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Cosmetic Surgery for your Motorcycle |
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File under Tips/How To
Author: Ricardo Kuhn
Location: Barcelona, Spain
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A good friend, Ricardo Kuhn from Motomacondo, has shown an easy and cheap way of doing cosmetic surgery on your motorcycle if you've banged up the plastic on your motorcycle.
Ricardo should know what he's talking about... he often participates in off-road challenges using the most unappropriate motorcycles ( a bit like racing the Dakar with a Hayabusa)....And on top of that, he's a motorcycle design artist (check out his site {link}).
When you break the plastic bits on your bike, your only alternative is to replace them - often at very high costs. Ricardo's way can be done efficiently, and you can ride around showing the scar with this badge of honor...
The only thing you'll need is a power drill, pliers, safety wire (the thinner, the better) and your hands. No glue is needed !! Just patience.
Here's how Ricardo describes the surgery:
1. First you start by drilling the holes, usually about 1/4' (5-6mm) apart and with another hole in the same place on the other side of the crack, leaving again about a 1/4' just in case the wire wants to pull through it..
2. Make the holes with a drill bit about 20-25% bigger than the safety wire that you'll be using (since the wire sometimes is not perfect and may have knobs). Obviously the least thick the wire gauge, the easier it is to accomplish this procedure.
3. Cut about two feet long wire, since any longer gets to difficult to keep without bending.
4. Insert the two sides of the wire from the bottom of the broken piece, at equal distance like you will do with shoe laces.
5. Then bring the wire to one side, spinning it about 5 times.
6. Then one of the wires goes down into the back of the plastic resurfacing on the other side of the crack were the other wire will go and meet it from the top.
7. Then again you spin it 5 times and you repeat again and again until you get to the end of the part.
8. If the crack does not go all the way to the end of the plastic, it is a good idea to drill a "Stopper" hole at the end of it (make sure it is at the very end), that way the crack will not spread any further.
Hints & Tips
1. Ricardo likes to start from the side that is visibly the closest, since this is the place with the most probability to scratch you. This way the end of the wire will be hidden from your finger, and even then, you need to twist the wires into a pig tail, so there's less chance of a bloody encounter withe end of the wires. These wires cut like hell so be careful.
2. There is absolutely no need to use safety wire pliers since the holes are far to close and doing it by hand is far faster, the only tools you need is a drill and some kind of pliers to cut and manipulate the end of the safety wire.
3. Expect 5 minutes per inch, and also expect a pain in your hand at the end, but the result is worth it.
The surgery procedure not only works great for fairings, but also for windscreens. And we all know how much they cost...
What have you got to loose if you try, you've already banged up your motorcycle..You can ask your questions to Ricardo here. He reads this site every day, so hopefully he'll reply.
The Doctor is in !
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