~DIY Plastic Welds, Using Epoxy to repair Fairings NEW PICS!!

[kreush33]

Ok so I bought this bike and it needed some work. I origianlly didnt know how i was going to repair the plastics but read up on this stuff called plastic weld and it worked great. I decided to take a bunch of pictures so people could see how this proccess worked from start to finish. I know pictures always help me out whenever im trying to do a project so here you go hope you enjoy. Here are some pictures of the bike when i bought it. The rounded part in the middle of the fairing where it buldges out was worn down due to road rash so i had to build it back up to make it a hump again. And underneath the decals was a whole that i ended up filling with pastic weld and sanding smooth. Basically its just like bondo except for its epoxy and its plastic haha. The one i bought came in a two part suringe and all you did was push the plunger down and the right amount came out of each part. Then you just mix together and apply like bondo. I went heavy and sanded down the extra so that i would get a nice smooth finsih and it would be level with the rest of the piece. I initially thought i would primer and then go back with glazing puddy to fill in any inperfections but I didnt have to as the plastic weld came out even once it was sanded down. Here are all the parts with the plastic weld applied. It only takes about 5-10 minutes to set up which was good because i had to hold the two peices that were totally cracked, together and stay still. I just put my mind on other things and tried not to think about how slowly 10 minutes can go by. Also i was suprised at how well this stuff actually holds together. Originally i was just going to use the plastic weld on the front and then fiberglass behind but ended up just using the plastic weld on both sides of the repair to get a good strong bond. It was cleaner and easier then usuing fiber glass. I also removed all the deecals before i started. I tried using the sticker remover and goo gone but they both didnt work so i went with a good old hair dryer and fingernail technique and it worked better than anything else. I got a little wrapped up in my work and forgot to take pictures of the side fairing after i put the pastic weld on but i did get picture of it once it was sanded and ready for paint. Here are all the parts after they have been sanded down and ready for paint. This is the totally cracked side of the upper fairing but it is hung upside down The upper corner of of the fairing was totally broken off i had to weld it back in place and that was probably the hardest part because i didnt know if the angle was right or not There was a chip where the mounting hole was for the windscreen so i used a piece of cardboard with some wax paper over it as a backing and then applied the plastic weld over the whole thing. Once it dried the wax paper released from the bond and i sanded the edge smooth and then the surface and re-drilled the hole for the wondscreen [IMG]http://i42.photobucket.com/a

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[cbr_racin123]

Good job, looks very good

[dwhite645]

Wow, looks great! Can't wait to see it all painted and back together again. Also saved a ton of dough by not having to get new body pieces. Also, what were those socket head cap screws used for above each headlight?

[sodamninsane]

looks awesome man, nice repair job.

[F4iGuy33]

Wow! That looks awesome!! I have a few cracks that i was wanting to fix and a buddy of mine used some fiber glass and resson (sp?) and now it has hardened so much that my front cowl wont flex with my fairings and doesnt fit right so i was thinking about taking it all off and trying something else......i think i may go with what you did! Where can i get that plastic weld stuff?

[kreush33]

DWhite the screw caps were there to hold the front cowl in place I guess the stock mounts broke so the guy improvised them. I kept them because i am going to use those whole to mount the frot cowl again, but I am going to replace those screws with nice crome hex screws that will match the windscreen screws.

Yeah the fiberglass is hard and not very flexable at all. I used in once to back up one of the plastic welds and then i had to sand it down again and it was not fun times.

I got the pastic weld at My auto parts store. It is used for bumper repairs and stuff like that on cars. The one i used was called Perma Poxy I'll include a picure of it here. Also here is the Fairing with the decals on painted and cleared. I still have to buff it out and the front cowl too. The tail section has to be repainted but once its all done i'll definatly post up some before and after pictures of the bike. Should look 100% better from when i got it.

[dwhite645]

Good deal, just like new again!

[Turnin20s]

Wow that looks really good. I used the same stuff to do some repairs to my tabs that hold the headlight in place and its still holding up as far as I know. Looks like you really know what your doing when it comes to painting. I need to do some repairs to my bike but I'm probably going to end up sending them out to get done, but I'm not sure yet. But great work, I can't wait to see the finished pics.

-Jesse-

[CBR Chick]

Wow man that looks great! I have one or two small cracks in my side fairing that need to be fixed before paint, now I know what to use thanks for the info! Great how to wright up also, can't wait to see the pics. when it's done.

[BBLineBacker81]

Awesome job man, the pieces turned out looking real sharp. Can't wait to see the before and afters. Have fun!

-Berg