2003 KLR fairing crack

[fester]

Hello all
I have a cracked fairing on my klr it is right where the left turn signal joins up. I will try to get a photo posted. The guy I bought the bike from had used palstic weld to seal it up but it is not holding. The fairing on this bike is ABS I believe. Will I be able to fibreglass it to strenghten it up or is there a better way??

Thanks for the help.

Geordie

 

[mudboy]

I would try re-welding it myself again. If you get a nice strong bead going it should be as strong as new. maybe weld on some supports on the inside of the fairing too. I dont know where you live, but we get all our pvc and abs welding rods and supplies at Fabco in Port Kells. They have sheets there too in different sizes.

 

[Island Hopper]

Clean and rough up the surface,drill some small holes on each side of the crack and then use micro zip ties to stitch it together.... Then get a tube of aqua seal {from a sporting goods store} and coat the repair on both sides with this stuff... It's a bit runny so you may want to do one side at a time laying the surface flat to prevent runoff until it firms up a bi....

Aqua seal is amazing stuff I also use it to revive my worn out chain rub blocks by gluing a new strip of nylon to the chain rub surface...

 

[Buckethead]

I cracked my KLR fairing nearly in half, and had good luck with careful welding with a soldering gun. It looked a bit rough on the inside, but the crack became invisible on the outside and it was quite strong.
Cheers,
Matthew

 

[Big Booger]

I as well use a small soldering gun to repair plastics. stir the tip of the iron gently in tiny circles along inside of the crack. Melt in zip ties as filler rod if extra plastic is needed. The welded part will be slightly more brittle than the surrounding area. As Matthew said do as much of the repair on the inside. practice on some scraps. Works great. Good luck.
Booger

 

[fastlane]

I bust my 2008 KLR side fairing badly and had it all fixed at an auto repair shop in Vancouver who had fixed my car so did it as a favour. They used an ABS weld and made it thicker on the inside. It's stronger than the original. It may cost you some $ but cheaper than buying new if you try them - The owner is John Ferreira at Ferreira Collision Centres - 604-733-3727 and does a good job.:clap: (Note I checked him out on my new car before letting him touch my KLR)

 

[mudboy]

you're best off not using a soldering gun but instead use a heat gun and an ABS welding rod and run the bead as if you're welding steel. Thats the proper way to weld ABS or other plastics, and it's the strongest way too.

 

[Shuswap]

And just one more opinion on a product that works: GOOP glue.
It stinks for awhile
It sticks to ANYTHING, even your finger....(and it'll be there for years)
Put it on thick, move fast and don't spare the tube
Put it on thick!
I've repaired saddlebags on a lil runabout 250 Honda I had and these were seriously smashed and the Goop never failed, even after overloading the saddlebag heavily with groceries(4 litre milk jugs too), exposure to sun, etc.

Once you expose it to air, you need to move quickly and not overwork it, use gloves, good ventilation...it tacks in 2 minutes or so. Then let it sit a few days, using heat from a light bulb to warm it while it toughens up. It never seems to get brittle, just shrinks a bit over the years, hence the put - it - on - thick comment

 

[fester]

I have used marine goop on boats and it seems to work well.
I had thought of that.

 

[Shuswap]

I have used marine goop on boats and it seems to work well.
I had thought of that.

Just put on a bead that's quite a bit wider and thicker than you think you'd like and it'll shrink. Easy to add more later, too.
I'd also put it on the inside. I heard somewhere that all the Goop packages contain the same formula, but not certain.

 

[MtB]

Oh Just one more!
Use a soldering iron and a zap strap instead of an ABS welding rod if you don't have one, than reinforce with goop. Worked well for me.

 

[Hamon]

If you're still having troubles after all this soldering, gooping, and welding, I have a red one I'd be willing to part with.

That way you can have a Christmas KLR, year round!

Travis

 

[fester]

Well I used fibreglass on the inside and plastic weld on the outside. Plastic weld is messy and a pain in the ass to work with. I then have painted it black to match the front fender and try to clean up the working marks. I will post a photo when I have reassemled the bike in a couple of days.