1st drop :(

[easyE]

Finally happened, my 1st slide on my 1st bike. Gave a little too much oomph to the rear brake and dropped my 02, katana 600 going around a left turn (@ about 20 mph), I recieved minor scratches and bruises and am still up and running. Sadly, my bike isnt. Did some minor damage to the left side fairing as well as a crack in a lower gray plate that seems to be leaking oil. Can someone tell me the name of the plate (that is leaking oil) and any other damage that might be invisible at the moment. Im guessing it is an oil pan cover of sorts, had about 10 allen wrench nuts in it. I would love to get the bike running again while the weather is nice. What are some good sites to check for parts? ebay? Any good katana how to books? If this isnt enough info, i will get some pictures on tomorrow. Thanks for any help.

P.S. suggestions on oil? It needed a change, wish i was using the plug to drain it

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=140831&id=589178974&saved#/photo.php?pid=3729670&id=589178974

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=140831&id=589178974&saved#/photo.php?pid=3729671&id=589178974

pictures wont work unless u log into facebook... will try to fix that

hope those work im not sure how to load them straight into the post... ya kno kruzuki the gray plate that says suzuki on it :P... The crack runs down to the edge and through one holes of a lower left bolt

[BigDub]

I just knocked a hole in mine smaller than the size of a pin. I patched it with JB weld quick patch. How big is the hole?

That could be the only damage. First either patch it if it's not too big. I'de say bigger than a pencil eraser, unless you have welding experience. Although, if it's just a hole in it and you've already gotten it off, you could just take it to someone with a welder and have them patch it for a few bucks. Shouldn't cost more than say 20 bucks at the right shop if you don't have a huge gaping hole. If it is a huge gaping hole, post an oil pan wanted ad in the wanted to buy section on this site. Look on ebay, call a motorcycle dismantler, a motorcycle junkyard, check the oem on any site that sells oem suzuki.

the patch i did on my oil pan made it to Vegas and back from an hour north of sacramento. It was a 10 hour drive. It went through multiple 50 degree hours, then it went through multiple 95-100 degree hours with no leaks.

good luck. sounds like something you can fix with a little effort. Post the pics and put a quarter next to the hole or damaged section so people will have a size idea of your problem.

[Rangerx52]

oil: 1040, NO ENERGY CONSERVING OIL. it varnishes the clutch plates.

fairings:
fiberglass and bondo on the holes, reseal cracks with a combination of acetone and ABS, or MEK. Add elbow grease for flavor.

hole:
JB Steel. then buy a replacement.

[BigDub]

yep. dito.

[kruzuki]

Did some minor damage to the left side fairing as well as a crack in a lower gray plate that seems to be leaking oil. Can someone tell me the name of the plate (that is leaking oil)

I've never heard of a part described as a 'gray plate'! Pictures perhaps?

[SOS]

Brake side is oil pump cover, shifter side is clutch cover. I dropped mine too.

[BigFish]

You need to do a few things before going the JB Weld route:

1) Get the gasket for the engine cover. It's generically referred to as an engine cover. Google seems to agree with a search of "engine cover gasket katana" producing valid results. I *think* this is the one you need; double check part #'s to be sure: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/KATAN...QQcmdZViewItem

2) Drain the oil.

3) Pull the damaged engine cover off. Check to see if the crack stops before the edge or runs all the way through. If it's cracked all the way through then you'll want to have it welded and machined, or replace the part. If the crack ends right at that corner then you can fix this with JB Weld. The closer the crack is to the edge the more of a chance that replacing the engine cover and tightening the bolts will cause the repaired engine cover to re-crack.

When repairing cracks in plastic (surfboard or motorcycle) I drill out the ends of the cracks so that a stop point for the crack is created. I drill really slowly though to ensure that I don't introduce more structural damage. The idea is that tension gets distributed more evenly along a circular hole than a crack fault line. I think the same thing would apply in your case. Personally I'd use a 3/16 or 1/4 in bit. I've never used JB Weld though so this might not apply.

