First post so please forgive me if missing conventions.
Bought a red 2004 VFR800 with paint that was a little rougher than the pictures would suggest. Long story short after much consideration I finally caved and bought an ebay (bliss-star-express = seller) fairing kit. Cost $623. Arrived in states one month after order but due to USPS error, sat in post office for ten days before I came to rescue it - another story.
The original bike:
Old and new part:
The individual pieces came well packed in a sturdy box - no damage. A few blemishes in the paint could be seen on close inspection but fast forwarding to installed product they are not an issue. The entire take apart to install new pieces took about one full day but had a few bumps along the way. Know that I have a pretty complete garage for a non-professional so I could navigate unanticipated glitches. I also had an assortment of mounting fasteners (metal and plastic) from an earlier upgrade project. These became essential. These are the issues I feel anyone who is going to purchase one of these should be aware of based on my experience:
1) Fitment - you will end up pushing and flexing components together. There were no deal-breakers but I was uncomfortable at times with the force necessary. In the end it came together well with a few exceptions. Note gap between display bezel and black corner fairing cap:
2) Holes - you will need to enlarge the mounting holes to accept the rubber threaded inserts borrowed from the old fairing. This was not a big deal. You will need a drill motor with an assortment of bits. A micrometer is helpful for accuracy of hole sizes.
3) Some of the mounting bosses were pre-threaded with brass inserts in the plastic. These differed from the original parts (at least for 2004). I mis-threaded a front turn signal mount and damaged the fairing in the process which created a sub-project to repair the mounting point. Another thread mismatch was at the windshield mounts near the handlebar ends. Fortunately I was able to rummage through my assortment of screws to find a match but I should not have needed to use my supply of parts.
4) The mounting post at the bottom of the lower fairing that secures to the engine guard behind the front tire broke off while enlarging the mounting hole (see 2 above). Force was less than I would have expected to cause it to break. Got out the glue - another sub-project and wait time.
5) Extra holes - there are extra holes where the lower fairing joins to the front/nose fairing. I was able to use my extra mounting hardware I had around but would have needed to scramble or leave the hole if I did not.
6) The rear cowl mounted pretty straightforward as did the seat cowl. Missing a few rubber bits but, again, no deal breakers. The seat cowl rear alignment slot needed to be enlarged but this may be a consequence of my Sargeant seat. Dremel to the rescue. I thought it was an omission but the seller informed me that the seat handle mount covers are NOT included. Huh? New ones are about $9 each (which I have ordered from gearhead.com) but now I have to match the paint which is definitely less "cherry" than the original. I have the old ones in place now (after a Dremel modification) but the color offset is frustrating.
7) The tank cover worked well. The fuel filler hatch has a little rim around it that you can see the red tank underneath the cover. Also your magnetic tank bag will not work...plastic tank cover.
So here is the almost finished project. Lots of unexpected detours. I recommend ordering a replacement set of fasteners (about $35 on ebay) in advance and have enough tools to make hard-to-predict modifications in the heat of battle. In the end I think it turned out great with most of the flaws mine to know but not obvious for all to see. Hope this is useful to those pondering a new fairing kit.