Cracked some plastic

[SoloScott]

I'm not crazy about the flush rear blinkers on my bike or the drilled tail pieces to mount them. That was done by the previous owner. However, I am the one who tightened the bolts too tight on one side and pulled the washers right through from the back I'm one of those people who has a tough time forgiving myself for dumb mistakes.

I don't want to sink $200 into a new tail piece and paint. I guess I'm planning on putting a thin strip of aluminum behind the tail piece, to reinforce the mounting points, and filling the holes with bondo. Ideas or sympathy are welcome

[Anonymous]

Yeah, don't buy a new piece, you should be able to fix that one no prob.

Bondo would definitaly work.

I like your bandaid

[WildKat]

thats the main reason I dont use the flushmounts. I hate drilling into the fairings, for fear of doing something you did, at some point. They do look sweet though, sorry for the mishap man !

[Zukiman]

Sorry to hear about that. I think the lights look good.

[The CyberPoet]

Use 2-part putty-style epoxy or better yet, a plastic welder, instead of bondo.

Good Luck!
=-= The CyberPoet

[Katgirl]

So sorry, normal mistake, use a sharpie blue marker and colour the tape in, and you wont even be able to tell

[SoloScott]

thats the main reason I dont use the flushmounts. I hate drilling into the fairings, for fear of doing something you did, at some point. They do look sweet though, sorry for the mishap man !

I feel EXACTLY the same way. I didn't put them on there. When I bought it, I thought the stock signals were originally attached at those points.

Use 2-part putty-style epoxy or better yet, a plastic welder, instead of bondo.

Good Luck!
=-= The CyberPoet

I have used bondo and epoxy before; epoxy seems like it's to brittle for the job. How about that plastic welder? I don't know anything about it. Can I find it at a hardware store or what? Is it a similar consistency to the other materials?

So sorry, normal mistake, use a sharpie blue marker and colour the tape in, and you wont even be able to tell

I could even find one of those silver markers and do a blend from the blue into the silver Duct Tape. THAT would be totally trick No offense, but I'll use that as my fall-back plan.

[The CyberPoet]

Use 2-part putty-style epoxy or better yet, a plastic welder, instead of bondo.

Good Luck!
=-= The CyberPoet

I have used bondo and epoxy before; epoxy seems like it's to brittle for the job. How about that plastic welder? I don't know anything about it. Can I find it at a hardware store or what? Is it a similar consistency to the other materials?.

if the epoxy seemed brittle, it was the wrong kind or formulation of epoxy -- the results should be stronger than your existing fairings and a thick putty when applied (not a liquid in any sense). Look for break strength ratings for a reasonable idea...

As for a plastic welder, it's doubtful you'd find one at your local hardware store, although if you have a harbor freight in the area, they often carry one kind (unfortunately, the type that normally requires an air compressor). Eastwood Automotive supply (eastwoodco.com) carries all types of them, some quite reasonably priced. Additionally, a number of members have said they have gotten quite good results using a large soldering iron instead of an actual plastic welder -- anything that gets the new plastic into the right temp range should work. Finally, someone mentioned they also got good results simply by melting certain plastics directly (I think I recall dripping freshly melting McDonald's straws were on the list) -- I'm sure they'll step up and say something if they see this post. You can find a whole lot on plastic welders by searching the bodywork forum. The results, if you use the right kind of plastic, is effectively the same as replacing the whole fairing -- the new plastic bonds to the old plastic, reforming a solid piece with the same flexibility level as previously. If you substitute other kinds of plastic, you can get other types of effects, from permanently flexible to rock-hard (zero flex).

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[SlipKid]

You can make some L-brackets to mount to your license plate fasterners and attach mini-stalk signals to them. A couple of Yosh decals or whatnot can cover the holes in your tail panels until you can fix or repair them.

To repair small holes like you're dealing with, if you don't have a plastic-welder available, you can rough-up the interior area of the place where the part needs repaired and clean off any debris. Put packing tape over the outside of the part (over the holes), and place some fiberglass resin/mat over the holes in the rear (epoxy will also do). This will fill in the holes and give a good base for filler to fill any imperfections. After it dries, remove the tape, sand, fill any low spots on the outside with filler, sand that down, prime, finish sand, and paint.

[duff daddy]

if you squint hard enough you cant even see the mishap, but serously, if you just put a lil epoxy on it, that stuff works wonders or jb weld it they have stuff for plastic