Watch this Video before Installing the Rebel 1100 Batwing Fairing

[@BrandonWest87]

Thanks for making this video Steve! Hands down one of the best videos for parts installation I’ve seen. It has removed a lot of my trepidation about the installation. I’m no slouch to working on vehicles and bikes, but this install seemed, on the face of it, rather convoluted. After watching your install video, should take me about an hour or so. Thanks again!

[@papastevesgarage]

Thanks for the high praise. I'm delighted you found the video helpful. However, if your installation only takes an hour or so, I want to hear you brag about it!

[@BrandonWest87]

@@papastevesgarage I’ll time myself when the time comes and see if my estimate was close 😁

[@BrandonWest87]

Took us 3 months to get a Rebel and not even through the dealer we had our original deposit with! Took me 1.5 hours to complete. Hardest parts were fitting the left turn signal/wiring harness bolt back in and fitting the fairing bracket square and into the rubber mounts at the top of the triple tree. You weren’t kidding about those rubber mounting bungs. I put the top two in the fairing first after I learned that putting them in last made it nearly impossible to get them in without dropping them. I installed it well away from anything they could have bounced and gotten hidden under. Once again, thank you so much for your video Steve! I’m sure that without your guidance it would have been a day long ordeal.

[@sippycup6762]

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. It sure was nice to zero in on exactly what I need to remove and re install in the correct order. My biggest problem was the bottom fairing stay bolts. I was trying to pull the stay forward, then slide back over the top of the spacers and there wasn't enough clearance to get the bolt holes past the spacer. I found that pushing the bottom of the stay toward the bike, then pulling it out over the spacers it fit perfectly. I'm very impressed with the performance of the fairing, it really takes a lot of wind off me.

[@papastevesgarage]

Thanks for sharing your experience with the installation. Enjoy your ride.

[@mikemac1022]

Thanks Steve, I appreciate your time spent making this video. I followed it along as I did the install. Slow and steady got it done. 👍🤙

[@papastevesgarage]

Glad it helped

[@zenzen9131]

I fitted this Batwing to my brand new 1100 Rebel having watched your video :) Took me 2 days of cursing and swearing trying to get all 6 mounting points lined up at the same time as there is NO give whatsoever in the metal frame. At one point I came very close to cutting off the middle 2 mounts as I thought that the 4 top and bottom bolts might be strong enough on their own but after having a rest overnight I came to it fresh the next day and for some unknown reason it all lined up and i got it on. After all the fuss and bother the wing itself and screen fit on the frame easily and I was hot on the road ! Erm well apart from th horrenous buffet I now had at 50pmh + . One of the main reasons that I bought the naked bike was the fact that there is no buffet at all at any speeds I rode the test one (+ 100mph). Now with the this screen fitted I cannot focus on the road at 70mph because of the buffet. I removed the screen, leaing the fairing on and everything was fine once more. I have now fabricated a tiny screen just to cover the two metal parts of the frame that look like they will dissembowel me if i came off over them and the buffet is nearly all gone now. Mk II of my own screen will sort things out totally hopefully. If not then in the autumn i will cut off the top two parts of the frame that stick out above the win and ride without a screen. Hehehe all good fun

[@papastevesgarage]

The challenge to mounting the frame is making sure the vertical posts are pressed up firmly into the metal grommets you needed to install. If you get the posts seated correctly, the four bolt holes should line up OK. I applaud your persistence. Where do you get the buffeting? I have too much wind on my face shield, so my helmet bounces a bit. But, it's not as bad as a 70 mph gale hitting you in the face without the windscreen. Check to make sure the fairing is positioned correctly. The trouble you encountered with installation makes me suspicious.

[@RichardNottingham-g9c]

Many thanks for making this video. Sure helped me install my fairing.

[@Synthwave89]

Phenomenal video. Should make installation much easier than with Honda's detailed instructions.

[@papastevesgarage]

Thanks, Mario

[@DanNguyen-ge6jc]

Thank you for detail instruction video, I was be able to complete the installation. I would say it was not easy installation since it took three hours to get it done. Thank you again Steve.

[@papastevesgarage]

You're so welcome.

[@gregmoore969]

Just installed the batwing onto my rebel thank you so much for this brilliant video it made the install a breeze Thanks again from Perth Australia 😃😃

[@papastevesgarage]

Glad it helped. How do you like the batwing?

[@gregmoore969]

It’s awesome makes the bike look so good

[@rickhicks2445]

Brilliant video Steve, it will be so helpful when my batwing arrives.

