work: Putting It All Together
First things first, I had to figure out where the main mounting brackets would go. The MT-07 is pretty naked, so there aren’t a ton of factory points to just bolt things onto. This kit came with some specific brackets that were supposed to use existing frame bolts or create new attachment points. This was probably the most “thinky” part of the job.
I started by loosely attaching the main support brackets. Didn’t tighten anything down fully yet, just enough to hold them in place. Learned that lesson the hard way years ago – tighten too early, and nothing else lines up. You end up fighting it the whole way.
Once the main brackets felt like they were in the right ballpark, I started offering up the actual fairing pieces. Started with the side panels. Lots of holding a piece with one hand, trying to get a bolt started with the other. You know the drill. It’s a bit like trying to dress an octopus sometimes.
There was a bit of pushing, a little bit of gentle persuasion needed here and there. Aftermarket stuff, eh? It’s rarely a perfect click-and-fit like factory parts. One or two bolt holes seemed a tiny bit off. Nothing major, but just enough to make you grunt a bit. I didn’t want to force anything and crack the plastic, so I just took my time, wiggled things around, and eventually, the bolts found their homes.
The belly pan was the biggest piece. Had to slide it under and line it up with several mounting points on the brackets and maybe one or two on the bike itself. This definitely required lying on the floor and contorting myself a bit. Good thing I stretched beforehand. Ha!
Lining Things Up and Tightening Down
With all the pieces loosely bolted on, I stood back. Took a good look from every angle. Made sure everything looked symmetrical, no weird gaps, nothing rubbing against the engine or exhaust. This is where patience really pays off. I nudged things, loosened a bolt here, tightened one there, until it looked ‘right’.
Once I was happy with the alignment, I went around and tightened everything down properly. Snug, but not crazy tight. You don’t want to strip threads or crack that new plastic you just spent an hour wrestling with.
One little hiccup – one of the supplied bolts was a tad too short for my liking. Dug through my “random bolts” jar (every garage has one, right?) and found a perfect replacement. Always something!
The Big Reveal and Final Thoughts
And then, it was done. Stepped back again. Man, it really changed the whole look of the bike! Made it look a bit lower, a bit beefier. I was pretty chuffed with myself, to be honest.
Does it offer massive wind protection? Nah, not really. These are more for aesthetics on an MT-07. But it definitely gives it a more finished, custom vibe. I spent a good few minutes just staring at it, admiring my handiwork.
So, was it worth it? For me, yeah. It wasn’t a super quick job, probably took me a couple of hours, going slow and steady, with a coffee break in between. It’s one of those mods that’s more about the visual satisfaction than anything else.
If you’re thinking of doing it, just take your time. Lay out all your parts, don’t assume the instructions will tell you everything, and be prepared for a little bit of “creative fitting.” But the end result? Yeah, I’m happy. The MT-07 has a new attitude now.
