Plastic repairs

ABS Plastic Repairs
	From: Karl Maskos Date: Fri, 23 Feb 1996 08:47:53 -0400 Subject: Re: Fairing Replacement >>Does anyone have any (financially painful) experience with replacing >>the upper and lower fairings on a Concours? Last winter I was struck with bike fever and decided to go to the garage and thaw out Connie. I wanted to look pretty so I installed a smoke lens cover and and a smoked taller wind screen. I torqued the screen down lightly I thought, but come spring when things began to expand I found that I oner tightened the screen screws. Result a totaly ruined fairing. The center fairing cost close to $1200.00 here in Canada. Fix? Plastic welding and a good painter. I put on apprx. 15,000 miles on these repairs last year and everything held up fine. Regards, Karl Maskos From: Kenneth Klimkowski Date: Sat, 27 Apr 1996 08:29:18 -0500 (CDT) Subject: Re: Broken tab on fairing Greetings, I found a similar broken tab on the right upper fairing of my 95 (dropped twice on that side while at a stand still :(. However, I am somewhat relieved that the tab was the only structural damage. I also agree with the previous posts of having the saddlebags in place. They must have absorbed some of the fall. After talking to some folks, I decided to "weld" the tab back into place. Since it is plastic, I purchased a two-part epoxy "welder" and followed directions. Someone suggested that the epoxy should be applied not only to the break, but also on the back side to reinforce the tab. Remember you have to fit the nut bracket on that tab. The tab fit back on the fairing and the resulting nut bracket went right back on the tab. Hope that this helps. - -Kenneth COG # < its in the mail > From: Rich Reed Subject: Welding Plastic, Oil Changes RE: Repairing broken fairing pieces The fairing on the Concours is made of ABS. Hence, it can be repaired very effectively with ABS cement, available at any hardware or plumbing store. Don not confuse this with PVC cement, which is usually sold in the same section of the store. You will need the ABS primer and cement. Small bottles of each cost very little. Just follow directions on the bottles. Repairs, even to mounting tabs, ae very strong and permanent. Just like when welding metal, the weld becomes more stronger than the surrounding material. Epoxy repair kits merely make the two pieces "stick" together and will eventually break. From: Bill Oakland Subject: ABS Touch-up Coating I "discovered" a neat product that might be useful for those of us needing to do some plastic repair work on the Concours: ABS Flaw Repair Touch-up Coating It comes in a 18 oz aerosol spray can Made by: chem-pak Inc. The can says: "For eliminating flaws in the surface of molded, color coded, textured and flatted ABS and other solvent sensitive plastic parts. Covers knit lines, flow marks, splay, light gate print-throughs and other surface flaws." I got a can of it from a guy who builds models and prototypes for us at work, it seems to be neat stuff (not sure where he purchased it). He uses it to hide glued-up seams and other cosmetic defects. Basically it's made up of ABS dissolved in a solvent base. Sounds like just the ticket needed to make those patches "disappear". Company name and address from the can: chem-pak inc. 11 Oates Avenue Winchester, VA. 22601 1-800-336-9828 Bill Oakland COG #TBD Littleton, MA.

ABS Plastic Repairs

From: Karl Maskos
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 1996 08:47:53 -0400
Subject: Re: Fairing Replacement

>>Does anyone have any (financially painful) experience with replacing
>>the upper and lower fairings on a Concours?

Last winter I was struck with bike fever and decided to go to the garage and thaw out Connie. I wanted to look pretty so I installed a smoke lens cover and and a smoked taller wind screen. I torqued the screen down lightly I thought, but come spring when things began to expand I found that I oner tightened the screen screws. Result a totaly ruined fairing. The center fairing cost close to $1200.00 here in Canada. Fix? Plastic welding and a good painter. I put on apprx. 15,000 miles on these repairs last year and everything held up fine.

Regards,
Karl Maskos

From: Kenneth Klimkowski
Date: Sat, 27 Apr 1996 08:29:18 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Re: Broken tab on fairing

Greetings,

I found a similar broken tab on the right upper fairing of my 95 (dropped twice on that side while at a stand still :(. However, I am somewhat relieved that the tab was the only structural damage. I also agree with the previous posts of having the saddlebags in place. They must have absorbed some of the fall.

After talking to some folks, I decided to "weld" the tab back into place. Since it is plastic, I purchased a two-part epoxy "welder" and followed directions. Someone suggested that the epoxy should be applied not only to the break, but also on the back side to reinforce the tab. Remember you have to fit the nut bracket on that tab. The tab fit back on the fairing and the resulting nut bracket went right back on the tab. Hope that this helps.

- -Kenneth
COG # < its in the mail >

From: Rich Reed
Subject: Welding Plastic, Oil Changes

RE: Repairing broken fairing pieces

The fairing on the Concours is made of ABS. Hence, it can be repaired very effectively with ABS cement, available at any hardware or plumbing store. Don not confuse this with PVC cement, which is usually sold in the same section of the store.

You will need the ABS primer and cement. Small bottles of each cost very little. Just follow directions on the bottles. Repairs, even to mounting tabs, ae very strong and permanent. Just like when welding metal, the weld becomes more stronger than the surrounding material.

Epoxy repair kits merely make the two pieces "stick" together and will eventually break.

From: Bill Oakland
Subject: ABS Touch-up Coating

I "discovered" a neat product that might be useful for those of us needing to do some plastic repair work on the Concours:

ABS Flaw Repair Touch-up Coating It comes in a 18 oz aerosol spray can Made by: chem-pak Inc.

The can says: "For eliminating flaws in the surface of molded, color coded, textured and flatted ABS and other solvent sensitive plastic parts. Covers knit lines, flow marks, splay, light gate print-throughs and other surface flaws."

I got a can of it from a guy who builds models and prototypes for us at work, it seems to be neat stuff (not sure where he purchased it). He uses it to hide glued-up seams and other cosmetic defects. Basically it's made up of ABS dissolved in a solvent base.

Sounds like just the ticket needed to make those patches "disappear".

Company name and address from the can:
chem-pak inc.
11 Oates Avenue
Winchester, VA. 22601
1-800-336-9828

Bill Oakland
COG #TBD
Littleton, MA.

Comments, problems to: Rick, or webmaster@concours.org