Have you ever felt of your motorcycle or accidentally dropped it? It is one of the worst feelings watching your bike hit the ground, and you can’t do anything about it. A cracked fairing is the most common result in this kind of scenario.
This situation will force you to spend $500 or more to get a new fairing, but one good thing is that sometimes you can fix the fairing by yourself. Since maintaining your motorcycle can be pretty expensive, the good news is that most of the tools can already be found in your garage and other items needed cost less than $500.
With that being said, we are going to show you how to repair your motorcycle fairings.
So how do you fix motorcycle fairings? Epoxy is used for repairing cracks and holes. Heat-based plastic welding is used to fix fairings with staples or splints and provides more strength and support. Non-exposed plastic repair requires powder adhesive, which creates a mass that hardens the cracks and connects cracked fairing.
In this article, we will lead you through all the vital steps that need to be done to complete motorcycle fairing repair and all the tools and things required for repair.
Table of Contents
What Things Do You Need for Fairing Repair?
Things you need:
- Epoxy
- Sandpaper
- Manufacturer-recommended fairing primer and paint
Epoxy is a great choice, and it is easy to use for fixing cracks, filling holes, filling surface imperfections that can be found on metals, wood, and plastics. LOCTITE® EA 445TM Fast Cure Epoxy Mixer Cups is an excellent option for this kind of situation. It is a two-part epoxy packed in suitable single-use cups.
This step-by-step guide will teach you how to repair your cracked fairing using epoxy.
How to Fix Your Cracked Fairing Using Epoxy
Step 1: Sand the Surface
Use 280-grit sandpaper to sand the surface where you’ll be applying the epoxy. By doing so, you will create a rough surface that is needed for the epoxy to bite into. A rough surface allows a strong hold. You will apply epoxy to both sides, so you need to sand the outside and inside of the fairing around the cracked area.
Step 2: Clean the Area
Once you are done with sanding, clean the area and remove any dust.
Step 3: Prepare the Epoxy
Take the package and open it; once you open it, push it down in the middle with the supplied applicator stick; this will make a cup.
Step 4: Mix the Components
There are two different-colored components in the package. One is an amine resin, and the other is an epoxy resin. Take the applicator stick and mix these two components until they get one consistent color.
Step 5: Apply the Epoxy
Apply the mixed epoxy with the applicator stick to the outside of the cracked area. It takes 5-15 minutes for the epoxy to set, so this is the time frame you will have to work with it.
Step 6: Leave It Dry
Leave the epoxy dry for 24 hours, after which you need to apply more to the inner side of the cracked area. Once you have done that, leave it for another 24 hours for a complete dry.
Step 7: Smooth the Surface
Once it has dried completely, you may do some light sanding if any uneven surfaces are needed to be smooth.
Step 8: Paint the Fairing
Clean the surface of any debris or dust, and use the manufacturer’s recommended primer and paint to paint it all over.
This is all it takes; you can repair your fairing in a week using epoxy and paint; this will save you a lot of money, and you won’t have to change a full fairing.
Other Uses for Epoxy on Your Motorcycle
Epoxy can be used for a lot of motorcycle fixes. You can use it for:
- Reinforcing or repairing a plastic fairing boss, which is the plastic piece holding the threaded inserts in the fairing. A boss can weaken or crack over time, resulting in a loose fairing. This is where you can apply epoxy to strengthen them, place it around the outside of the base and leave it to dry.
- Fixing hard saddlebag damage
- Strengthening fairing brackets
- Strengthening windshield bolts
- Strengthening any other spots on your bike that have weakened over time
If the epoxy doesn’t do the job, there are more solutions to fixing your fairing problems. We are going to mention two other ways to repair your plastic:
- Heat Based Plastic Welding
- Non-Exposed (Hidden) Plastics Repair
Heat Based Plastic Welding
Heat welding might seem challenging to complete, but you will see it is pretty simple once you start it. There are different techniques; some require staples, while others use a splint.
You will need to have:
- A butane torch
- A soldering gun
- Welding rods (or zip ties)
If you require more significant support and strength, a hot stapler and staples will come into play. They create a metallic skeleton throughout the broken area you want to reconnect. After connecting the broken section, leave it to cool completely and cut away any extra material.
You can take FiberFlex and place it over the broken area if you consider that more support is needed. By doing so, you will use plastic welding rods and stainless steel mesh to reinforce the affected area. In this process, minimum pressure is used, and it is all about heat.
Any of the above-selected heat-based plastic welding options you choose will most likely give you better results than if you select epoxy and fiberglass. Such old-school repairs are also functional, but they are not so efficient and can lead to fragile post-repair concerns.
Here is a video showing How to repair cracked fairings with Soldering Iron:
Non-Exposed (Hidden) Plastics Repair
A two-part powder adhesive such as Plastex can help you fix the problem. Plastex kits are packed with separate liquid and powder containers and an applicator that applies the medium that hardens and forms a substantial connecting mass.
You can use superglue in combination with baking powder. Repeatedly placing baking powder over glue creates a heat-generating chemical reaction that reconnects broken openings similar to the epoxy principle of work.
Be sure that you are in a well-ventilated space before starting with any of these methods. A combination of superglue and heat can quickly turn into a toxic air situation.
Here is a video showing How to repair cracked fairings with Plastex:
Conclusion
The most important thing to have in mind when selecting what fixing method you will apply to your broken fairing and plastic is to identify which method gives you both strength and appearance. Strengthening the fractured pieces and connecting them is crucial, but you also want to make it look visually appealing.
No matter how you choose to fix it, the more you practice, the better it will be. It would be a good thing for you to practice on any useless broken pieces of plastic in case you find any.