I've seen a ton of people lately looking into the street bob with fxrt fairing setup, and honestly, it's one of the coolest trends to hit the Harley scene in years. It's that perfect middle ground between a stripped-down cruiser and a full-blown touring bike. You get the agility of the Street Bob—which is already a blast to ride—combined with that classic, aggressive "fixed fairing" look that used to be reserved for the old-school FXRT Sport Glides of the 80s.
If you're thinking about doing this to your own bike, you're probably weighing a few things. Is it worth the cost? How much does it change the handling? And let's be real, does it actually look as good in person as it does on Instagram? I've spent a lot of time around these builds, and there's a lot more to it than just bolting on a piece of fiberglass and calling it a day.
Why This Combo Works So Well
The Street Bob has always been the "blank canvas" of the Harley-Davidson lineup. It's minimalist, it's relatively light, and it's got that punchy Milwaukee-Eight engine that just wants to go. But let's face it, if you're doing more than 50 miles on the highway, that wind blast to the chest gets old pretty fast.
That's where the FXRT fairing comes in. Unlike a fork-mounted fairing (like on a Street Glide), the FXRT fairing is frame-mounted. This is a huge deal for performance. When the fairing is attached to the frame, the wind hitting the plastic doesn't fight your handlebars. It makes the bike feel incredibly stable at high speeds, which is exactly what you want if you're building a "club style" or performance-oriented machine.
The Aesthetic Shift: From Minimalist to Muscle
Putting a street bob with fxrt fairing together completely changes the silhouette of the bike. Without the fairing, the Street Bob looks like a classic bobber—skinny, tall, and nimble. Once you throw that massive fairing on the front, it gains this heavy, muscular presence.
It's a bit of a throwback to the 1980s police bikes and sport tourers, but with a modern twist. Most guys running this setup go for a "tall bike" look. They'll add 13-inch or 14-inch rear shocks to lift the back end and maybe some +2 fork tubes in the front. When you combine that lifted stance with the big FXRT nose, the bike looks like it's ready to devour miles of canyon roads or lane-split through heavy traffic with ease.
Choosing the Right Fairing Kit
Back in the day, if you wanted an FXRT fairing, you had to scour eBay or swap meets for original 40-year-old parts that were usually cracked or missing pieces. Nowadays, we're lucky. Companies like Advanblack, Villain2Hero, and Dominator make high-quality reproduction kits specifically designed for the M8 Street Bob.
When you're shopping around, don't just look at the price tag. Look at what's included. A good kit should come with: * The main fairing body (usually fiberglass or ABS plastic). * A sturdy mounting bracket (this is the most important part). * A headlight bucket and lens. * Clear or tinted windshield options.
I always tell people to pay close attention to the mounting bracket. Since the Street Bob wasn't originally designed for a fixed fairing, that bracket has to be rock solid. If it's flimsy, your fairing is going to vibrate like crazy, and you'll eventually see stress cracks in the paint.
The Installation Process: What to Expect
I won't sugarcoat it—installing a street bob with fxrt fairing isn't a five-minute job. It's a weekend project, especially if you're doing the wiring yourself. Because you're moving from a small, single headlight to a larger setup (and often adding turn signals or speakers inside the fairing), you're going to be doing some "surgery" on your wiring harness.
One of the trickiest parts is getting the alignment right. Since the fairing is fixed to the frame, you have to make sure it's perfectly centered. If it's off by even half an inch, you'll notice it every time you look down at your gauges or handlebars. It'll drive you nuts. Take your time with the brackets, use plenty of Loctite, and double-check everything before you tighten those final bolts.
Dealing with the Cockpit
Once the fairing is on, you've got a whole new "dashboard" to deal with. The Street Bob has that tiny digital gauge tucked into the handlebar riser. With an FXRT fairing, you suddenly have all this real estate inside the fairing.
A lot of riders choose to install Bluetooth speakers or even a small head unit. Others use the space for extra gauges, like an oil pressure or volt meter. It's also a great spot to mount a GPS or a phone holder where it's protected from the rain and wind. It turns the bike into a much more capable long-distance machine.
How It Changes the Ride
The first time you take a street bob with fxrt fairing out on the open road, it's going to feel different. The most immediate change is the lack of wind fatigue. You can sit at 80 mph all day long and feel like you're sitting on your couch.
However, there is a trade-off. You're adding weight to the front of the bike—usually anywhere from 15 to 25 pounds depending on the kit and the audio gear you put in it. Because it's frame-mounted, you don't feel that weight in the steering, but you might notice a slight change in how the bike tips into corners. Most riders find that they actually prefer the extra weight because it makes the front end feel more planted and less "twitchy" at high speeds.
Don't Forget the Lowers
If you really want to go all-in on the FXRT look, you can add "lowers." These are the extra pieces of fairing that wrap around the crash bars and protect your legs. While they look cool and provide even more wind protection, they do make the bike a bit bulkier.
For a Street Bob, I usually think the "top only" look is better. It keeps that slim, aggressive profile while still giving you the benefits of the big fairing. But hey, it's your bike—if you want the full spaceship look, go for the lowers. They definitely make a statement.
Painting and Finishing Touches
Unless you buy a pre-painted kit, you're going to need to get the fairing color-matched to your tank and fenders. This is where the cost can really start to climb. Harley's factory paints, especially the special colors like Vivid Black or some of the newer metallics, can be pricey.
My advice? Don't cheap out on the paint. The fairing is the first thing people see when you're riding toward them. A bad paint job or a "close enough" color match will stick out like a sore thumb. If you're on a budget, you could always wrap the fairing and the tank together for a completely custom look that's a bit more affordable than a professional spray job.
Is It Worth the Investment?
Building a street bob with fxrt fairing is definitely an investment. Between the kit, the paint, the lighting, and potentially the audio, you could easily spend a couple of thousand dollars. But when you look at the result—a bike that handles like a cruiser but tours like a bagger—it's hard to argue with the value.
You're basically creating a bike that Harley doesn't currently sell. Sure, they have the Low Rider ST now, which is awesome, but the Street Bob has a different soul. It's narrower, it feels a bit more "raw," and there's a certain pride in building something yourself rather than just rolling it off the showroom floor.
In the end, it's about making the bike yours. If you love the way the FXRT fairing looks and you want a bike that can handle both the commute and a cross-state trip, this is one of the best modifications you can make. It's functional, it's stylish, and it definitely turns heads at every stoplight. Just be prepared for every other Harley rider to come up and ask you, "Hey, where'd you get that fairing?" because it happens every single time.