P B
05-03-2004, 02:52 PM
I had the pleasure of dealing with these guys recently, and wanted to write up my thoughts on the products, and the company behind them.
I needed plastics for my 2001 GSXR600 race bike. I gave Mike Applehans over at Morse/GP a call, and the whole experience has been nothing but great since. Early last week I brought the bike to them; they custom-fitted the plastics to my bike, rather than pre-drilling them and letting me sort it out when they didn't fit properly. I should mention, fitment is free of charge if you get the bike to them, and they do it right.
The GP Composites bodywork is *good stuff*. Strong yet flexible, and very lightweight - I can lift the whole set with a finger or two. Mike demonstrated the flexibility by taking one of their fenders - the same shape as you have over your front wheel - and bending it nearly into a flat shape, with no breakage or issues. I've seen this stuff crash as well, and it takes a beating - in addition GP Composites can fix it easily since they have the mold.
I also purchased some Morse products - a windscreen, and fairing stay. Now, I listened to Mike talk about the development of these windscreens, and how he would not settle for anything less than bulletproof - I think he succeeded. Again, it has the qualities of the bodywork: Strong, flexible, lightweight. I got the upgraded "double bubble" type as well.
The fairing stay is everything a good part should be. It starts with a billet machined block of aluminum, which bolts on to the steering head like every other one. But the similarities stop there. The support pieces are replacable like the GP Tech ones, but instead of simply (and loosely) sliding into tubes which are then held into place by pins, they bend down and bolt onto the billet piece. It is my understanding that the billet is also threaded - so if you somehow manage to lose both nuts from the screws, you'd have to back the screw out of the support as well. The metal is normal aluminum tubing, with some simple braces welded at the top where you would attach the top part of your upper fairing. The top braces are flexible enough to shape to the contour of your fairing, while the support pieces (tubing) themselves remain in place. The stay also doesn't have that rather useless post which sticks out of some other kinds and inevitably impales your upper when you crash.
I've seen prototype versions of their clip-ons as well, and when I'm ready to replace the stockers these will be the only ones I purchase. They share the same idea of the fairing stay, in that the screws which keep it all together also thread into the part itself. This idea was borne after a loose clip-on cost Mike an AMA pro race last season at PPIR when it came off mid-race due to the mounting screws not being tight.
GP Composites also does top notch paint work. I've seen several bikes that have come out of their paintshop, and can tell you that my bodywork will be going back to them to get sprayed once I decide on what I want to do (and get the money to pay for it).
Lastly, I toured the facility and met everyone there during my stay. This is a top notch operation. The people there are friendly and know what they're doing, and most importantly will really stand behind their product. Their products are priced competetively, and while you won't find them to be the cheapest out there, you do get what you pay for. For me, the huge increase in quality and service is worth the little extra I'd pay over the bottom-dollar companies.
While there are several choices out there for all manners of products, I can't recommend these guys enough. Definitely give them a shout when you are looking to outfit your race machine, and of course, please tell them Team Skinny sent you!
GP Composites: http://www.gpcomposites.com
Morse Racing Products: http://www.morsefiberglass.com
I needed plastics for my 2001 GSXR600 race bike. I gave Mike Applehans over at Morse/GP a call, and the whole experience has been nothing but great since. Early last week I brought the bike to them; they custom-fitted the plastics to my bike, rather than pre-drilling them and letting me sort it out when they didn't fit properly. I should mention, fitment is free of charge if you get the bike to them, and they do it right.
The GP Composites bodywork is *good stuff*. Strong yet flexible, and very lightweight - I can lift the whole set with a finger or two. Mike demonstrated the flexibility by taking one of their fenders - the same shape as you have over your front wheel - and bending it nearly into a flat shape, with no breakage or issues. I've seen this stuff crash as well, and it takes a beating - in addition GP Composites can fix it easily since they have the mold.
I also purchased some Morse products - a windscreen, and fairing stay. Now, I listened to Mike talk about the development of these windscreens, and how he would not settle for anything less than bulletproof - I think he succeeded. Again, it has the qualities of the bodywork: Strong, flexible, lightweight. I got the upgraded "double bubble" type as well.
The fairing stay is everything a good part should be. It starts with a billet machined block of aluminum, which bolts on to the steering head like every other one. But the similarities stop there. The support pieces are replacable like the GP Tech ones, but instead of simply (and loosely) sliding into tubes which are then held into place by pins, they bend down and bolt onto the billet piece. It is my understanding that the billet is also threaded - so if you somehow manage to lose both nuts from the screws, you'd have to back the screw out of the support as well. The metal is normal aluminum tubing, with some simple braces welded at the top where you would attach the top part of your upper fairing. The top braces are flexible enough to shape to the contour of your fairing, while the support pieces (tubing) themselves remain in place. The stay also doesn't have that rather useless post which sticks out of some other kinds and inevitably impales your upper when you crash.
I've seen prototype versions of their clip-ons as well, and when I'm ready to replace the stockers these will be the only ones I purchase. They share the same idea of the fairing stay, in that the screws which keep it all together also thread into the part itself. This idea was borne after a loose clip-on cost Mike an AMA pro race last season at PPIR when it came off mid-race due to the mounting screws not being tight.
GP Composites also does top notch paint work. I've seen several bikes that have come out of their paintshop, and can tell you that my bodywork will be going back to them to get sprayed once I decide on what I want to do (and get the money to pay for it).
Lastly, I toured the facility and met everyone there during my stay. This is a top notch operation. The people there are friendly and know what they're doing, and most importantly will really stand behind their product. Their products are priced competetively, and while you won't find them to be the cheapest out there, you do get what you pay for. For me, the huge increase in quality and service is worth the little extra I'd pay over the bottom-dollar companies.
While there are several choices out there for all manners of products, I can't recommend these guys enough. Definitely give them a shout when you are looking to outfit your race machine, and of course, please tell them Team Skinny sent you!
GP Composites: http://www.gpcomposites.com
Morse Racing Products: http://www.morsefiberglass.com