Fully faired motorcycles: Are they a hassle to own in Indian cities?

I was wondering how viable are fully faired sports bikes in indian cities? Are the fairing prone to damage by careless passerbys? Indians love to sit on parked motorcycles, will the fairing be smashed to pieces if it falls?

BHPian SkylineGTR recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I am looking to buy me a new motorcycle. Ever since I was a teenager I've had a thing for fully faired bikes, if this was 2010 i'd just have gone for a CBR250 with my eyes closed. But as things stand today, options in the 250cc space are limited. The only options I have are the Gixxer SF 250 and the RC200.

As someone who has virtually no experience with sports bikes(lifelong Unicorn owner), I was wondering how viable are fully faired sports bikes in indian cities? Are the fairing prone to damage by careless passerbys? Indians love to sit on parked motorcycles, will the fairing be smashed to pieces if it falls? What about being brushed against other vehicles in dense traffic?

And then, there's the issue of riding posture. I'm not a fit guy, have a slight potbelly. But I'm 28, so I don't feel disheartened by the aggressive riding posture of these sports bikes just yet. Can someone with some more experience chime in?

Here's what BHPian saitvsk23 had to say on the matter:

Hi there. I own a CBR 250R. This was my experience when I first bought my bike pre-owned in 2020:

Experience : I myself had no experience with big bikes. All I had as a motorcycle was my dad's Hero Passion X Pro. I had thoroughly studied the threads on this forum, so I was prepared as for what to expect from a big bike. Comparatively, the power delivery is two-fold (or even three-fold). My bike is a bit heavy at 160kgs, so taking U-turns and all requires a bit of strength and balance. Brakes are far more superior than the lousy drum brakes on our commuters.

You feel like you are sitting on a guided missile, compared to those workhorses. Lighting is superior as well. Switchgear quality also goes up a notch.

Posture and Comfort : My CBR is positioned as a sports tourer, so there's a teeny tiny little bit of uprightness compared to the aggressive seating of, let's say, an R15 or a KTM RC. I am a heavy-build guy (100+kgs, 6ft, with a bit of belly) and I find the seat comfortable. When i first got the bike, my wrists started to pain because the riding posture puts stress on your wrists. Once you get used to the posture, you might not feel the pain that much. Lower back pain is negligible. Pls ensure to get the suspension tuned according to your body build to avoid lower back pain and all.

Body Panels and fairings : Itts inevitable to say that everything that falls, breaks (maybe not Nokias). Most fairing parts are made from ABS material, so maybe slight scuffs on the surface due to those concrete pillars in your apartment cellars might not be an issue. Although it'll become an eyesore and dil pe kharoch (a scratch on heart). It goes without saying that these things need to be parked carefully at public places like multiplex parkings and govt office parkings. For people sitting on the bike at such places, just pray that your side stand is strong enough to take their joblessness. In case something happens (god forbid), procuring parts for bikes like the SF250 is easier compared to discontinued models like mine, still its a hefty bill.

Another thing you have to get used to is the fact that the front fairing (which houses the meter console and the headlight) DOES NOT move with the handlebar, unlike the commuters. So traffic cuts on the road have to be made carefully. Models like mine and the SF250 have the mirrors outwards, which may tap other vehicles gently. So that's to be kept in mind.

Rest is the same, ride in the cities with a behaved right wrist, and you'll be safe. For the riding gear, please invest in a good helmet. Look at it as a one time investment. I would recommend something like an Axor Apex or something similar in the price range of 3-4k as these are DOT and ECE certified, and are higher crash rated. If you dont want to invest that much, you can look at Studds Thunder or Steelbird SBA series, as these are priced reasonably from 1.7k to 2.5k and will save your head. I myself use a Studds Thunder because I dont have much usage with the bike (I only use it when i go home).

Ride safe, brother.

Here's what BHPian Gaur had to say on the matter:

Hi SkylineGTR,

Few months back i have made a transition from a Bajaj Avenger to a used Honda CBR 250r and had the same questions in mind a you have, while most of them have been accurately answered by @saitvsk23 in the previous posts one additional point from my side.

I felt the fully faired CBR gets a bit unstable in cross-winds when compared to my Avenger, i believe the large fairing parts on the side trap the wind increasing the sideways movement, will get used to it but the first time it was a slight shock.

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