Blackbird rebuild thread.
#12
08-16-2011, 08:35 AM
Small update:
I'm sure a bunch of you (that need fairing repairs) will find the following interesting. I cancelled my order for an aftermarket upper cowl (about $230 bucks and good 2 or 3+ week wait) and placed an order for 2x "Plastech Plastic Repair Kit" from ebay. Apparently it's the exact same thing as "Plastifix" but costs much less (I couldn't find Plastifix on eBay but a Google gave me the name Plastech).
PLASTECH PLASTIC REPAIR KIT for FAIRING REPAIRS | eBay
I had seen the videos on youtube sometime last year but completely forgot about it. I ordered a new fairing because I have some plastic missing around where the mirrors mount but this kit let's you fill it right up (also create missing/broken tabs).
There aren't any vids of Plastech as far as I know but I'll post some at the end of this post of Plastifix. Two kits + shipping is just under $30 for me (I'm in the NL, the eBay seller in the UK) which saves me $200 bucks for paint and other repairs. For the Americans out there, it's about $10 and change per kit and about $8 to ship (ask the seller to be sure. I sent the question 10 minutes ago and just got a reply!).
I'm quite excited to try it. Now let's see if I can make the fairing look nice again. I'll post some before pics and will post an update when I get the stuff in and start doing some repairs. Can't wait because I was bummed out when I made the payment for the fairing.
Repairing cracked fairing:
Repair cracked and broken motorcycle fairing with PlastiFix - YouTube
Creating a missing tab:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9Dr...e_gdata_player
Filling up a missing part:
Create Missing Pieces on Street Bike Fairing - YouTube
I'm sure a bunch of you (that need fairing repairs) will find the following interesting. I cancelled my order for an aftermarket upper cowl (about $230 bucks and good 2 or 3+ week wait) and placed an order for 2x "Plastech Plastic Repair Kit" from ebay. Apparently it's the exact same thing as "Plastifix" but costs much less (I couldn't find Plastifix on eBay but a Google gave me the name Plastech).
PLASTECH PLASTIC REPAIR KIT for FAIRING REPAIRS | eBay
I had seen the videos on youtube sometime last year but completely forgot about it. I ordered a new fairing because I have some plastic missing around where the mirrors mount but this kit let's you fill it right up (also create missing/broken tabs).
There aren't any vids of Plastech as far as I know but I'll post some at the end of this post of Plastifix. Two kits + shipping is just under $30 for me (I'm in the NL, the eBay seller in the UK) which saves me $200 bucks for paint and other repairs. For the Americans out there, it's about $10 and change per kit and about $8 to ship (ask the seller to be sure. I sent the question 10 minutes ago and just got a reply!).
I'm quite excited to try it. Now let's see if I can make the fairing look nice again. I'll post some before pics and will post an update when I get the stuff in and start doing some repairs. Can't wait because I was bummed out when I made the payment for the fairing.
Repairing cracked fairing:
Repair cracked and broken motorcycle fairing with PlastiFix - YouTube
Creating a missing tab:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9Dr...e_gdata_player
Filling up a missing part:
Create Missing Pieces on Street Bike Fairing - YouTube
#13
08-18-2011, 04:10 AM
Exhausts before:
After sanding one of them. I liked the 'brushed' look:
Heating the pipe before and after painting to speed up the curing process. The high temp paint will stay quite soft untill it's thoroughly warmed up. I won't be able to do this untill I take it for an hour long, or so, run:
Found a cheap right mirror housing which I basically bought for just the mirror. I might sell the housing and get my money back but we'll see. The mirror brackets also finally came in. I'll eventually get some tinted signal glasses but in the meantime will order some VHT Nite-Shades to tint it a bit.
I got a steel bar cut (about 3 foot/1 meter) long that I'll use to try to bend back the fairing mount that sticks out on the frame. The mount and thus the frame got bent a bit but only on the outside. The inside of the frame is still straight thankfully.