[@papastevesgarage]

Glad it helped

[@spinnerkeys]

Thanks for this. Just finished the installation, and this guide really helped. Much appreciated.

[@papastevesgarage]

Your feedback warms my heart.

[@greatbigeye2506]

Great video. I just bought a ‘21 that has this fairing and I’m trying to remove it to install 4” Rox risers. It’s very tight by the headlight, trying to remove it but I only have an inch or so to turn the hex wrench and can’t get it to seat.

[@cruisinwithpapasteve4907]

It's been a while since I installed mine. I may have used a 1/4" drive ratcheting wrench with the hex wrench on it, if I understand which fasteners you mean.

[@andregrastyan3403]

Very cool video. I'm also thinking about getting this item for my Rebel 1100cc. By the way, so far, I love my bike. I got 6,500 miles on it. Great ride here on the Jersey shore.

[@papastevesgarage]

I lived in Chatham, N.J., for several years. I didn't own a motorcycle then, though.

[@GWBunny602]

I just finished the install on my bike - 2hrs all together, including cleanup. That because of this video which highlighted what to expect at each step, problem/challenge areas and torque values. I watched the video multiple times and had most of the steps memorized. So a big thank you for making this video. It definitely helped me and, I'm sure, countless others. One tip that might help others: when pushing the say up into the rubber mounts, a tiny bit of hand soap really helped. This also helps with re-inserting the wiring harness box back into the rubber mount. One question: I did not see anything here and in the comments about the us of lock tite anywhere. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks again and very much appreciate your work.

[@papastevesgarage]

Thanks for the feedback. The hand soap is an excellent suggestion. To answer your loctite question: I don't use loctite unless the manufacturer calls for it. That's just me, though. let me know how the loctite works out.

[@olironrider8918]

You, sir, have convinced me.. I’ll pay the price and have it installed professionally..!! 👍👍

[@papastevesgarage]

Glad I could be helpful.

[@keanematthews]

Oh, and one other comment, Papa Steve. I don't use torque wrenches or torque drivers for anything calling for LOW torque. I do it by hand following a fairly simple method. In the case of 1Nm or .74 ft-lbs or 8.9 in-lbs, my method is to simply apply 1 pound of pressure at 9 inches from the torqued fastener -- OR 9 pounds of pressure at 1 inch from the fastener -- OR possily 2 pounds of pressure at 4.5 inches from the fastener. Once my highly calibrated hand feels that I need to use more than the desired force, I stop. I think of it like taking a 16 ounce bottle of water (1 pound) and placing it on the T-handle hex wrench at 9 inches from the fastener, and if the water bottle no longer forces the handle downwards, I'm done.

[@papastevesgarage]

I'm glad you found a method that works for you. I can be too anal.

[@mattsprague8198]

Great instructions, thanks Steve!

[@papastevesgarage]

Glad it was helpful!

[@newbierides]

Would these batwings be able to adjust or fit if you add some 6 inch bar risers? Or would it look weird like the handlebar is out of place?

[@papastevesgarage]

I wish I could answer that question. I plan to put two-inch risers on my 1100. They look like they will be a good fit, with some modification to the dash mount. Six inches? I don't know.

[@stephenmegel6975]

So I have one of these in the box. It came with the bike for free. I'm trying to decide if I want to put it on or not. Now I'm sort of leaning towards no..

[@papastevesgarage]

Watch my review video about the batwing fairing. Same channel. It might help you decide one way or the other. I would feel better about mine if it had come with the motorcycle.

[@williamcoulter5462]

The most difficult part is 15.10 these two bolts are a nightmare , if you get frustrated just stop , go for a coffee or tea and start again with a clam head. 2 hour job with the correct tools and it does help especially if like me you are short and the screen seems to be the correct height taller riders may need to fit a deflector shield.

[@papastevesgarage]

I wish the windscreen was three inches taller. I'm 5' 10." I've been thinking about having one made.

[@FxsX24]

Do you happen to recall what size wellnuts you bought. I decided to ride my bike without the fairing ( out for paint) and I neglected to remove them before I left

[@papastevesgarage]

They’re 5mm. You should be able to get generic ones from your Honda dealer.

