Fairing crack in '98 VTR: need advice
04-05-2011, 12:41 AM
#1
frequent flier
Squid
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: SoCal
Posts: 4
Fairing crack in '98 VTR: need advice
My '98 VTR has spontaneously developed a hairline crack in the fairing near the left mirror. The crack runs vertically from the bottom of the fairing to just above the mirror mount. Given enough time, this will eventually completely sever that thin finger section of fairing aft of the mirror mount. Surely, somebody out there has had this problem. What is the best 'fix'? Plastic welding? Epoxy bulwark on the inside of the fairing? Fairing upper replacement? Thx!
04-05-2011, 01:29 AM
#2
Senior Member
SuperBike
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Essex, UK
Posts: 1,707
As you surmise it will continuing cracking until it can crack no more and then drop off. Short term drill a small hole about 3-4 mm beyond the extent of the crack that will limit it going any further.
Long-term - plastic welding, tidying and paint to get it back to a good finish. This'll be cheaper than a new panel though you'll be paneless (and bikeless) till the job's done and reassembled.
Long-term - plastic welding, tidying and paint to get it back to a good finish. This'll be cheaper than a new panel though you'll be paneless (and bikeless) till the job's done and reassembled.
04-05-2011, 01:54 PM
#6
frequent flier
Squid
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: SoCal
Posts: 4
fairing repair decision
Thanks, folks, for the input. Never having heard of Plastex, I found them on the web & spoke with Tim Lewis. This sounds promising. They have a broad selection of kits of various prices. I'm getting the $75 kit, and will get some red powder to (somewhat) match the Honda red, as well as some reinforcing fabric. I'll update this group on the outcome. BTW, Mr. Lewis maintains that plastic welding is really not a reliable repair. I have had some plastic welding done in the past, and have found it to be a marginal repair.
04-05-2011, 02:42 PM
#7
Senior Member
SuperBike
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: MN
Posts: 1,548
Plastex is amazing stuff. I have rebuilt most of the mounting tabs on one panel or another on an RVF400 that finding replacement OEM was impossible. Its easy to use (though I suspect the fumes are not good for you) and has held up amazingly well.
Easy to use though the description sounds harder than in reality. the videos help. Takes alittle practice but it seems quite tolerant of very poor technique also. Good luck.
Easy to use though the description sounds harder than in reality. the videos help. Takes alittle practice but it seems quite tolerant of very poor technique also. Good luck.
04-08-2011, 08:59 AM
#8
Mid-level Member
Superstock
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Chicago
Posts: 268
Plastex is amazing stuff. I have rebuilt most of the mounting tabs on one panel or another on an RVF400 that finding replacement OEM was impossible. Its easy to use (though I suspect the fumes are not good for you) and has held up amazingly well.
Easy to use though the description sounds harder than in reality. the videos help. Takes alittle practice but it seems quite tolerant of very poor technique also. Good luck.
Easy to use though the description sounds harder than in reality. the videos help. Takes alittle practice but it seems quite tolerant of very poor technique also. Good luck.
i rebuilt almost every piece of plastic on my bike using plastic epoxy. it works very good and is probably easier to find than Plastex. with almost complete break-offs i used very narrow strips (~1/8") of gaffers tape to suture to pieces into the unbroken orientation. then went nice and heavy on the plastic epoxy. the stuff i was using set in about 10 minutes.
toward the end of my repairs, i found that a heat-gun, if not overdone, would harden the set plastic epoxy to the rock-hard consistency that normally doesn't come for a few weeks. this makes it much easy to immediately sand down the outside of the repair smooth and clean to the correct contours of the body-work.
this approach worked great for me. i'll post pictures of the results hopefully next week. i thought i was done with painting and stencilling. but once i finally found the cleverly hidden (by me) mounting bolts for my Pyramid belly pan, i decided that it needs a little color before all the plastic goes on the bike. hopefully i'll finish painting tomorrow.
--fred
04-08-2011, 02:02 PM
#9
Senior Member
SuperBike
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: MN
Posts: 1,548
Fred
the nice thing with the plastex for my case was the broken tabs were just gone. So they give you this moldable plastic that you heat in near boiling water and then you make an imprint of another tab or similar area. You then tape the mold to the part you want and then fill with the plastex. I was skeptical but a year of riding a very buzzy bike and it still looks solid.
bill
the nice thing with the plastex for my case was the broken tabs were just gone. So they give you this moldable plastic that you heat in near boiling water and then you make an imprint of another tab or similar area. You then tape the mold to the part you want and then fill with the plastex. I was skeptical but a year of riding a very buzzy bike and it still looks solid.
bill
04-08-2011, 05:49 PM
#10
Mid-level Member
Superstock
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Chicago
Posts: 268
that sounds pretty useful, Bill. if you can re-make broken off (lost) tabs and edges that's a wonder of modern science i wasn't aware of. i'll look for it next time i'm in.... well, i don't know what kind of store. i'll look for it on line.
--fred
--fred
04-08-2011, 06:35 PM
#11
Senior Member
SuperBike
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: MN
Posts: 1,548
here's a video how to. I don't know why it has 2 names plastex and plastifix. I think it has to do with who distributes it. But its as easy as he shows it.
YouTube - Create New Tab On Motorcycle Fairing
YouTube - Create New Tab On Motorcycle Fairing
04-08-2011, 08:02 PM
#13
Mid-level Member
Superstock
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Chicago
Posts: 268
Bill, thanks for the useful info. pretty amazing. i can use this to fix a couple parts that are currently junk.
Last edited by fred; 04-08-2011 at 08:06 PM.
04-08-2011, 10:31 PM
#14
Senior Member
MotoGP
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: NYC
Posts: 5,033
That stuff is interesting but $75 seems like an expensive tab. I have re-built entire bikes with abs weld rod and the whole role cost me like $20 & I have most of it left.
It turns out abs is thermoplastic, so it can be turned molten and back & retain its properties. Look on youtube but a good 100 watt solering iron and some homade "feet" to feed the rod thru and you can rebuild the stuff by melting steel mesh into it and forming abs around it.
I bought the welding rod here http://www.mcmaster.com/#plastic-welding-rods/=bsnvcx
and also fixed very broken givi luggage with the polypropelene rod.
It turns out abs is thermoplastic, so it can be turned molten and back & retain its properties. Look on youtube but a good 100 watt solering iron and some homade "feet" to feed the rod thru and you can rebuild the stuff by melting steel mesh into it and forming abs around it.
I bought the welding rod here http://www.mcmaster.com/#plastic-welding-rods/=bsnvcx
and also fixed very broken givi luggage with the polypropelene rod.
Last edited by smokinjoe73; 04-08-2011 at 10:39 PM.
04-09-2011, 11:01 PM
#15
Mid-level Member
Superstock
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Chicago
Posts: 268
i'm speechless. i'm doing what i thing are real slick repairs and then i see stuff like this. a massive amount of ingenuity and talent on this list. cool. that first picture of complete carnage... i can't quite make out what exactly i'm looking at.
Last edited by fred; 04-09-2011 at 11:04 PM.
04-15-2011, 10:33 AM
#16
Senior Member
Superstock
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Independence, Oregon
Posts: 367
I use Fusor 100EZ. The latest was my hugger/chain guard, which broke the tabs and large crack thanks to the chain coming off. No problems. holding up well.
Amazon.com: LORD FUSOR 100EZ: Automotive
Amazon.com: LORD FUSOR 100EZ: Automotive
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
SD Hawk
General Discussion
9
11-30-2007 06:44 AM
