Best Method For Reinforcing Plastic Fairing Mount Tabs?

[cappisj1]

Is JB Weld still the best option to reinforce an already good plastic tab/mount on a Norge fairing?  I have some broke mounts that I will fix differently. Do I even need to worry about the good mounts breaking in the future?  The current broken mount are from a tree limb falling on bike.

[Chuck in Indiana]

I have used fiberglass cloth and resin to good effect on them. I don't know, but doubt that JBWeld is a good repair..

[Zoom Zoom]

What Chuck said.

Beyond that, when I had my Norge, I filled the cavities with JB Weld before the tabs broke to reinforce them, which I would consider after the repair and to any tabs that are still in tact.

John Henry

[Zoom Zoom]

BTW, if you have trouble finding small amounts of fiberglass cloth and resin, try the hobby shop. Smaller quantities for smaller projects.

John Henry

[pressureangle]

This Wurth product was developed specifically to replace broken tabs on plastic bumper covers etc. I used it extensively in RV repairs. It's as good as advertised. Sticks permanently, you can file/drill/tap/paint. It's the right stuff. It's not cheap, doesn't store very well after opened, you need their applicator gun, and the plastic mixing tips are extra and expensive (which is all why nobody knows about it not in a revenue-producing industry) but given the price of many motorcycle body parts, it's cheap.

https://www.wurthusa.com/Chemical-Product/Plastic-Repair/Structural/Wurth-Fix-All-2-Part-Adhesive-50-Ml/p/0893301900

[Tusayan]

I have successfully used JB Weld, first super gluing the broken tab into place, then adding a thick filet of JB Weld on one side, then grinding into the crack from the other side and filling, making sure to grind back at a shallow angle to provide as much bond area as practical.  I'm sure there are better materials, but that worked well using what I had to hand.

The bike on which I did the above was not a Norge, and the fairing was some kind of reinforced plastic as opposed to straight ABS plastic.

[LowRyter]

I went to a bodyshop pro to fix cracks on the plastic for the Greenie. I didn't want to have to paint it.  He uses 3M 04247 two part filler epoxy + adhesion promoter.  He filled, bonded and sanded.  Since he knew I didn't want to paint it, he was limited to working on the backside only.   

[SIR REAL ED]

this worked well for me to reinforce the chrome air scoops on a Nevada 750.  Use some duct tape to build a mold to hold the glue while it sets.  Once hard use a Dremel tool with a 60 grit wheel to remove excess glue.

[Kiwi_Roy]

For broken tabs on fenders and such I drill a piece of thin Aluminium like a Swiss cheese and epoxy it to the inside.

[cliffrod]

In general, try to match the flexibility or inflexibility of the repair materials with the original materials.   Using a product engineered for the specific job & materials is always a good idea.  Spreading the repair over a larger area with or without reinforcement like glass cloth, aluminum, etc helps spread the strain of the repair vs focusing it in a small space.  Again, if movement or flex is anticipated, try to facilitate it.

Doing statuary/sculpture restoration work in studio, matching repair products to original materials is important for a long lasting job.  Some adhesive & epoxy products are too strong for a given substrate.  When they bite & then cure, any shrinkage will exfoliate the substrate and the repair fails.  the same can happen when there's too much differential between with hot & cold expansion/contraction rates.  Not cool.