Broken Fairing Flange R1150RT, Pictures

[gmcjetpilot]

Please to enjoy:

 

Broken Fairing Flange

https://photos.app.goo.gl/CxwjAiXVwPvxRf7c6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/XYqCHYmdxW5qFQae7

Bike Naked
https://photos.app.goo.gl/FrWAd5s9s7EbjLCN6

 

I am "recommissioning" my stored 2004 R1150RT. Of course I had to remove the 1001 screws to get the fairings off. Ha ha. I knew the right side fairing was cracked. Now that I am going through the bike I will want to repair this. It is RIGHT Side fairing lower forward screw that attaches to the lower bottom fairing. 

 

I don't think some 5 min epoxy or J&B Weld will do the trick, well at least for a long time. I am thinking a few plies of fiberglass with epoxy resin? Vinyl Ester & Polyester Resins are options but believe one or both will eat plastic. The other is a thin sheet of aluminum (which I have) and bond or rivet onto the side fairing, using the broken piece as a filler? It is not a great place to repair. I have have poor luck repairing plastics. Some have said some plastic welding? Suggestions?

[Warrant]

Been looking at making a ABS slurry (ABS plastic mixed with Acetone). Most ready available source for ABS is black plastic pipe for plumbing, break it up mix with Acetone, get a good consistency. Takes about 24 hours for Acetone to break down the ABS, brush it on and let it set. 

I was also considering hot staples, kind of like welding but with added strength.

I have tried JB Weld with no success, a couple different kinds of quick set glue, no success.

Good luck!

[dirtrider]

12 hours ago, gmcjetpilot said:

Please to enjoy:

 

Broken Fairing Flange

https://photos.app.goo.gl/CxwjAiXVwPvxRf7c6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/XYqCHYmdxW5qFQae7

Bike Naked
https://photos.app.goo.gl/FrWAd5s9s7EbjLCN6

 

I am "recommissioning" my stored 2004 R1150RT. Of course I had to remove the 1001 screws to get the fairings off. Ha ha. I knew the right side fairing was cracked. Now that I am going through the bike I will want to repair this. It is RIGHT Side fairing lower forward screw that attaches to the lower bottom fairing. 

 

I don't think some 5 min epoxy or J&B Weld will do the trick, well at least for a long time. I am thinking a few plies of fiberglass with epoxy resin? Vinyl Ester & Polyester Resins are options but believe one or both will eat plastic. The other is a thin sheet of aluminum (which I have) and bond or rivet onto the side fairing, using the broken piece as a filler? It is not a great place to repair. I have have poor luck repairing plastics. Some have said some plastic welding? Suggestions?

Morning  gmcjetpilot

 

I can't tell a lot from your pictures as to where it is actually broken.

 

For repairing some places on the BMW plastics (especially corners or flanges) I use an aluminum backing (bent to fit, or bent to go around the corner inside the part. If a fastener is involved I make sure the aluminum extends to allow the fastener to go through the aluminum reinforcement. It really is a case by case on how I attack the problem.

 

As for bonding the aluminum to the plastic I scuff up both the plastic & the aluminum with a very coarse grit (coarse enough to feel with a finger nail) so the bonding agent has something to grip on to. 

 

When it comes to what to use to bond it I can't give you a brand name as personally I use the green 2 part guacamole that is used to bond the plastics to the metal framing on the older Corvettes.   That stuff sticks like snot & bonds with authority.  Unfortunately I don't think it is available in smaller applications to the general public. You might see if a local body shop (that does Corvette work) can help you. Possibly a marine 2 part water proof epoxy would also work. 

 

If the part is hidden, or part of it is sort of hidden then I will typically use a couple of added large-head aluminum pop rivets to help hold the aluminum to the plastic  in the out-of-sight areas (if using pop rivets then the bonding agent used is way less critical).

 

If the area shows but it still looks to need added retention then I will use stock BMW panel screw (or screws)  with a nut & washer on the back side. Sort of then looks like BMW intentionally put it that fastener there to begin with. I might even add a like panel screw on the other side of the motorcycle to make it look intentional as OEM placement.     

[Lowndes]

Most of the SS panel fasteners on my R1100S, K, and RT have a rubber washer between the plastic and screw head.  This alleviates somewhat the stress concentration and flex point at the edge of the screwhead on the plastic.  Lowes and Home Depot usually have the rubber washers in the specialty hardware drawers.  