[@jamescampolo7824]

Hi Steve, I trust you are doing ok. Haven't heard from you in months. Anyway I have a general question on the 2021 Honda Rebel 1100 DCT. I have had mine a couple years from new. I don't beat it, just ride. but is seems that about every 2k or so I need to add a quart of oil. The oil I use is to spec, full synthetic non-recycled. I just changed oil again at 5500 after the initial 900mile change and added a quart at sometime and it only drained about 2 or 3 quarts. All that together means it went through about 3 quarts in 4500 miles. Not good (I don't think). On my '97 Valkyrie I never had to add oil between 3k oil changes using standard Castrol GTX 10w40. Another note, after changing the oil the other day on the DCT, I let it run in the garage with the door closed for 15 minutes and didn't notice any oil burn. IDK...

[@papastevesgarage]

I'm doing well. I turned 75 in March, but most of my original parts are still working. I had my cataracts fixed a couple of years ago so I'm back to 20-20 vision. I haven't been able to see this well without glasses since I was 15 years old. My pancreas is getting tired. Consequently, I am one of the millions of humans with Type 2 diabetes. My joints are growing stiffer and my hair is going gray. I sent you an explanation about my prolonged absence from video production as a reply to one of your other comments. This is just a thought. When you changed oil, did you drain both the crankcase and the DCT? It's the same oil but two separate drain plugs. If you don't drain the DCT you won't get all the oil out of the engine/transmission. That could seem like evidence of excessive oil consumption. If your Rebel 1100 is not leaking and you don't have blue smoke belching out the exhaust, there is no place else I can think of for the oil to go. So, I'm guessing you didn't know you needed to drain the oil from the DCT when you changed the oil. I had aHonda dealer do my last oil change. The tech apparently screwed up because the dealer gave the bike back to me with a fairly serious oil leak. I had to take the bike back twice before the dealership determined they needed to replace a part related to the DCT oil ring. The experience gave me pause. If the dealer tech can screw up an oil change, what kind of unforeseen issues are mostly untrained DIYers like you and me going to run in to. Regardless, I'm going to do the next one and shoot the video -- soon. Hopefully, I will do better then the Honda tech and pass the learning experience along to my viewers.

[@jamescampolo7824]

@@papastevesgarage I was referring to excessive oil usage after a complete change (both plugs). From full on the dipstick. then at about 1000 miles it need another quart. I have the shop manual and have been a DIYer for 60 years. Guess I am going to just treat it like a Harley.

[@papastevesgarage]

Thanks for clearing that up. Blows up my theory, though. I don't have any other worthwhile insights for you. That kind of oil consumption is very un-Honda-like. How good is your local dealer? Might be worth a trip to the factory team.

[@jamescampolo7824]

@@papastevesgarage My Honda dealer is a Harley dealer with a Honda sign. Doubt if they have any Honda factory guys. I think I'll run a compression check myself.

[@papastevesgarage]

@@jamescampolo7824 good plan. But if it’s rings or valves you’d be getting billows of blue smoke. Let me know what you find.

[@motorcyclehiker3551]

Thanks for the helpful video. Am thinking of getting the batwing myself. Does it give decent weather protection? I’m in the uk where it rains a lot!!!

[@papastevesgarage]

I can't give you a definitive answer about the weather. I'm in Northern California where we are passed our rainy season already. I won't see rain here until next October. An educated guess tells me that you'll get rain on your helmet visor because the air coming across the top of windscreen hits me under the chin and I'm getting more bug splatter on my helmet visor now. You best weather protection will still be waterproof riding gear.

[@robcall8112]

Thanks for this video! This made it a relatively easy installation until now haha. I have everything installed but the windshield. The bolts don't quite seem long enough with the 2 washers to reach the well nut. I am sure I am just doing something wrong, but it doesn't seem like it should be that difficult. I have checked and the bolts that I am using are the 16mm but I can quite get them to grab. Any suggestions?

[@papastevesgarage]

Installing the windshield should be the easy part. Your problem is hard for me to diagnose without being able to look at what you’ve tried. Are you sure you have the correct hex screws? Did you first install the well nuts in the stay from the front side of the stay?

[@robcall]

@@papastevesgarage I finally got it to work. I had the well nut in right but I had to push hard from the back of them to get it to bite on the threads. Once I got it to bite it tightened right up. Thanks for the instructions

[@papastevesgarage]

@@robcall that’s good news. I’m still curious about why you had that issue. I didn’t encounter the same problem.

[@robcall]

@@papastevesgarage kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZ2wenZ3aJadZtU I'm not sure. I made this little video before I got it to work to show so that I could make sure I was putting it in right. Interestingly enough, one of the well nuts had no problem. Almost like the threads were in a slightly different location.

