Fairing repair advice

This might sound a bit like a cop out, but it's worth considering making an insurance claim if it's a lot of damage - including a dented tank - AND if you're not comfortable with doing your own repairs. It might work out cheaper in the long run to pay the excess (usually around $400) and lose a bit of your no-claim bonus for the following year. If you're lucky you might have no-claim protection, depending on your policy.

A well-done pro repair will help with resale when it's time to move on.

The going rate for getting a pro to repair and repaint a tank in metro Australia is around $350. Plastics anywhere from $500-1000 depending on the damage.

All the best for whichever path you choose to take, whether it's DIY or professional!

 

Oh another thing, a few motorcycle repairers I've spoken to said they avoid Paintless Dent Removal methods for dented tanks - some outright saying "it never works properly".

 

What you might have there is MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) It's a solvent and not a true cement or adhesive. Modelers use it on plastic models. The rod is ABS "welding plastic". Same stuff as plastic coathangers.

The terms that sort of explain what is going on are "adhesion" A/O "cohesion."

Ya gotta remove the paint from the area being addressed. Pieces can be joined using small amounts of gel "superglue". to hold things in place for solvent, adhesive or stick welding.

All this stuff is well addressed in books on bodywork and painting. Consider that even here in the US Chevrolet made car bodies out of fiberglass and resin with the first issue of Corvettes in 1954.

Is it easy to screw up? Sure is..

 

Agreed, Tink. I used ABS on mine too. I repaired a primary mount on the right side. Worked great and holding rock solid.

Jose

 

I am glad that ABS rods worked for you guys for repairing side fairings. Even more than that I am glad to see that people are repairing plastics, as it is not such a big task, and certainly is not as hard as metal body work, in my view. Hopefully this will help persuade other people to stop paying premium $$$ for replacement plastics for their bikes.

What I wanted to do, not well apparently, is point out that side fairings are not made of ABS, and not to get into the long drawn discussion about how to repair it. Everyone can decide how to fix it on their own, and I think first step is understanding what you are working with.

Here is the photo of the right lower fairing from my 98 vfr. I can not attest if all the side fairings are made from nylon, like mine, though, this one seems to be made on 9/97, maybe later models switched to ABS formulation:


Note that plastics designation states PA6 + PPE - GF10. This indicates piece is made from polyamide and polyphenylene ether blend, and is glass filled to 10% of the volume. No ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) is used at all.

FYI, I repaired this piece with nylon rods (zip ties) and steel mesh embedded in a few places for strength, and I used similar HF plastic welder for large welds as show in pics by tinkerinWstuff For fine smoothing out and groove filing I used a soldering iron with a large foot - I found it gives me better melting control.

 

The question might well be are all the side fairings on 98s made of nylon? If so, why the change in materials and what of 99s and onward models.?

 

You make a valid point, gregor and it's something that is really good to know. I didn't even check what material mine are made out of. I just went with ABS because I am so used to body parts being made from that. I should take a look next time I have them off for an oil change.

Jose

 

Just had the sides and front off of my '01 and found that the front is only marked ABS (so is the rear seat cowl) but the both side fairings are marked PA6+PPE-GF10. I read that GF10 meant that is was 10% glass filled, but that was othe Internet, and you know how info on the web can be:wink:

 

The side panels on the mach 1 91 say RHS and LHS in big block letters so I won't get them on backward.

OMG!! What if we find that somehow Honda Inc. , made some changes in those "generation" systems that somebody drempt up? I ain't tearing my 91 apart with a hammer or a torque wrench or a micrometer to find out if it's a bit different than a 90 or a 92.

Now where's that Xanax? I need to calm down..