Howdy guys,
I have a question that I'm sure the answer to is obvious, but I'd like to ask it anyway. I pranged my bike a little while ago, luckily the frame slider saved most of the plastic (minus the tail, but that's a different story). I've been searching for replacement plastics, seems everyone wrecks their 929s onto the left side (and of course, I had to make it 11 years and 180,000 miles before I wrecked mine, so parts aren't as plentiful as they once were).

I've all but decided that I'm going to repair the plastics, sand them down, and do my own paint job. But in staring at the bike for many hours, I've come across a question I'd like to pose to people more knowledgeable than me.

First, let me direct your attention to the damaged side of the bike the day after the wreck http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/865...0903124927.jpg (i linked instead of embedded because the picture is huge).

So, in looking at the work to be done to repair this fairing, I'm curious. What are the negative side effects if I close off the huge triangle vent/opening where the remnants of the frame slider come through. I'd like to close it completely, with the exception of a hole just for the frame sliders to poke through, and I'd do this on both sides. I believe the purpose of these vents are to allow air to flow through the radiator, but I've seen track fairing sets that have solid sides. I'd also consider closing the vent on the lower fairing, but I think these take heat off the exhaust, and if I close it, it might just melt the plastic and my shiny new paint.

So, there's my thoughts, and my question hopefully is obvious. What's the downside to closing these vents off? Plastic melting? bike overheating and seizing? How likely are the downsides, and has anyone ever either: done this to your own fairings, or used aftermarket fairings that were solid in these areas?

I hope I can get enough input to either reinforce my plans, or save me from a costly mistake (I'd hate to spend hours sanding, wet sanding, and painting, not to mention the cost of all the HOK products, just to have to redo it when I melted/burned my plastics and pretty paint.)

Thanks in advance guys.

 

I would assume the air flow would be reduced if you do close the vent hole. As a alternative I would get some mesh grill and glue behind it with a hole for the slider and paint match the mesh. It will still serve its purpose while some what giving that effect of it being gone. 929/954's run warm as hell as it is, no need in making it worse.

 

i think filling that hole would make the bike look like crap imo... and run alot hotter im sure

 

pimpin, do you think that reducing the size from the huge triangle to something more like a vertical slit would still provide enough cooling not to damage the engine?

and _Z_, you're entitled to your opinion, and I respect it as such - it's not your bike though

 

altering it in any way is going to mess with the air flow.. that vent it there to remove the head from the sides of the engine... its shaped that way to help air flow over the sides

altering that shape wont allow for the air to flow in the same path

and damn straight im entitled to my opinion lol

 

Think of the side of your bike like an airplane wing set vertically, the curve creates high velocity airflow outside and there is very little inside the plastics. See how there is a lip at the front edge and it contours back into the shape of the plastics? This helps the air flow over the whole piece and not into the hole. On a wing, the velocity difference pushes up on the bottom of the wing lifting the airplane. Put a hole there and air will rush from under the wing to the top side because of the pressure difference. All the air flowing through the radiator is sucked out the triangle holes in the plastics. This is mostly because the engine blocks everything behind the radiator. It also sucks the hot air around the exhaust out that area. If you close them off the exhaust heat and the radiator heat will be forced to exit around the motor to a non-blocked area. I doubt it will get the air hot enough to melt anything or significantly increase engine temperatures, but I do have an idea to give you the look you want.

Follow your two yellow stripes to the back edge of the plastics. The lip that goes in to the frame is only there give the body work some rigidity and look nicer. I would cut the lip in a wide U from the bolt area at the corner to just past the top yellow stripe and replace that with a mesh glued to the panel with resin from the back. It will vent the hot air, and even though it's flowing over the head, the important part is that it's flowing and outside air is keeping the overall temperature low. The only downside is a little more heat will hit your legs that way.

Overall, you could block them completely and really have no issues unless you sit in traffic for 20 minutes without moving. ABS plastic will melt at only 221F, but the air temperature coming off the radiator is lower than the coolant temps by quite a bit. If it was the same as coolant temp the radiator would be 100% efficient and you would win a Nobel prize. A side note, I grounded the wire to my fan temperature switch and rarely get coolant temps over 190F.

 

I have another option that may work for you. When I purchased my bike it had fine wire mesh screens covering all the openings on both side fairings. I painted them black to blend in better with the fairings then cut some holes to allow frame sliders. I could not tell that it ran any hotter than normal with them but this winter I pruchased another set of like new fairings cheap and have them on my bike now. I am going to ride my bike some this spring and see if it runs cooler and if not I will switch the screens to the other fairings.

 

^^^ thats what pimpn suggested as well

 

Didn't even see his reply. Must have scrolled down so quick that I missed it. Oh well, at least he can see an example on my bike of what it looks like.

 

Not a issue, you helped me. Teamwork!! Atleast he gets a visual for what I was talking about....