[@spinnerkeys]

I had the same problem, but pushing from the back solved the problem.

[@chrishotham2854]

Does anyone know how much all that weighs together the fairing the windshield the metal bracket the bolts etc? Thank you!

[@papastevesgarage]

I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't weigh the assembly before installing it. But I estimate the metal support is less than 10 pounds, and the plastic parts -- fairing and windscreen -- seem less than that. My best guess is less than 20 pounds. The mounted assembly seems to have negligible impact on the weight over the front forks.

[@chrishotham2854]

@@papastevesgarage thank you so much!

[@DeclannAims]

8.5lbs total

[@sueroyer5094]

Windshield fit the 500 cmx ?

[@papastevesgarage]

I'm not sure what you are asking me. If you want to know if the Rebel 1100 fairing fits on the 500, I can't tell you for sure, but my best guess is that it doesn't. If you will clarify your question, I'll try to give you a better answer.

[@sueroyer5094]

@@papastevesgarage will investigate further. thanks.

[@anthonyjones6610]

Really Helpful.....thanks Steve.

[@papastevesgarage]

My pleasure!

[@JohnBraman413]

how you liking the faring?

[@papastevesgarage]

I wish I had gone a different way. I released my review of the fairing on this channel. You can watch it at kzbin.info/www/bejne/laaYo2V_oLOohpY.

[@melchordames141]

will batwing fit rebel 500?

[@papastevesgarage]

I can't really answer your question. I don't have any experience with the 500. My best guess is that it doesn't. Let me know if you learn differently.

[@gremmiechavez532]

i know it's late but someone from reddit fitted dis onto a 500 and he said it works well

[@chupacabra6263]

Hey Steve is this bike big enough for a guy who is 6ft 210lbs

[@papastevesgarage]

That’s only slightly bigger than me. I’m 5’10” 205

[@chupacabra6263]

@@papastevesgarage how does she handle at highway speeds

[@papastevesgarage]

@@chupacabra6263 Highspeed is much nicer with the fairing installed. The bike has plenty of power and cruise at highway speed at about 4000 rpms. It's a light motorcycle for a cruiser, though. So, you get a bit more suspension bounce than you might with a 900-pound bagger.

[@bennytuomolin4416]

I decided to go for the Puig Batwing, this seemed to complicated.

[@papastevesgarage]

I have a review of the batwing in production. Puig is going to be one of my suggestions.

[@bennytuomolin4416]

@@papastevesgarage Looking forward to it!! Thanks!ä

[@ajobha]

Thank you! This is a very useful video! I will be attempting this in a day or two, and I hope it goes well but if not, I will drop a message with the hope that you can respond! Also, I have subscribed and liked the video :)

[@papastevesgarage]

I'll be happy to advise. Sometimes it takes me a day or so to respond through KZbin.

[@PainterD54]

You'd probably be much better off just getting a Memphis Shades fairing or one of those after market batwing fairings and making your own mounts. I've done it to many bikes and it's really not hard to do. The Rebel fairing looks too small to make a difference and makes it look like a mini wanna be bagger in my opinion.

[@papastevesgarage]

All fair conclusions. Although, I don't understand why so many people dislike the look of baggers. Personally, I don't want a 900 pound motorcycle. But I don't mind the look.

[@sykotikmuzik2257]

Anyone ever tell you that you sound like John Goodman?

[@papastevesgarage]

That’s new. I’ve been told I look like Stanley Kubrick.

[@sykotikmuzik2257]

It may have been just in that video but I had gotten sidetracked & walked out of the room & came back. When I heard you talking I could have swore it was John lol. Anyway do you recommend the 1100 DCT? I've always wanted a motorcycle but couldnt because at 15 I broke my left ankle in 3 places & I have limited mobility in it too the point I can't shift. That was until Honda came up with the DCT. Now I'm debating on getting one.

[@papastevesgarage]

@@sykotikmuzik2257 no motorcycle is perfect. But the Rebel 1100 DCT is very good. The seat could be more comfortable. It needs a windscreen if you spend much time at highway speed. But otherwise I am delighted with mine. It would solve your ankle problem. The motor is refined and muscular. And the bike looks cool. Go for it.

[@FxsX24]

I have a bitch of a time getting the screws to go back into the tree on the light.

[@cruisinwithpapasteve4907]

I didn’t have much trouble after pushing the stay all the way up into the rubber mounts. Then I could line up the collars and screw holes.