Topic: Bad Day- Advice?

[TideWater2]

Best way to fix? Is there anyone that specializes in side covers? 

[Flyin900]

If there is a tab on the broken part that attached the cover to the frame your pooched. Even using a proper plastic repair epoxy you will need to respray the cover to hide the repair. The repair won't hold if a mounting tab is involved on the broken cover part.
Frankly a replacement cover is likely your best bet and a repaint if a aftermarket repo or even a Honda used stock one. Age and brittle plastic along with hardened rubber frame grommets all contribute to cracked or broken covers.
Honda used to still have the rubber grommets available or aftermarket and that is a good investment for dried out hardened ones in the frame.

[jonda500]

One of my side covers has very solid a repair that a PO did. It looks like the cover was just about cracked in half into two pieces. From the front you would never know the back has a big fibreglass patch on it. When I repainted I chose to use this repaired cover - and still, if you didn't see the inside, you would never suspect  the paint is hiding a big crack!
John

[BenelliSEI]

Put an ad up in “wanted” and start trolling EBay for a good used one. It’s more common to break the other side (it gets removed more often for fuse access), so you might actually find one.

In the mean time; carefully use your Dremel tool (or something similar) to put a chamfer on the inside edge of the break line. Careful NOT to damage or chip the painted side, it probably still fits back together quite nicely? Tape the pieces together so they are perfectly lined up and lay them in a soft pillow so it doesn’t move and open up the paint side of the crack. Mix up some JB WELD and pour a small amount in the “valley” you created with the chamfer. Let it fully harden and don’t move anything. Now mix up a bit more JB WELD and spread it over the repair. Let it dry and if you have the patience smooth a third coat over it……  Anywhere the JBW is going to lay, give the plastic a light scratch with some coarse sandpaper. It helps it to “bite”.

I broke the bottom tab of one on my K1 covers (far less visible spot, for sure) years ago. The two new covers that I prepped and painted months later are still waiting to go on. That repair is still holding and I’m the only one that can see it!

[BenelliSEI]

Jeez…. Just had a look. Moon Cycle has a beautiful NOS cover on EBAY. $500!!!!
Keep looking.

[grcamna2]

One of my side covers has very solid a repair that a PO did. It looks like the cover was just about cracked in half into two pieces. From the front you would never know the back has a big fibreglass patch on it. When I repainted I chose to use this repaired cover - and still, if you didn't see the inside, you would never suspect  the paint is hiding a big crack!
John

Excellent 

[TideWater2]

Thanks guys for your help. I appreciate a lot.

[MauiK3]

Maybe Yamiya would have one

[newday777]

I have successfully repaired half a dozen sidecovers and your break is beyond the pin so it should be a fairly easy repair. Get some fiberglass mesh tape for sheetrock seams and some black ABS Cement and a small can of denatured alcohol.
Clean a large area on the back of the cover with denatured alcohol of all grease oil and dirt.
Sand the back side of the pieces to fully expose the ABS plastic under the overspray where the breakage is big enough for good overlap of the fiberglass tape and ABS Cement.
Put the pieces together and put wide(2"-3") blue painter's tape over the crack to keep the pieces together and to keep the Cement from leaking out the front.


Put on the sticky fiberglass tape on the back to strengthen the repair.
Put on a thin layer of ABS Cement over the fiberglass tape, bend the crack open a little to force in a bit of Cement into the crack and straighten the pieces to the position they need to be set to, then let dry 24 hrs. Then put on another thin layer and let dry 24 hrs. 24 hrs is required for off gassing before you put another coat of Cement on so it properly cures. Do 4 coats of Cement in the same way. Then let dry for 3 full days before fitting the cover back on. Be sure to replace all the sidecover grommets with new grommets!!!! Use a dab of silicone grease on the grommets and pins to get them to slide in the grommets properly without damaging the cover or the grommets.
The ABS Cement actually welds the pieces together and becomes strong once it sets up properly.

[Kaze]

I agree whole-heartedly, you can fix it.

And before this happens on the other side... The rubber grommets where our sidecovers pop in were really tight and hard on my bike. So I applied a light coat of silicone grease. (I used over-priced "Scuba" grease... $8 for a tiny, tiny jar) It won't be slippery enough that the covers will go flying off on the freeway, but it will help preventing breakage.

Repair is definitely worth your time. It's cheaper for one, but it's an opportunity to learn a new thing to do on your bike.
If you fail, you can always shop for a new one later -- used or after-market.

I too successfully fixed a broken sidecover on my K4 where the entire bottom tab was busted off and missing. Oddly enough, I had a second side cover where the top was entirely missing, but the bottom tab was in tact, so... Franken-cover. I used a white "thermoplastic welding rod" and a soldering iron... there are several ways to deal with this, but whatever way, I think you should go for it.

[HondaMan]

Or, you can contact FrankenFrankenStuff and buy a new set of his covers - but you'll have to paint them, they come unpainted.

[grcamna2]

Looks good Stu 

[rotortiller]

L P M Plastic Motorcycle Parts is the answer. Their replica side covers are second to none; inexpensive, accurately made imitating OEM to the point they are the same in function and appearance, plus are stronger than stock. Aging of the original OEM covers often makes them weak and subject to repeat breaks. You can fibreglass repair on the underside but you may still be dealing with expired plastic. I did two K7s with LPM side covers 12 years ago and am still happy with them. I think they came from the UK in my case as singles but I see them advertised at '4 into 1' as sets for about 100 skins.

[Lucien Harpress]

Take a look at plastic welders as well.  It's a little squiggly wire that, when you put it into the actual welder, heats up.  You melt it into the plastic pieces, then snip off the excess.  It provides a mechanical bond, and when used in conjunction with ABS cement, works really, really well.

(I personally prefer ABS cement over JB Weld.  JB Weld works okay if you rough the surface, because the bond is mostly mechanical.  But it doesn't flex much.  ABS cement, by contrast, melts the actual plastic of the cover together, "welding" it together.)

[dave500]

i bought some new ebay grommets for the covers and they are hard as hell and a bit smaller in the hole,try and get genuine ones more pliable,i also use a little petroleum jelly on the tabs,i buzzed a little off the new ones i did actually use.

[newday777]

"i buzzed a little of the new ones i did actually use."

Say what??

[dave500]

off,i buzzed off with a small rotary burr,the opening to slightly enlarge it,i only used a couple of them actually,because they are crap and too small at the inner hole as well as way too hard.

glad i got that sorted.

[BenelliSEI]

Did you look at the one on EBay? I just realized it’s the wrong side……..

[TideWater2]

Ya, I broke my right side. But still have a little interest and any NOS K1 parts. might get a second bike someday, lol. Thanks