NC35 fairing tabs

[911f]

Am I the only one who bought a used NC35 from a guy who must have tightened everything he touched with a 1/2 inch drive long handled wrench!

As I work on the bike every plastic panel I remove has a chipped or worse broken tab. to the point where assembling it is almost a jigsaw puzzle. So my question is, when is it too much to repair? The plastic itself and finish are in very good shape. Is it possible to fix all the tabs (most have 25-50% of the original hole shape remaining) and have something that is genuinely solid? I have not used plastic weld or plastex before but am usually pretty capable. Or do I need replacement plastic panels?

appreciate any advice.

bill

[royster81]

plastic is always worth repairing, it's getting hard to come by and it's always the first thing people see when you show them the bike so good qaulity stuff is recommended, i can live with a few lugs missing if it all sits well on the bike and doesn't move about.

[quicksilver]

+1 on Royster’s input. Keep the plastic – they don’t make ‘em any more! A lot of people swear by Plastex, and there’s evidence elsewhere on the site of a number of very competent repairs having been made with the stuff.

Luckily, unlike the NC30 – you can more readily obtain new plastics for the ’35 – but stocks are dwindling! Naturally they’re not cheap, but if you get into the realms of plastic welding, resprays and decals, you may find your outlay is not too far from the cost of something new (with the possible exception of the nose cone and lowers).

So you might wish to consider a combination of new & repaired dependent on budget and the current state of your plastics.

If you do attempt some repairs, don’t forget to post some pictures!

Good luck!

[hardnutdvd]

theres an article about plastics repairs in Practical sportsbike magazine this month...not a bad guide with a few different type of repairs that are the most common

[Dynamohum]

have a look at nc30 restoration on youtube by a former member on here kermit it contains plenty of tips on fixing lugs using plastex can vouch for the good job he did as i bought that bodykit from him , unfortunatly threw the lot in a ditch last year ouch

[Drunkn Munky]

Plastex is great stuff

Before,


After,


This panel i got free, the other mid, both lowers and v piece cost me £33 delivered as they were all damaged lugs etc. All are now like new thanks to plastex, couldnt recomend it enough.

[911f]

Guys
thanks for the suggestions and info. I bought some plastex/plastifix (same stuff different sellers as far as I can tell). I had about 1/2 the tabs either cracked or missing big parts. The stuff is very easy to use with just a little practice. I used the needle method and after a few tries was very easy to do. Using the re-usable form I was able to make a template of an intact tab and then recreate it. Basically followed these youtube instructions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9DrfxHy ... re=related

The finished product was really very solid, allowed me to dremel it to the right thickness. Once completed I was able to mount all the fairing panels up with the intended fasteners instead of the collection of nuts/bolts/washers/ rubber donuts the previous owner had cobbled together. It is very solid now. Time will tell how it will hold up to stresses of wind/vibration. But very very happy with the outcome. Highly recommend.

bill