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fairing repair


poida

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has anyone had any success in repairing fairings?

the left side of the tailpiece on my bike has snapped near where it bolts to the frame.im guessing it was caused by the movement it gets when lifting the bike onto the centre stand.

having to use tape on it at the moment to keep it from flapping about.

post-266-0-15100100-1443000404_thumb.jpg

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There's an epoxy compound known as "plastic weld." I've lived on that for most repairs. If you can press it together off-bike, and it's pretty much OEM shape, do so and let it sit overnight. It's sandable and paintable when dry. :wub:

THE Plasticweld guy (Bob Brown) showed me how he did repairs for customers. His chief tool was one of those plastic guns (with meltable sticks but NOT a glue gun) that could handle small jobs alone. Often, he'd have to sand and use a layer of fiberglass cloth to reconstruct and reinforce badly damaged (or missing) sections. Then came a considerable bit of sanding and polishing to make it all look seamless.

For a quickie repair, you can use plastic weld epoxy to put parts back together and buy a Bondo fiberglass kit to reinforce the backside if needed.

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is that like a jb weld epoxy? the repair would need to be able to withstand a little bit of flex.

was having a look at plastex but unfortunately it dosnt appear to be sold in australia.i did find another 2 part adhesive here called rapid fix plastic glue.mix the glue with the powder and it's meant to melt into the plastic.

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These are examples of what's near me. Just be sure what you buy is formulated for plastics. Regular epoxy might work, but they make special formations for different needs. These products are somewhat "idiot proof" because equal portions of both compounds are produced when you press the plunger. Mixing powder into a compound requires you get the right consistency from mixing, but the instructions should enable you to do it right the first time.

I don't know how much "flex" you should want. OEM plastic doesn't do a lot of it, but once the repair is done, I've not had a break happen at the repair spot.

is that like a jb weld epoxy? the repair would need to be able to withstand a little bit of flex.

was having a look at plastex but unfortunately it dosnt appear to be sold in australia.i did find another 2 part adhesive here called rapid fix plastic glue.mix the glue with the powder and it's meant to melt into the plastic.

DXS_47809.jpgDevcon_Plastic_Welder.jpg

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Your fairing is ABS...

With that said, there are a numbers of ways you can repair it, and yes as Tuffguy posted, the true key to a succesful repair is in the Preperation.

The best bet would be to use a plastic welder... Like this... http://www.urethanesupply.com/Airless-Welders-1/

You can also use ABS shavings from a piece of ABS pipe mixxed with ABS glue from the harware store. This works great if you can repair both sides of the break or crack.

And lastly... epoxies etc.

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You can also use ABS shavings from a piece of ABS pipe mixxed with ABS glue from the harware store. This works great if you can repair both sides of the break or crack.

I've used this method with great results to reaffix broken mounting tabs.

I picked this stuff up

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/sluyter-abs-55y-solvent-cement-0632095p.html#.VgcvTBB5lP4

And I grabbed some cracked sportbike fairing from the dumpster at a local motorbike shop. Used electric drill on dumpster fairing to get a little pile of shavings, then I added the cement and mixed it up like a witchess brew until it had a gooey consistsncy. I applied it to my broken pieces, set/braced them in desired final orientation and let it sit for the abs cement solvent to evaporate off. Seemed as good as new. I did grab a yellow fairing from the dumpster and fixed a white fairing and the fix had yellow in it but it was on the inside so I didn't care.

I'd totally vote for this method.

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As mention about Bob brown, he would use busted up pieces from other fairings and do some cutting and trimming to fill in larger holes. Them plastic weld the seams.

Wonder what Bob is up to these days? He did some awesome work and would do some bad ass paint jobs with logo and sponsor race bikes doing all paint, no stickers.

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plastic welder (looks like a footed soldering iron). Prepare the breaks like you would a normal weld and bevel the edges to give more surface area. Weld some plastic into it. Sand until the spot is just below level. Get some FLEXIBLE hobby ca glue for model airplanes and some accelerant. fill liberally with the FLEXIBLE glue and then shoot with the accelerant. Sand like hell (glue is very hard to sand), then wipe off and do it again. Eventually you will build a layer of flex glue and it will be without air holes or imperfections. The more you work it the better it will be. My first motorcycle saw the plastic welder guy a few times. Eventually he showed me how he did the repairs and told me to learn to ride... :)

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Check your local hardware store in the plumbing section for abs glue. It's what is used to affix black plastic poop pipes together. Under $10. Grab a broken fairing and practice a few times on it.

I wouldn't take a soldering iron to my fairing. I tried it on an old laundry hamper (acknowledging it's different sort of plastic) and it sucked and didn't really work.

I didn't want to shell out for the proper plastic welder at the time for such limited intended use.

Plumbing abs cement and plastic shavings from an old fairing is where it's at.

Edited by Nova Scotia Mike
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I've used JB weld before with good success. Since you already tried glue I'm pretty sure it'll have to be completely cleaned off to plastic weld it successfully.

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tried zap hobby glue on an old piece of fairing but while it adhered really well it was too brittle for the join i need.

the tail section i need to repair flexes a bit when i use the grab rail to put the bike on the centre stand.

will look for some abs solvent cement and mix some abs plastic into it.

have only been able to find pvc solvent cement so far.we are a bit limited for choice here in aus.

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plastic welder (looks like a footed soldering iron). Prepare the breaks like you would a normal weld and bevel the edges to give more surface area. Weld some plastic into it. Sand until the spot is just below level. Get some FLEXIBLE hobby ca glue for model airplanes and some accelerant. fill liberally with the FLEXIBLE glue and then shoot with the accelerant. Sand like hell (glue is very hard to sand), then wipe off and do it again. Eventually you will build a layer of flex glue and it will be without air holes or imperfections. The more you work it the better it will be. My first motorcycle saw the plastic welder guy a few times. Eventually he showed me how he did the repairs and told me to learn to ride... :)

Did you? lol

Edited by Desert Goat Herder
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OK, last time....

I strongly suggest you buy a plastic welder like this... http://www.harborfreight.com/welding/plastic-welders/80-watt-iron-plastic-welding-kit-60662.html

Plus... Thinking about this again... now I can't remember if the lower fairing was ABS or TPO... hmmm....

In any event... ounce you get a plastic welder, you can fix it right, actually stronger than it was before if you melt the metal screen into the plastic.

Not to mention... ounce you have the welder... you can repair other cracked or broken plastic things as well.

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