hey all,
ive recently started working on one of the NSR's i just obtained.
and the bodywork is pretty bad on one of my bikes...

i really dont have the money for TYGA's fantastic bodywork right now, as i just bought their pipes and a few other tidbits for my bike (ill take performance over looks for now)

there are a few small scuffs and gouges on the bodywork, but mostly there are some big cracks on parts of the body.
anyways, i tried some plastic weld, and it worked okay, but not good enough to trust a new paint job to if ya know what i mean..

i just bought all the supplies to do a fiberglass repair on the inside, and fiberglass bondo filler for the outside. all of the directions show it like you are rebuilding a huge hole or section..
curious if i should cut away some material to widen the cracks, or just place the fiberglass on the inside even though there is no "void" to fill

or if anyone has used a specific adhesive / plastic weld etc.. that is good let me know.. the bodywork is ABS plastic... i know when you do plumbing with PVC pipe you put some dope/glue on it, and in like 2 minutes it is stronger then the plastic, and will never pull apart. is there something like this for ABS?

also the bodywork is currently painted and clearcoated. what steps need i take to get it stripped and prepped for a paint shop to paint it. I want to do as much of the work myself as possible.

Thanks
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Koren
2 Strokes and I'm Off

I've never had to repair plastics, so can't really help you there. Araldite is crap, so don't waste your money.

On the prep front, you'll need to wet & dry it - best ask the shop what grade to go to. I think I went as far as 4000 grit when I did my race bike...
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MC21SP Plaything
BMW F800GS Bumblebee
Triumph 9551 Daytona Big boys toy
FJ1100 Sporting relic
GTS1000 oddball

MC (Methylene Chloride) gives a clean joint and works, but not as well as you describe. Also MC is carcinogenic so watch the fumes.
I went to the local hardware store and bought commercial ABS pipe-weld for plumbers. With this I fixed a broken tab. I then used a small amount of 2 part putty to re-enforce it and make a fillet. No Problems so far!

whoops forgot to login. thats me above. I'm no pro!.

At last something i can help with,what with being a fully skilled, top notch vehicle body repair tech(panel beater) no less .First 'V' out the cracks/splits,you can use a grinder,belt sander or 80grit rubing down paper,fold the paper use the edge of the fold.Rub/key up the area around the split with 80 grit.rub/key up the inside of the fairing with 80grit (the area behind the splits)then fiberglass the inside of the fairing,you wont need to rub down the fiberglass.Fill over the splits(outside) with body filler,rub down when dry with 120grit,use it on a rubbing down block keep the block flat on the fairing,repeat until perfect.When the shape is right rub down the filled aera with 400/600 grit(remove all the 80grit scratch marks)It will then be ready to prime .its as easy as that.If you dont fancy doing it go to your local car body shop and speak to a panel beater or painter,most of us who work on tin tops love bikes, most are only to willing to help a biker.Nearly all panel shops have a plastic welder or can do it the way i told you.If you do it yourself when you go to prime it get a can of high build primer and when you flat down the primer use 800grit and flat the whole fairing as well as the primer.Its now ready for top coat.As for Daves use of 4000grit(bless him),1 i didnt know they made 4000grit(you wont find that in any bodyshop)2 We flat with 1200 and up to 2000 on the top coat after painting just before its moped/polished.Hope its some help wayne.

cheap soldering iron and a VERY well ventilated workshop is my cure, beats glue any day
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"cant you see the no smoking sign, this is a public space" rrrrrrriiiiinnnnngggggg ddddddiiiiinnnnnnggggggg 2 stroke till i die

Heating the plastic usually makes it brittle in my experience.

I have very successfully used some "Plastic Weld" 2-part epoxy, which I found readily available at Walmart, or almost any automotive store. The stuff I have in front of me right now is from Walmart made by ITW Performance Polymers in Riviera Beach, FL. It comes in a double-pump syringe type black tube. I have used this on the NSR and an R1 I owned (different plastic than the Honda stuff) and it worked perfect! It etches itself to almost any plastic, and dries to a semi-flexible state (almost identical in elasticity as the stock Honda plastic). I also tested it on a junk piece, and it adheres extremely well, flexing as if there is no repair present. I could not get it to break at the repair. I even used it on the Yamaha to "make" some small mount tabs that broke off and got lost.

With pieces broken completely apart, I tape / brace one side to line up the plastic. Then I V-cut the other side about halfway through the plastic thickness. Fill the first side and let it cure (about 20 minutes) and do the other side (V-cut/fill).
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Paul Herr
'88 FZR4/GSXR/YZF Frankenbike
MY BIKE PICS

Wrench, once you fill in the visible side, how do you manage to get the "weld", or the repaired crack, smooth for paint. Is it sandable? Thanks man. Clifford

Ahem. I meant 400...
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MC21SP Plaything
BMW F800GS Bumblebee
Triumph 9551 Daytona Big boys toy
FJ1100 Sporting relic
GTS1000 oddball

Cliff,
yes, it is sandable. The consistance is just like the stock plastic, so it doesnt sand easy. I like to use a good sanding block and 80 grit wet/dry to knock it down and level it, using light strokes (dont press too hard). Then graduate to 200 and onto 400 to get any sanding scratches out.

If you have surface scratches in the plastic with no cracks, you can sand them out the same way. The Honda plastic is very thick.
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Paul Herr
'88 FZR4/GSXR/YZF Frankenbike
MY BIKE PICS

fixed some cracks on my MC21 with Plexis made by 3M very strong, fixed cracks and broken tabs.