Motorcycle fairings. Love them or hate them, we all know they can make or break the beauty and style of a motorcycle. At Zenith motorcycles, we experience fairings in all conditions, shapes and sizes and with various damage and repairs. In this blog, we will look at how to fix motorcycle fairings and what methods can be used.
Identifying the Type of Fairing Material
Most modern fairings are made of ABS plastic, which is great because it’s “weldable” using heat or chemical solvents.
Before you consider repairing, check the inside of the damaged fairing for a stamp. Stating what type of plastic or fibreglass you will be working with looks for stamps with the following:
ABS: Most common. Repairs easily with ABS cement or plastic welding.
FRP (Fibreglass): Common on track bikes. Requires resin and fibreglass mat.
PP/PE (Polypropylene): Harder to bond; usually requires a specialised plastic welder.
How to Repair Plastic Fairings
There are various products and methods to repair breaks or cracks in fairings; however, in most cases, the fairing will still require filling, strengthening, sanding and re-painting for a perfect finish.
Q-Bond: Q-Bond is a great product to have in your home toolbox. Q-Bond is a two-part system consisting of a liquid adhesive (Cyanoacrylate) and a reinforcing powder.
When the liquid hits the powder, a chemical reaction occurs that turns the mixture into a hard, sandable plastic in about 10 seconds. It doesn’t just “stick” to the surface; it creates a structural bond. Q-Bond dries very hard and can crack under vibration. Always wear safety glasses, as from experience, the fumes it creates when the bonding powder reacts with the glue can really hurt your eyes. Q-Bond is excellent for a quick fix on a very small area.
TTP90 is a structural two-part adhesive that, unlike Q-Bond, remains flexible. It is quite expensive to buy, but it is good for larger cracks and damage.
Plastic Welder: These work much like a soldering iron; they require quite a bit of technique. Also, again, I have found that the repairs using plastic welders can become brittle and do require reinforcement, or they will crack again.
Plastic Stapling: Also known as a hot stapler melts stainless steel “stitches” directly into the plastic to bridge the gap, and it provides immediate structural integrity. Unlike some glues that become brittle, the metal staples allow the plastic to flex slightly without the crack reopening. It is also a good way to hold two warped pieces of plastic perfectly flush while you perform a permanent weld on the other side.
Again, before you repair, check what type of plastic your fairing is made out of! If your fairing is marked >PP< (Polypropylene), almost no glue will stick to it. You must use a thermal plastic welder for PP. If it says >ABS<, you’re in luck—all the methods above work perfectly.
Things To Avoid
Avoid regular “super glue” or wood epoxies, as they will crack under the vibration of a motorcycle, that’s if you can even get them to stick in the first place!
Applying your repair material (Q-Bond or weld) directly onto a flat crack. Use a Dremel or a file to carve a “V” shaped trench along the crack. This allows the repair material to sit inside the plastic rather than just on top of it.
If you are using a plastic welding iron or hot staples, do not hold it in one place too long. ABS plastic can “blister” or warp from excessive heat.
In Conclusion
Sometimes it is better to find a second-hand replacement fairing or think about the price of a new one. Time, materials, and finish all play a part in motorcycle fairing repair, and I am the first to say it is a skill on its own. Always account for the fact that you still may need to fill and repaint the repair when weighing up whether to repair or replace.
