Plastic Repair. Un-Totalling the CBR

[Outlander]

AS it was posted before, during January's Pie Run, my CBR got an encounter with a HD Nightster with the result of the CBR being totalled.

Since all the damage is on the fairing, few scratches on engine cover and the swing arm, I decided to keep it ($200 and I keep the bike ).

I decides that it was better to put the insurance check to the house morgage so the repair is going to be on the cheap side.

So far I am very excited with repairs and I will post the progress since it may help someone.

Brief Notes: ABS cement + nylon strap from a duffel bag= welded platic + create missing pieces.

This is the broken right side. There is not much missing so I will try to save the paint and stickers.

At this time I didn't have the ABS cement and I used a multypurpose cement. Not bad because the parts matched very well.

I grinded a chamfer on the inside to allow the cement to penetrate the crack. On the outside I tryed tor preserve as much material as possible and matted as good as I could

The result is not bad at all. The union is pretty solid and I will try to touch up the red of the sticker. The crack is more visible on the picture because of the flash

Now with ABS cement reproduce the missing part. With cardboard and wire I made the pattern to be filled with ABS and reinforced with the nylon strap

 

[Outlander]

As far as the top cowling. It is not going to be this easy. With major cracks, missing chunks... I will have to paint

Good masking tape on the outside:

some grinding on the inside to increase the welded surface. Note the holes and broken tabs.

And generously aplly ABS and reinforce with nylon.

Blinker support broken.. no problem

Missing pieces... check

Two days to dry and Voila!

I was surprissed to see that the nylon integrated very well with the ABS, to the point that while sanding you can not feel any differnece in material.

 

[Gilk51]

Very interesting - I think you will pull it off, Raul!

 

[Outlander]

To reconstruct the lower part of the cowling, I trazed the siluete of the good side, and flipped to have a pattern fro the missing side

This is where the project is today. I do not have much time so most of the progress was done in two nights from 9 to 2 a.m.

I will post more as I advance. Please feel free to post any advice or sugestion that you may have. This is the first time and I am not an expert but I did sleep at the Holiday Inn

 

[Loyd]

O'Reilly has some really good 2part abs epoxy. ($6 a tube maybe) I've rebuilt one set of plastics on my bike and an upper on T's sv. Decent sanding and it sticks everybit as good without all the need for added materials. It also dries almost clear making it harder to notice if your saving paint on one side.

I'd also recomend Loew's plastic epoxy paints. Not much for color selection mind you. This stuff cures to a nice finish once exposed to direct sunlight for a while. Cheap too!

 

[Outlander]

I am not sure adding material is necessary. Since the inside is not visible once teh bike is assembled, it gives me peace of mind. I like how the cements "flows" and at the same time starts holding parts toghether since the beginning. I've used the reinforcement on those areas where there were material missing like the right top portion of this fairing.

Or to reinforze the thin tabs that support the headligth

I will have to check the paint a Loews. I got the codes for the original paint but I am affraid it will be a missmatch anyway since my paint is nine years old.
I haven't check any primers, any sugestions? I am not sure if I will sand out all the paint or just light sanding the clear coat and apply primer.

 

[Outlander]

Not a lot of progress during the weekend but I am almost done. The only part left is upper inner side of the RAM intake.

Here is a detail of the part I have to work on. On this picture, note that the inner side of the fairing, the gray and plack piezes, where completelly gone. I build them out of ABS cement.

 

[VFRJohn]

Nice work, Raul.

Where do you get the ABS cement?

 

[Outlander]

I got the ABS cement from Lowe's. It is in the pipping section, with the PVC stuff. I guess it is being discontinued, or ABS pipes are having some issues. I had to go to a couple of them to find one that have them and they only had three dusty ones left at the bottom of the shelf.

 

[VFRJohn]

I went by Lowe's today to try to find some. The only thing I could find that mentioned abs was some general purpose cement. It's kind of a white color, fairly thin consistency, so not the same as you are using.

It's a red can labeled
"Oatey All Purpose Cement for PVC, ABC, CPVC"

What does yours say on the can?

 

[Outlander]

USE ONLY ABS CEMENT.
General purpose cement is what I used for the side fairing. It did a good job since it was just holding the pieces. Look at the pictures, it is the white stuff.

For the upper cowling I got ABS cement (black) wich once cures and is sanded, you can hardly tellit appart from the original plastic.

I told you it is hard to get. I got mine after 3 Home Depots and 2 Lowe's. ACE hardware can order it for you.

 

[StarSapphire]

Wow, Raul, I am VERY impressed. Great job! Looks like you'll have your ride back up in no time!

 

[Loyd]

$6.99 at O'Reilly's, get the ABS version. There are several, including one that will set while underwater!!

Backside shots, I forgot to take before pics when bike went down and flipped.

Finished paint shots. I used no bondo. A little primer and straight to paint!

IS a shot minus the hole for the gaugecluster trim panels. Rebuilt most the entire corner and all the other repairs to the upper with just over one tube.

Once you figure how to work it, this stuff is golden!

 

[euromedic]

Nice! Thanks for the tip on the ABS cement. That will be my next project, repair the damage on the right fairing from Moab

 

[Outlander]

Here it is ready for paint. I will sand everything before applying the primer. I am stilll wondering if I should have avoid sanding the front, I might have been able to paint only half of it. Oh well...

I am particularly proud of this part. Remember the whole edge was gone.

Loyd, great job! If I were able to work on this for long periods I might try the epoxy types. Since I can only work for short times, I like the flexibility of opening the can, "paint " a little bit and get back later.

 

[Loyd]

heh, you should give the epoxy a try. Starts to set in about 4 minutes.

What you've got looks great!

 

[leekellerking]

Here it is ready for paint. I will sand everything before applying the primer.

 

[wczimmerman]

 

[dukey33]

Here it is ready for paint. I will sand everything before applying the primer. I am stilll wondering if I should have avoid sanding the front, I might have been able to paint only half of it. Oh well...

It's red. You will have a hard time color matching so may be better off painting all of it anyway.

btw, nice job. Looks like it takes a lot of patience.

 

[M2]

Dang, I would've just stripped off all of the bodywork and made a modern-day cafe racer out of it.

Nice job, though...

Cheers! M2

 

[Outlander]

Dang, I would've just stripped off all of the bodywork and made a modern-day cafe racer out of it.

That's not my cup of tea. You living in Europe can relate, normally when the kids crash a bike and can not afford to fix it they raid the salvage yards and put toghether what they can. Sometimes it's nice sometimes is not. I just love the looks of my CBR.

 

[Outlander]

I found the composition of the PPG that equals the R157 red Honda code. One pint of that paint is $80 to $120

I went to Lowe's this morning with the fender adn compare all the raddle cans. I picked the Rustoleum whatever red. I've applied the first coat. Yes, it's not the same, a little bit lighter color. I hope that it may look better after the second coat dries. At $5 per can it is closed to perfect.

 

[StarSapphire]

Raul - How's the bike looking? Post a progress pic!

 

[Hemibee]

Looking good so far.

 

[Outlander]

Well, the uper cowling is done and painted. After a misshap I had to sand and repaint (be careful with the loose ends of the string you use to hang it while painting).

Again, this edge besides the RAM air intaque was completely lost.

So..... is everything done and ready to assemble? NO. As expected, there is no way to match the color. I tried to get a picture to show you but it is hard to tell. I'll try with natural light.


Next day I'll tell you my experience with a "Almost new" upper fairing from e-bay. Now I am debating between a good shape in the wrong color or a slightly scuffed and scratched shape in the right color.