Over the years I've developed several small fairing cracks, which have slowely become bigger fairing cracks. I'd like to fix 'em up so they don't continue to crack. I was wondering what the best material to do that with would be. I was thinking some kind of plastic weld, kind of like the stuff I used to use on model cars and airplanes. Anyone have any suggestions? I'm not looking for body shop quality work, just something to hold the fairings together. If I can get it at the local hardware store that would be best.
Get some PVC cement from a hardware store (look on the container, make sure it says it works on ABS plastic). Put some of it in the crack, and on the back of the fairing behind the crack. It will melt the plastic together and be as strong as the original part.
Over the years I've developed several small fairing cracks, which have slowely become bigger fairing cracks. I'd like to fix 'em up so they don't continue to crack. I was wondering what the best material to do that with would be. I was thinking some kind of plastic weld, kind of like the stuff I used to use on model cars and airplanes. Anyone have any suggestions? I'm not looking for body shop quality work, just something to hold the fairings together. If I can get it at the local hardware store that would be best.
Thanks again, Brian
If the cracks are small, you can reinforce it from the back with woven fiberglass mat saturated with superglue (I used the gel version to give me a little time to work on it). I had a few small cracks that started around the frankenbolt holes on my tail faring. I put on the fiberglass over the area and the cracks never got bigger. Some VFR owners on this site have done this with similar good results.
Get some PVC cement from a hardware store (look on the container, make sure it says it works on ABS plastic). Put some of it in the crack, and on the back of the fairing behind the crack. It will melt the plastic together and be as strong as the original part.
I'll second the cement suggestion. I'm in the middle of extensive fairing and givi bag repair using ABS pipe cement. It is easily available at the local home improvement center. So far the results are promising. It is a bit harder to shape with then I would have liked, so I'm doing more sanding then anticipated. The black ABS cement actually has ABS plastic in suspension with the solvent so it can be used to build up a small amount of plastic when needed. This has been useful when dealing with interior fillets.
Get some PVC cement from a hardware store (look on the container, make sure it says it works on ABS plastic). Put some of it in the crack, and on the back of the fairing behind the crack. It will melt the plastic together and be as strong as the original part.
I'll second the cement suggestion. I'm in the middle of extensive fairing and givi bag repair using ABS pipe cement. It is easily available at the local home improvement center. So far the results are promising. It is a bit harder to shape with then I would have liked, so I'm doing more sanding then anticipated. The black ABS cement actually has ABS plastic in suspension with the solvent so it can be used to build up a small amount of plastic when needed. This has been useful when dealing with interior fillets.
I dropped my bike off the center stand in the garage last year and broke my upper fairing into a number of pieces where the fairing, fairing stay, windshield, and side mirrors connect. I used PVC cement to glue them together and they have held up to 15K miles of abuse and 3 crashes with no problems.
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I dropped my bike off the center stand in the garage last year and broke my upper fairing into a number of pieces where the fairing, fairing stay, windshield, and side mirrors connect. I used PVC cement to glue them together and they have held up to 15K miles of abuse and 3 crashes with no problems.
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With great respect, 3 crashes in 15k miles, PVC cement is the least of your problems (this coming from the guy who crashed his car 4 times within the first 8 weeks of passing his test) :thumbsup: :blink:
With great respect, 3 crashes in 15k miles, PVC cement is the least of your problems (this coming from the guy who crashed his car 4 times within the first 8 weeks of passing his test) :thumbsup: :blink:
Rich
LOL, I know. First one was a cage that decided to turn right from a straight lane while I was turning right in the right turn lane and they hit my rear tire and sent me spinning (on some steel train track crossing in the rain), next was not really a crash, just a drop (wasp in my jacket, stopped and left bike in neutral on sidestand), the next was a lowside at the track.
I've used 2 part epoxy labeled "plastic weld" on FZR plastics (bought at K-mart.) It has around 5 minutes of work time before it instantly changes from liquid to solid. Be sure to drill small holes at the ends of any partial cracks, this will relieve the internal stress within the plastic and prevent the crack from getting larger. I also used a small rotary tool (and/or sandpaper) to enlarge the width of the crack slightly, tapering the sides of the plastic to have more surface area for the "plastic weld" to bond to. Putting a piece of tape on the outside surface and working the plastic weld in from the inside can help you with the outside contour.
The "Flying Ant" is only 5'2.xx" tall and she tipped over her Honda CBR 600 F4i in the parking lot the other day. :^(
Got the mirror and and cracked the fairing next to the mirror bolt holes.
Off to the hardware store tomorrow morning. Cheers! E-Ticket
Get some PVC cement from a hardware store (look on the container, make sure it says it works on ABS plastic). Put some of it in the crack, and on the back of the fairing behind the crack. It will melt the plastic together and be as strong as the original part.
I'll second the cement suggestion. I'm in the middle of extensive fairing and givi bag repair using ABS pipe cement. It is easily available at the local home improvement center. So far the results are promising. It is a bit harder to shape with then I would have liked, so I'm doing more sanding then anticipated. The black ABS cement actually has ABS plastic in suspension with the solvent so it can be used to build up a small amount of plastic when needed. This has been useful when dealing with interior fillets.
I dropped my bike off the center stand in the garage last year and broke my upper fairing into a number of pieces where the fairing, fairing stay, windshield, and side mirrors connect. I used PVC cement to glue them together and they have held up to 15K miles of abuse and 3 crashes with no problems.
Uhhh, Jeremy, you need to get a "Karma tune-up", LOL...... :blink:
Scrap ABS cut from old fairing into thin strips to be used as filler material.
Begin melting plastic, in the center of the crack, into a puddle while adding the filler ABS material into the puddle.
Use the tip of the gun to manipulate the outcome of the molten plastic. Do not worry about the appearance until the crack is completely filled. You can manipulate the look afterwards with the tip of gun.
Experimenting with an old fairing will help with knowing how long you can heat in an area without damaging paint.
Of course this is done from the back side of the fairing, and if done properly will hold.
I wish I did not need to know, but how high should the wattage of the soldering iron be? I have several really old ones that might be high enough wattage for the job.
End of thread · 17 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 18 Feb 2015
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