As long as it bends back enough to be able to mount the fairing it's fnie with me. I hope it works! The bar will later be used to make a DIY tire bead breaker.
After sanding one of them. I liked the 'brushed' look:
Heating the pipe before and after painting to speed up the curing process.
The high temp paint will stay quite soft untill it's thoroughly warmed up. I won't be able to do this untill I take it for an hour long, or so, run:Found a cheap right mirror housing which I basically bought for just the mirror. I might sell the housing and get my money back but we'll see. The mirror brackets also finally came in. I'll eventually get some tinted signal glasses but in the meantime will order some VHT Nite-Shades to tint it a bit.
I got a steel bar cut (about 3 foot/1 meter) long that I'll use to try to bend back the fairing mount that sticks out on the frame. The mount and thus the frame got bent a bit but only on the outside. The inside of the frame is still straight thankfully.
As long as it bends back enough to be able to mount the fairing it's fnie with me. I hope it works! The bar will later be used to make a DIY tire bead breaker.
Last edited by UnderAssumedName; 08-18-2011 at 04:47 AM.
#15
08-23-2011, 09:43 AM
Update!
I had to return the side cases because I had received the wrong ones. Since I don't have a car I temporarily put back together the bird to pick them up (the top case was the correct one).
This is what that looked like (see below pic). Crap, but I was happy to be on her again (that's what she said) I also started testing the Airhawk but I haven't been on the bike on a long enough trip to really test it. I'm also still figuring out how much air is supposed to go in.
Someone try to tell me the exhausts don't look sexy in black. I think it's a HUGE improvement! That F3 is not mine btw.
Finally got the dent remover in. Worked like a charm!
Not so much... Cheap piece of **** broke before it actually did anything. I'm returning it.
Order this PDR dent removal tool instead. Hoping for the best!
I expected to get the Plastech in today but it's still not here! Ahh.. I want to fix the damn fairings already!
So this is the bike today (see below). I'm riding around on it everyday since the F4 needs a new rear tire and fuel pump. I needed some storage because I have to pick someone up for the airport so I put on the side cases. For general use I'll probably use the topcase the most, especially when carrying a passenger since it has a backrest.
She's working like a charm but I do feel a lack of power at higher rpm's.
I suspect the airfilter might be a bit dirty/oily (which reminds me, I still have to order a new one). The bike had some thin white smoke coming out of the exhausts a couple days ago which I suspect was some oil and/or coolant to have seeped into where it didn't belong. That cleared completely up after a few rides.
I am however keeping my eye on the coolant level and oil. I hope the head gasket is still ok! The bubble screen was bought from eBay (well. similar to but you can get the exact same on there). It was super cheap but works like a charm. I'm 6"3 and the original screen (plus this touring screen that came with the bike) was absolutely useless. I'm quite happy with it. I've also ordered some tinted turnsignal lenses for the front. The orange lenses make the bike look so much older.
As soon as the Plastech arrives I'll fix the side fairings first since I'll still be able to use the bike without them. The upper cowl will follow shortly after. I'm going to put a Michelin Road 3 on the front because I need a front tire I can trust.
I'm nearly done!
I had to return the side cases because I had received the wrong ones. Since I don't have a car I temporarily put back together the bird to pick them up (the top case was the correct one).
This is what that looked like (see below pic). Crap, but I was happy to be on her again (that's what she said) I also started testing the Airhawk but I haven't been on the bike on a long enough trip to really test it. I'm also still figuring out how much air is supposed to go in.
Someone try to tell me the exhausts don't look sexy in black. I think it's a HUGE improvement! That F3 is not mine btw.
Finally got the dent remover in. Worked like a charm!
Not so much... Cheap piece of **** broke before it actually did anything. I'm returning it.
Order this PDR dent removal tool instead. Hoping for the best!
I expected to get the Plastech in today but it's still not here! Ahh.. I want to fix the damn fairings already!
