LeMans fairing damage.

[activpop]

Looking at a LeMans for sale.  Bike seems pretty solid except for two things, one of them a fairing crack right in the edge of the curved area where the fairing comes down from the windscreen and turns towards the rear. The fairing is one of the most prominent features of this bike and I would like it to be pristine. My question is can this be repaired? What is the material it is made from? If it was fiberglass, it is an easy repair but then a repaint. But I think it is some sort of plastic or acrylic, so not sure what the options could be. Looks like a sore thumb to me. I don’t think I could live with it and repair with paint could be a chunk of change.

[docc]

Pretty sure the fairing is ABS (I don't have one). Perhaps, it is polyamide ("Nylon") like the tank, but it is not fiberglass, IIRC.

Each of these materials is repaired differently, but, yes, then the paint . . .

[cowtownchemist]

The front fairing on my 2000 V11 is fiberglass.  The side fairings are plastic.  I took mine to a couple body shops for an estimate on a repair on a deep scratch, not a crack.  Both of their first response was "How much is a new one??"  Both shops came in at about $350 for a complete resurface including sanding, repairing the deep scratches and repainting.  The paint was the most expensive part where they told me that the paint alone was over $100 in their materials cost.  The second shop told me the best way is to just do it myself and gave me pointers on grit of sandpaper and how to paint.  The biggest thing he emphasized is to allow a couple days of curing between coats of paint and the clearcoat.  He told me to leave it out in the sun for a couple days to dry between coats.  He estimated it would probably take me a month to do it myself if I followed his advice.

So as a temporary fix I just got a color match paint pen from autozone and colored in the scratches while I ponder what my long term solution will be.

[docc]

For sure, the Stucchi Luigi Moto Guzzi color-matched accessory flyscreen for the 1999-2001 Sport is fiberglass.  None of the later, or Rosso Mandello, flyscreens were the same.

The 2002-2005 full-size LeMans fairing is some kind of polymer ("plastic"), pretty sure ABS.

[audiomick]

14 minutes ago, docc said:

 pretty sure ABS.

Yes, I think so too, without being 100% sure.

One way to find out is to burn a shaving of the material. Doesn't need to be much. ABS burns with a yellow flame, and makes lots of black smoke. The other indicator is the noise it makes when it is dropped or hit. ABS makes a fairly clear clattering noise, almost bell-like.

I don't know if there are any in english, but I have found a couple of videos in german on Youtube (from nerds, mostly...) about identifying the various plastics.

 

ABS can be welded with a hot-air gun. I made a succesful attempt on a V35 Imola fairing. I got the ABS "welding rods" from a local hardware store. The hot-air gun needs a nozzle to concentrate the air stream. The one I have has about a 1/2" opening, and allows one to "focus" on the spot to be heated. One should open the crack to a Vee shape with a miniature grinding wheel before welding.

 

My result looked fairly messy. Ideally, one would practice on something else before attempting the real thing. Nevertheless, I was able to smooth it off adequately on the outside to have it painted, and it held until the fairing was finally destroyed when the bike fell off the side stand. Again. The current fairing on that bike is the third one I've had...

[activpop]

It's a crack and a crunch, like something hit it. If it is ABS, that is tricky to work with. I think I'll pass. 🤔  Thanks for your input!

[LowRyter]

I don't think $350 is out of line if you want it pristine.  Particularly when you consider the cost of the bike-specific paint.

These guys repair a lot of plastic car bumpers.  So the tech is well advanced.  Consider the cost of a bumper repair and add a little for the rare paint match.   I suppose you could purchase some of the two part bond/filler and give it a shot.  If that worked out, you could make decision on painting it.