[Rangerx52]

shouldnt need to drill a crack if you fuse it.

fiberglass adds material, and minimally adheres surfaces- it will not fix a crack, but it will patch a hole.

Acetone and MEK both dissolve ABS plastic, and turn it into liquid. I've had excellent results with this method:
1: buy a piece of black plastic pipe from home depot (around $1.50). a common misconception is that all plastic pipe is PVC, its not. The white is PVC, the black is ABS. buy the black. you do not need much.

2: Break the plastic into little pieces about the size of gravel. the smaller the pieces, the faster they melt. I find a pair of needlenose pliers will make short work of the pipe- its not hard to tear, since most abs pipe is Cell-wall, and basically has a foam core.

3: throw the ABS pieces in a small jar with acetone in it. the acetone should be deep enough that the plastic is all submerged. the exact ratio does not matter. too much acetone makes it watery, not enough makes it thick. depends what you feel comfortable working with.

4: Let the jar sit, sealed for an hour or two. the plastic will melt and form a thick paste. This paste can be applied to cracks, gouges, seams, imperfections, etc...
If you put this into a crack, it will melt both sides of the crack and fuse them together when the acetone evaporates, leaving solid ABS plastic behind.


I've found this method invaluable. It does have limitations though. ABS plastic is picky- it cannot be solvent formed, but it can be solvent bonded. Meaning if you make a thick piece of this plastic and let it dry out, it will be weak and spongy. The problem comes from the acetone leaving microfissures in the plastic as it escapes, weakening it, and making it unsuitable for thick deposits. Thin deposits and layers work exceptionally well, and in many cases, make a stronger bond than thermoformed ones.

as an experiment, take the paste, and glue 2 pieces of ABS pipe together with it, side by side on their rounded edges. Speaks magnitudes about the strength of the process.

[BigDub]

Cool tip about the ABS. Thank yeee ewwwwww!!!

[Rangerx52]

Made my alterations a snap. i have an 88 1100 kat. it had those ugly pod lights on the front. after a few drops, the lights and mirror mounts were banged up pretty bad, so i got rid of them. i hacked off the shoulders for the lights, and smoothed them over, and filled in the inset holes for the mirrors, then added bar end mirrors. my fairings have nothing sticking out of them at all. My lower fairing was banged up pretty hard after my bike was stolen- a section about the size of a football had been broken off and MIA altogether. I remade the section with fiberglass and bondo, then sealed it with ABS, then finished with bondo.

aside from fairing repair, its fun stuff to play with too.
If you dip a paintbrush into it (provided it doesnt melt), you can paint with it, and it turns into a black hard film with the consistency of a pop bottle. The acetone evaporates fast too.


It works for a lot of other plastics too, like polystyrene (styrofoam). you can throw massive amounts of styrofoam into a small amount of acetone, since it's primarily air- but the plastic is makes is a lot stiffer and more brittle than ABS. fun for small projects like dashboard modifications and such.

[garrisonls]

Cool stuff. I'm filing this info in my mental file cabinet. Now, I hope I can retrieve it when it's needed.

[uno]

Good info on the ABS, I think that's the route I am going to go to repair my fairings once I am ready to paint.

To the OP... you should try not to brake while cornering, there is less tire on the road and it's much easier to slip.

[Danskat]

I'm doing some fairing work and adding some creativity so this is definately going into the mix! OUTSTANDING!! Up till now I've been glassing most everything and it's not always the best option. I'm starting some R & D on making the mirror mounts in the fairings of my 94 into plexiglassed turn signals and was trying forever to think of a way to seal the plexi to the fairing! Write up to come in about another month or so. Tx!

[JokerZwild]

excellent advice!! I gave it a try on the work bench and it fuses great

[Rangerx52]

The beautiful part about all of it, is it costs almost nothing, and what little you do end up spending will last you longer than you'll own the bike.

Kinda makes you sick how simple it is, eh?