[Skywagon]

Saw this plastic repair on youtube. Not sure if worth a darn or not.  Lot's of videos under plastic welding.  I have done some using microballoons and marine epoxy backed with a strip of fiberglass material.  I mix the marine epoxy, thicken pretty good with microballons, completely dip the fiberglass cloth in the liquid, then place on back side of broken part.  I did that on the side covers on my 1150RT that had the twist fasteners that wore notorius for breaking off.  It held firm for the rest of the time I owned it.  It was invisible from the front side and quite ugly on the backside....but it was strong.

 

 

 

[dirtrider]

Quote

 

Saw this plastic repair on youtube. Not sure if worth a darn or not.  Lot's of videos under plastic welding.  I have done some using microballoons and marine epoxy backed with a strip of fiberglass material.  I mix the marine epoxy, thicken pretty good with microballons, completely dip the fiberglass cloth in the liquid, then place on back side of broken part.  I did that on the side covers on my 1150RT that had the twist fasteners that wore notorius for breaking off.  It held firm for the rest of the time I owned it.  It was invisible from the front side and quite ugly on the backside....but it was strong.

 

I have done a number of plastic repairs using Zip ties (different colors, or white, or black to match the base). It works as long as the plastic is about the same type. I have found that it doesn't work so good on motorcycle panels. I use a regular soldering gun with a paddle type end rather than a soldering end. If done neatly & correctly it can look as good as stacked dimes in a quality TIG weld.

 

We have a commercial plastic welding kit (not cheap) where I work & it does good on close-out panels, some dash parts, some door panels, other somewhat regular plastics. 

 

What we do at work is to snip a small piece of the plastic that we want to weld on then light it on fire with a match or lighter. Then watch the color of the smoke that it makes. Then we do the same with the filler material we going to TRY TO use. If the smoke is the same color then there is an above average chance the plastic weld will work (sort of anyhow). If the smoke is a different color then we don't even try to weld using that filler material as it can make a mess of the project. 

 

 

[Miguel!]

I and my artist wife have used this Loctite P401 Surface Insensitive Adhesive, available from Amazon and other places, on all sorts of materials with great success. First time I took the left fairing off, I broke off one of the bottom screw-tabs that I neglected to unscrew. I used P401 to glue it back together. It's a bit pricey but it works well butt-gluing pieces together without other fasteners (tho I know using additional support fasteners would strengthen the joint). I glued the tab back onto my fairing about 4-5 years and 20 kmiles ago and it's still holding fine.  It also works well with metal, stone, hardwood, glass, pottery...

 

It will only work if the parts have a clean and tight mechanical fit. Do a dry first to see if the parts tight fit. P401 is very thin like superglue and won't fill  gaps and it runs quickly so be careful when applying it. You don't need much. It cures pretty quick too (within minutes) tho like most adhesive, it fully cures after a few hours. I put a thin layer of adhesive on each surface and hold them together for a minute or two and then set it aside best I can to keep the pieces from separating via gravity or mechanical stresses. I've found clamping and taping can be tricky because it's easy to misalign the parts and you may not see it. 

 

We've bought about a dozen bottles of P401 over the years. Make sure to keep the top clean and screw it on tight after using it to keep adhesive from evaporating (ask me how I know!). Do not get it on your skin, especially fingers. If you do get it on your fingers, wipe it off best you can and let it cure. Do NOT touch two fingers together unless you intend to keep them that way for a long time. It will come off over time, usually after a few good hand washings. I've had some success getting it off with lacquer thinner. I've tried wearing latex gloves but it's hard to be precise with gloves on so I just try to be careful with bare hands. It will smudge if you get it on a painted surface and I don't know how you'd get it off unless you sand it and refinish. Just be careful. 

 

Miguel

[gmcjetpilot]

On 3/26/2023 at 6:55 AM, dirtrider said:

Morning  gmcjetpilot

 

I can't tell a lot from your pictures as to where it is actually broken.   

Yes Sir, the little wedge with one screw in it, is off the side fairing and still screwed to the lower fairing. The pic below is better. The chunk off the side fairing. The side fairing tucks in behind the lower fairing, overlaps. So this crack is hidden. The side fairing has joggle. Side and top are flush. Crack is hidden under this bottom fairing.

 

It is pretty thick about 1/4" err I mean 6-7mm.  I might go for the simple adhesive fux no doubler or fiberglass. If it fails I can go to reinforced repair.

 

I hate to modify it but I could drill an additional hole and put a clip nut and another screw a few inches away. This would off load this crew. 

 

As far as sheet metal plate bonded on, that is fine. However they have some plastic stiffening ridges next to screw. It would be easy to sand or grind flush so metal (aluminum) sheet sits flat and can bond. I think fiberglass might be better. Thanks everyone!!!