A storm blew my '06 Pearl White VFR over Tuesday night. The Givi saddle bag took the brunt of the damage, but there is a crack in the upper right fairing right where the access panel is to get to the right turn signal bulb. I've got a $250 deductible w/ Geico. Does anyone know how much this fairing section costs, and how difficult it is to remove and replace? I've had both lowers off, but never the uppers.
TIA,
Tom
[image: View Post]jambie, on Jun 4 2009, 08:22 PM, said:
A storm blew my '06 Pearl White VFR over Tuesday night. The Givi saddle bag took the brunt of the damage, but there is a crack in the upper right fairing right where the access panel is to get to the right turn signal bulb. I've got a $250 deductible w/ Geico. Does anyone know how much this fairing section costs, and how difficult it is to remove and replace? I've had both lowers off, but never the uppers.
TIA,
Tom
http://www.ronayers....64210-MCW-H00ZD
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Must have been one helluva storm. Not sure about the cost, but someone will be along shortly will links to Ron Ayers or David Silver spares.
[image: View Post]JayWalker, on Jun 5 2009, 02:27 AM, said:
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Must have been one helluva storm. Not sure about the cost, but someone will be along shortly will links to Ron Ayers or David Silver spares.
Evidently it was. I parked in the hangar parking lot with the company van on the south side of the bike, figuring any really nasty stuff would come from the SSW. Go figure: the bike got blown right over. I'm sure the cover helped catch the wind. At least it didn't hit the van. The REALLY frustrating thing is that we used to be able to park our bikes in the hangar, until some of the maintenance people complained that they were in the way...bummer. I was in Denver on a trip, and had to wait two days to get back and survey the damage.
I may just plasti-weld or JB Weld the crack, as it's really the only major damage. Anyone got a good product in mind for that?
Cheers,
Tom
I replaced my upper cowl when a car bumped me in a parking lot. It's all one piece - no left/right.
The insurance company was good about it but you'll need an estimate from a dealer INCLUDING installation. That might just cover the deductable.
Check ALL the online discount Honda parts places and expect to pay around $375.
All I can say is you gotta watch those little plastic tabs. Keep a very very close eye on the amount of pressure all the screws take coming out. Do not over - tighten them going back in. Take it easy. Having an extra pair of hands is also a good idea. Look at the microfiche diagrams and TAKE YOUR TIME.
The connector for the high beams would not release and I tried over and over until my hands were bleeding. One little twist and the clip released and I was back into the repair. Everything went like clockwork then. The cowl is hung off rubber grommets. A little dish washing soap and the the parts slide together oh so easy. THIS IS DOABLE. But ya gotta plan it out... or I'll come over and do it.
Brian
Oh yea.. don't get any thread lock anywhere near the plastic... it will eat it up!
Sorry about the damage!
If you don't want to file a claim you could buy or repair your upper. JB Quick works pretty good, but depending of the size of the crack you might need to reenforce the area with a piece of plastic or sheet metal.
If I had a picture I could give you a close estimate of an Ins. claim, I'm guessing it would easily be over a grand, so you would be getting at least $750 from the Ins.Co. Then you could still fix it yourself and come out ahead! :cool:
THe problem with JB Weld is that it just sticks ON the plastic...you need to form with the plastic.
If no material is missing, the best repair I have found is to use Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK). Using a Q tip, liberally soak the top part where it is cracked(so excess drips off and doesn't run down the paint). You will see the Q-tip begin to turn black(maybe 60 seconds or so). Try to do the same for the other side if possible, then position the parts together. The MEK literally melts the plastic, and when it dries it will be as strong as new, assuming you got it all moist enough.
If you are missing parts, you can take some of the fairing, shave it up, and disolve it in some of the mek until you get a filler material. Use this to fill in missing places...again it will be as strong as new.
I used this method to repair one of the pod panels(left side) that covers the fuses. I had a broken mounting tab, as well as the corner where it mounts to the top of the fairing that had broken off. I dipped the mounting tab in a small container of the MEK, then held it in place for about 2 mins until it was set then left it for 24 hours to dry. Did the same with the corner piece(a bit harder due to shape). Both have held very nicely.
[image: View Post]Baileyrock, on Jun 4 2009, 09:46 PM, said:
Sorry about the damage!
If you don't want to file a claim you could buy or repair your upper. JB Quick works pretty good, but depending of the size of the crack you might need to reenforce the area with a piece of plastic or sheet metal.
If I had a picture I could give you a close estimate of an Ins. claim, I'm guessing it would easily be over a grand, so you would be getting at least $750 from the Ins.Co. Then you could still fix it yourself and come out ahead! :cool:
+1, you might be really surprised how much $$ in damage there is...find out if geico will raise your rates. My State farm does not for motorcycle related damage...so for me it would be worth it, but with Geico it might not.
GOOD LUCK
Hey, thanks for all the helpful replies. I've decided to file an insurance claim under the comprehensive coverage, which supposedly won't affect my rates. The right saddlebag lid was cracked as well, so along with the front cowl, it adds up to just over $900. I'll pay a $250 deductible, and hope the Pearl White paint matches on the cowl. Geico provides $1500 accessory insurance, so that covers the saddlebag. Now, just the wait...
Thanks again,
Tom