2nd Gen Plastic Repair...suggestions?

[Guest JGorom]

I just discovered I have a cracked tab in one of my lower fairings (2nd Gen)...was hoping some of you experts here can steer me in the right direction on how to repair and what to use. Have no idea what the lower material is comprised of. ABS plastic is my guess.

 

Help please...also do we have anything in our tech files that would show how to use something for repairing?

[SteveP]

I repaired the same part on my '06 RSV using J-B Weld to re-attach the screw mounting tab back onto the inside of the lower cowl. In complete violation of "the rules" I did not take any photos.

 

J-B Weld is a two-part epoxy/hardener that you mix then apply. Worked out great for me. The big bonus for my repair is that it was all internal, thus sanding & painting was not needed.

 

Here's the link for the J-B Weld: http://www.jbweld.net/products/jbweld.php

 

Best of luck with your repair!

[Yammer Dan]

http://www.mightyputty.com

 

They have a great deal going on now. 6 tubes for about 20 bucks. I got it haven't used it yet but sounds good. Or go to wally mart and get Devcron Plastic Weld. It is cheap and great stuff. If crack is not bad and can be put back togather ABS Pipe glue is the way to go. Just get glue into crack good move pieces against each other to create bond and hold til sets a little.

[M61A1MECH]

Do you have any of the 5 year warrenty left?

Could be a warrenty issue, let the dealer look at getting it replaced with a new one.

[venturejockey]

Ever dumped the bike while in motion? If so it might not be a warranty item depending on where the crack is located.

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=8054 Here is what to do about preventing future cracks.

 

Patching buying paint from Colorite is about as expensive as buying the lower from Yamaha.

 

But if you are like me and a lot of others on this site then do it yourself. Thats how I have learned a lot.

[midnightventure]

I have had good luck using clear epoxy and a little fiberglass for reinforcing.

[Guest JGorom]

Thanks for all your replies. My bike has never been down so I am going to try to talk to my dealer about replacing under warranty...problem is my dealer is out till this Tuesday.

 

Am I correct in assuming that the lowers are indeed ABS plactic?

 

Thanks again for all your help.

[V7Goose]

First, I believe the part should be replaced by Yamahaha - any decent dealer will take care of it - a lousy one will give you static. I had one of my lower fairings replaced under warranty for cracking. My dealer, a good one, simply looked at it to ensure there was no sign that it had been hit by anything, then ordered the new one.

 

If you decide to repair it yourself, an ABS cement (available in the plumbing section), when applied properly, will weld the pieces back together and produce a repair every bit as strong as the original. I would also use the purple primer in advance of the cement. You need to ensure the pieces fit together perfectly, as the cement will not fill gaps with any strength - it only works by melting the plastic pieces together, but use plenty of it to ensure a deep melt and mix of the plastic edges. Also, be certain to let the part cure for at least 24 hours with some heat near it, such as in strong sunlight or near a fire or stove. All trace of the solvent must be absolutely gone from the plastic for it to regain it's former strength.

 

As evidence that I know what I am talking about here, I'll describe several similar repairs I have made to RSV parts. I discovered one of the mounting tabs for the lower fairing snapped off while I was on a trip (so not feasible to take it back to my shop and wait for a replacement part). I repaired it as described and let it cure next to an iron stove over night - the repair was so good I never did take it in for replacement.

 

Next, after I wrecked the 05 last year, I performed several repairs on broken ABS parts that I replaced as proof of the effectiveness. One part I did NOT expect to be repairable, but I tried anyway and was pleasantly surprised. Both ends of the chrome strip at the base of the windshield were snapped completely off. I didn't think this would be repairable with a solvent cement due to the chrome coating, but as it was stamped as ABS plastic, I tried anyway. Not only are the ends now reattached and seem as strong as the original part, but the joint of the broken pieces is not overly noticeable even on the outside chrome part! Just for the heck of it, even though I already had a new part, I mounted the repaired one and rode with it for a couple of months just to prove the repair was strong enough.

 

The bottom line is that the strongest joint of any two pieces of the same material is a weld, where the two pieces are physically melted together. Most welding uses a filler rod of the same material to add material and fill any gaps. Plastic welding with heat and rods does this just like metal welding. Plastic welding with solvents can do the same thing if you have additional plastic material of the same type, such as shavings or pellets. When just using a solvent alone, such as the plumbing cement, the two pieces must be a perfect fit to enable the original pieces to fully melt together. The only drawback to this method (solvent alone) is that the repaired piece can be slightly shorter or smaller than the original due to the melting of the plastic and slight bulge created as they are pushed together. In most applications, this is not a problem.

Goose

 

BTW - I believe all plastic body parts on the RSV are ABS plastic, and they all have "ABS" clearly molded into the inside surface somewhere that shows this (just look inside your saddlebag lid).

[Rick Butler]

JGorom,

 

Take Goose's advice on the ABS cement, I have been using it for years. You can find it in the PVC pipe section of Home Depot and Lowes and it is listed as general purpose cement for PVC/CPVC and ABS in the red can. I've never tried the purple primer but do use the PVC cleaner in the yellow can.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Rick

[V7Goose]

You can buy either straight ABS cement or the combo PVC/CPVC/ABS stuff; they both work. If I was buying something new just for this fix, it would be the straight ABS cement, but I normally just use the combo cement since I always have it around.

 

Make certain the cement is fresh and thin - an old can that has gotten a little gooey will not have enough solvent capacity to properly melt the plastic.

Goose

[Guest JGorom]

First, I believe the part should be replaced by Yamahaha - any decent dealer will take care of it - a lousy one will give you static. I had one of my lower fairings replaced under warranty for cracking. My dealer, a good one, simply looked at it to ensure there was no sign that it had been hit by anything, then ordered the new one.

 

Thanks everyone for your excellent responses...I saw my dealer today and after he checked my bike (never been down...has not hit anything) he called Yamaha and they will replace the cracked lower.

 

The advice here is excellent and I'm sure others will benefit from this discussion. I may even need it down the road after my bike is out of warranty.

[Yammer Dan]

You are in luck. The first round of advice is FREE!!

 

Well now that I think about it so is the second round. And the third, fourth, fifth. sixth, seventh....... You get the Idea??

 

 

WE ARE CHEAP!!! And Easy!!