The Fairing Xchange: It’s an inside job

The Fairing Xchange
Electra Glide inner fairings $350–$549 (depending on year and color)
Road Glide inner fairings $450–$799 (depending on year and color)
Harley Trike model inner fairings $450–$549
thefairingxchange.com
904.589.5253

Mother Nature sometimes shows her power on the finish of your motorcycle. Touring models with a fairing have the option of getting a plain inner fairing or one that is color matched. The stock inner fairings do not hold up as well as they could so your other option is to get an inner color-matched fairing. If you price one for your batwing fairing, they go for $674.99 and up. The newer style for the Road Glide costs $1,499.90 and up, and these prices are without installation. There is another option—the Fairing Xchange.

I first made contact with the business in Daytona about three years ago when owner Paul Barber was just getting started. My inner fairing on my 2011 Road Glide was getting beat up and had started showing its wear, with grey patches in some surface areas. I went to Paul who had set up at the Beaver Bar in Ormond Beach and he had one to match my Glide. One hour and $550 later I was riding in style. I traded in my bike this past March and purchased a 2017 Road Glide Ultra which came stock with a plain inner fairing. It was time to go see Paul again. I found Paul again at the Beaver Bar, this time at the Murrells Inlet location during Myrtle Beach Bike Week in May. I had called ahead to make sure he had one for my 2017 Glide, and he did.

It is interesting to learn how a business became a business. Such is the case with The Fairing Xchange. Paul has a background in bodywork, having owned a body shop for six years. The next 22 years of his life were spent as a corporate paint representative at a major paint firm. About 10 years ago he found himself doing a restoration for an inner fairing in need of some bodywork and a paint job. There were not as many painted inner fairings out there 10 years ago so he combined his knowledge of paint and bodywork to complete his project. Many began asking about his inner fairing and he started doing it on the side. Completing about 12 a year, his business was slowly growing by word of mouth.

Seven years later a downtick in the paint business left Paul with the ability to devote his passion of getting everyone on a dresser to ride with an inner color-matched fairing. He started with a 10×10 tent, a van to carry the fairings and his tools. His business started with him securing fairings from dealerships and painting them, then exchanging them for the customer’s old stock fairing, which he would then paint and bring to the next rally. As his business grew he started also buying painted fairings in old color combinations that the dealers no longer wanted in their stock. His most recent source of fairings came from those purchasing the “special” Road Glide or Street Glide, which come in Vivid Black. These were from riders having their inner fairings swapped out before leaving the dealership. He is always in search of inner fairings. Presently he has over 450 painted inners in stock with 200 or more ready for paint. He now does about 1,000 a year and his record was 19 in a day this past spring in Panama City.

The transformation takes about an hour. He is so familiar with the inner fairing swap that he has been able to trim his installation time down. What if you have a color that he does not happen to have? Call him with the Harley color and he will have it at the next rally for you. Because he is from Florida, you can normally catch him at Daytona twice a year, Leesburg, Myrtle and as far north as Roar to the Shore in Wildwood, New Jersey. Just call him or visit his website to see where he will be next. His quality is great and his quick install times make this a great value if you are considering a change. This is not a solo act; Paul credits his wife, his kids, his dad and many friends who have helped him along the way. Without their help, this would not have happened.

Paul has since expanded into some limited accessories, and what better time to install audio parts than when your fairing is torn open? He also offers mid-frame heat deflectors that are color matched. Stop by to check out his wares.