So this is the bike today (see below). I'm riding around on it everyday since the F4 needs a new rear tire and fuel pump. I needed some storage because I have to pick someone up for the airport so I put on the side cases. For general use I'll probably use the topcase the most, especially when carrying a passenger since it has a backrest.
She's working like a charm but I do feel a lack of power at higher rpm's.
I suspect the airfilter might be a bit dirty/oily (which reminds me, I still have to order a new one). The bike had some thin white smoke coming out of the exhausts a couple days ago which I suspect was some oil and/or coolant to have seeped into where it didn't belong. That cleared completely up after a few rides.
I am however keeping my eye on the coolant level and oil. I hope the head gasket is still ok! The bubble screen was bought from eBay (well. similar to but you can get the exact same on there). It was super cheap but works like a charm. I'm 6"3 and the original screen (plus this touring screen that came with the bike) was absolutely useless. I'm quite happy with it. I've also ordered some tinted turnsignal lenses for the front. The orange lenses make the bike look so much older.
As soon as the Plastech arrives I'll fix the side fairings first since I'll still be able to use the bike without them. The upper cowl will follow shortly after. I'm going to put a Michelin Road 3 on the front because I need a front tire I can trust.
I'm nearly done!
Last edited by UnderAssumedName; 08-23-2011 at 10:06 AM.
#16
08-25-2011, 02:40 AM
#17
08-26-2011, 09:03 AM
Finally received the Plastech stuff. Man that stuff smells!
The smell is so foul that it made me very dizzy on an empty stomach. I'm going to try it today. I really hope it works but I do suspect I might have to order some more to fill in the big parts on the upper cowl. Time will tell since I'm going to start on the side fairings first of all.
The smell is so foul that it made me very dizzy on an empty stomach.
I'm going to try it today. I really hope it works but I do suspect I might have to order some more to fill in the big parts on the upper cowl. Time will tell since I'm going to start on the side fairings first of all.
#18
09-12-2011, 04:45 AM
Alright, so progress is a bit slow since I've been riding more than working on the bike but I decided to work on the side fairings a bit yesterday. I had used the Plastech stuff when I got it to start creating the broken tab but I hadn't shaped it yet. I fixed the rest of the broken parts and craks on the side fairings and shaped the tab.
It came out much better than I initially thought. I will start to fill in the missing plastic on the upper fairing in a few days and can hopefully at least paint the side fairings this weekend (upper too if it's done). I hope the weather will be good enough to do so. Below is my first attempt to shaping. It will work like a charm!
I also tried the PDR dent remover tool last week but it was late at night and didn't really make an effort to try to pop stuff out. I'm actually not very sure if it'll work.. If anybody knows if the '97 bird as a tank with a double wall, let me know. Since my dent puller tool broke I'm looking into making a DIY slide hammer to pull most of it out.
I'm not quite confident that I'll be able to get the dents smooth with just the tool so I'll try to get most of it out and fill in the rest with filler and fibreglass sheets + resin to get it solid.
Hopefully the next update will show a upper cowl with the missing plastic filled in!
It came out much better than I initially thought. I will start to fill in the missing plastic on the upper fairing in a few days and can hopefully at least paint the side fairings this weekend (upper too if it's done). I hope the weather will be good enough to do so. Below is my first attempt to shaping. It will work like a charm!
I also tried the PDR dent remover tool last week but it was late at night and didn't really make an effort to try to pop stuff out. I'm actually not very sure if it'll work.. If anybody knows if the '97 bird as a tank with a double wall, let me know. Since my dent puller tool broke I'm looking into making a DIY slide hammer to pull most of it out.
I'm not quite confident that I'll be able to get the dents smooth with just the tool so I'll try to get most of it out and fill in the rest with filler and fibreglass sheets + resin to get it solid.
Hopefully the next update will show a upper cowl with the missing plastic filled in!
Last edited by UnderAssumedName; 09-12-2011 at 04:47 AM.
