Broken Fairing tabs

[RacersEdge]

Hi all,

Anyone got any tips for a heavy handed c**k who has just broken a fairing tab??? Over tightened the torx screw just below the RH "gills" that connects top half to belly pan. Heard the dreaded snap and now i have a tab in two bit and no way to secure the belly pan to the top. Superglue is just shite and I wondered if anyone had any "fixes" they have used...

Really don't want to go down the route of a new fairing panel... especially as I've just had paint protection installed.

Any experience much appreciated!
TIM

 

[Skel]

You not know anyone local who can plastic weld?

 

[richy170]

I did exactly the same thing on the right side panel as well. I asked my mechanic who is ex BMW and therefore not biased to spending extra, and he said it would have to be a new panel if I wanted it fixed. I have left it now for 9 months, been quite fast at times and done 6000 miles and the missing tab has made no difference. It niggles me that it is broken but I can't justify the expense of new panel and then trim to match my colour scheme. I've also been looking on eBay but one hasn't come up yet.

 

[RacersEdge]

Been sitting here looking at it and I think I could drill a tiny hole in the bit of plastic tab that's left and use that to screw on a small metal plate that in turn can take the usual torx bit. Like you say it doesn't bare a load particularly, it just has to hold the two together and stop any rattle....

 

[davidmccord]

Two part epoxy. Works very well at times on some materials. Sometimes doesn't. But if it doesn't you get another chance at fixing it because you haven't drilled/screwed/melted anything in trying it. Get a decent brand and you should be good. Plastic welding works very well too if you know how to do it right but depends how close it is to the painted surface as to whether that's the right fix.

 

[Loupe]

Plus 1 for plastic weld.
The fairing screws are almost finger tight and you won't be the only one to break the plastics. I read elsewhere that the metal tabs have a locking feature so that the screws won't come out.

 

[RacersEdge]

Yep you are right I should try that first before I drill anything. Ordered from flee bay and on its way.... Thanks chaps!

 

[snooker]

Hi all,

Anyone got any tips for a heavy handed c**k who has just broken a fairing tab??? Over tightened the torx screw just below the RH "gills" that connects top half to belly pan. Heard the dreaded snap and now i have a tab in two bit and no way to secure the belly pan to the top. Superglue is just shite and I wondered if anyone had any "fixes" they have used...

Really don't want to go down the route of a new fairing panel... especially as I've just had paint protection installed.

Any experience much appreciated!
TIM

Is the tab completely broken off the panel? If it isn't then you might be able to use an M5 25mm repair washer and an M5 nyloc nut to clamp the remains in place. Don't ask me how I know this.........

 

[RacersEdge]

Here is offending mangled article....

 

[snooker]

There's certainly enough of the tab left for the repair washer to grab onto it. Trick is to put the original bolt through the belly pan and fit the repair washer and the nut as loosly as possible. Then when you fit the belly pan make sure that the remains of the tab are between the inside of the pan and the washer. Then get a suitable spanner on the nut and tighten the bolt. On the right hand side you might need to unplug the rear of the middle fairing to get your spanner in. I hope that this helps.

 

[roadrunner]

I've repaired quite a few plastic fairing panels successfully in the past. The method I use was suggested to me by a body work and paint specialist when I had my own garage business. First make sure that the area is nice and clean. Put the broken parts together and get someone to hold them in place if required. Then get a soldering iron and fuse/weld the two pieces together. This will form a sort of "trench" both sides of the plastic. Now for the clever bit! Get yourself a small pack (box) of Q- BOND. Do what it tells you to do in the instructions, namely sprinkle one of the supplied powders into the "trench" on one side of the panel to be repaired. Heap it up so it is higher than the surface. Then add the hardener liquid from one of the supplied bottles. Don't get any of this liquid get onto any painted or finished surfaces as it sets solid and will be very difficult to remove. The powder will smoke for a few second and set solid in seconds! Next turn over the panel and do exactly the same on that side. The set powder is easy to rub down with wet and dry so you will get your two panels to come together ok when you reassemble the fairing. Looking at your particular job, I would be tempted to cut some very fine mesh to fit at the back of the repaired lug and and bond it to the back using epoxy resin (Araldite works for me) That should give it added strength and rigidity.
I hope this works ok for you. It's always done the trick for me! If you are worried about getting this stuff anywhere other than the "trenches" then just apply masking tape to those areas.

 

[roadrunner]

I've just done a quick search on a forum that highlights the sort of repair I described above. Just scroll through the various pages and you should be able to see what I managed to do to a member's fairing in picture form, (assuming I manage to copy it correctly:stupid just what is achievable using the method I described. Hope this helps anyone unfortunate enough to damage any plastic on any bike in the future.

http://www.exup1000.co.uk/phpBB2/vi...ostorder=asc&highlight=broken+fairing&start=0

 

[RacersEdge]

Got it, nice one thanks!!

 

[IMORTAL_Indian]

Soldering Iron and Lego peices "i've heard" !!

 

[alol]

Just literally broke mine on the right hand side. Did a winter storage oil & filter change and i have not removed these bolts in the 6 months i have had the bike and upon removal i noticed the bolt was one without a collar. The bike was serviced by a BMW "Technician" prior to collecting it so i can only assume the wrong bolt was put in. I buttoned it back up with the correct one and i don't consider myself particularly ham fisted as i have removed the mid panels on numerous occasions without breaking anything. The tabs are really too thin and therefore weak in this area. If you look at Japanese/italian the tabs are appreciably more robust with ridges to prevent the fastener back spinning which causes the breakage.For a supposed "premium" manufacturer it, along with a 15K bike having a washing bowl grade plastic bellypan is extremely poor.....

 

[Ben-mc1]

Look for a glue called Q-bond it comes with a glue and 2 different types of powder for adding strength i work in a bodyshop and we use this to fix tabs all the time ...... other than that it looking to plastic weld .....

Ben

 

[alol]

Look for a glue called Q-bond it comes with a glue and 2 different types of powder for adding strength i work in a bodyshop and we use this to fix tabs all the time ...... other than that it looking to plastic weld .....

Ben

Hi Ben,

I have just ordered some yesterday. While i wait for it to arrive i look forward to constructing a "observation" to BMW customer service.....

 

[Balallan]

I had the same issue, and lost a bit of the lug, cut a piece of lego to fit and used a 2part expoxy glue to cover it, That was last november and been ok since, Fairings will be off in the next few weeks for a service so see if it falls apart then lol

 

[roadrunner]

there you go Stuart.......

 

[stuartb]

Must of missed that RR... it's the same stuff I used just a different brand...absolutely 1st class repair...rock solid !

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