Fitting SharkSkinz

Was planning on doing it myself but just out of curiousity asked the dealer in PDX how much it would cost. 8 hours labor?! Removing exhaust, radiator, trimming/sanding Skinz....

Really??

Remove exhaust and radiator? Perhaps they'll polish your Johnson rod and change your blinker fluid at the same time.

8 hrs is nonsense.

Assuming they are installing the oil retention pan they have to remove the exhaust.

No pan-

Anyone that's done it clarify?

It probably took me 6 or 7 hours, but that was the first time I did it, and I had to figure out the issues with brakelights, go get some bolts for the upper-to-fairing stay, etc. To do another one, I'd probably budget 4-5 hours. The actual act of putting the sharkskinz panels on takes maybe 30 minutes, but the time is spent getting the fan housing out, fighting with the exhaust, etc. I've got it now to where I can just drop one exhaust can (left side) and get the bellypan on. I was considering cutting the belly pan down to where it can be installed with only unbolting the front exhaust hanger. If you are just a trackday guy, you only need the bellypan to hold together the lower anyway. Let's be realistic also, that belly pan will catch a leaky drain plug, but if that motor blows, oil is going everywhere...

I'm doing another set now. The first set fit easily enough that I probably will just go ahead and paint before I even test fit.

One thing. I didn't do a great job of keeping track of the stock bits and pieces. I have since put street bodywork back on it, but figuring out where all the screws went, and what I used on the Sharkskinz took extra time on the back end that I should have spent organizing during taking it apart in the first place.

I installed the sharkskinz myself and it took less than 8 hours. No need to remove the radiator. It's actually pretty simple. I would do it myself and take your time with it.

AntiHero said:

Remove exhaust and radiator? Perhaps they'll polish your Johnson rod and change your blinker fluid at the same time.

8 hrs is nonsense.

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Even if they polish your Johnson rod; 8 hours is expensive

Thank you!

Ok, not my first rodeo, but I went from street legal, full stock bodywork to sharkskinz in 3 hours flat. In the process, I did cut down the upper lip of the belly pan, and installed it without disturbing the exhaust, just the front bracket.

P.s., I designed this scheme about two months ago, so am not copying the wish we were champions edition

tcelano said:

Ok, not my first rodeo, but I went from street legal, full stock bodywork to sharkskinz in 3 hours flat. In the process, I did cut down the upper lip of the belly pan, and installed it without disturbing the exhaust, just the front bracket.

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I like the thought of cutting the upper lip of the belly pan off. Never thought of that. Wondering if they'd call foul at a club race though....

Could you show pics of that part? Thanks.

I should have taken pics before I stuffed it in. Basically, it's cut at the tangent before it flares out on the rear sump, then the cut was feathered out so that it ends right near the front hanger holes. So, I cut maybe 2" off either side at the back. You install it by slightly pulling the exhaust cans apart at the front end, and pushing the rear end of the sump up between the cans, somewhat forward of where it ultimately ends up. I'll shoot one tonight. You cannot see it at all when it is installed.

Not sure what the racing organizers would do with it. It still has the sump, just less surface area at the top, and it doesn't drape over the exhaust cans. It's not like you ever had a seal with the lower body work anyway, and the lower has huge holes in it for the exhaust header. My Yamaha has a full bathtub that clearly would do something, but I don't think trimming the top of this sump changes the end result of anything. No visible change to anything you can see when it is installed.

I've fit about 75 or so sets. I've only had a problem on one bike, a 848 a while back with the fit on an upper fairing. I'm still scratching my head on that one.....first time (so far) that there was a fit problem with sharkskinz.

Thamer said:

I like the thought of cutting the upper lip of the belly pan off. Never thought of that. Wondering if they'd call foul at a club race though....

Could you show pics of that part? Thanks.

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Oli retention belly pans are required to hold a certain amount of oil the panigale one is small to start with .
You may get knocked back for reducing the already small volume .