Hi guys and gals.
Following a low speed off last summer, I damaged the silver ceramic coated exhaust headers on my customised "Millennium" X1, broke the rear brake pedal and damaged my aftermarket carbon fibre air box.
I'm pretty much resigned to putting up with the cosmetic damage to my ceramic headers ( prohibitive cost of repair or replacement ) but, on the plus side, I've now managed to replace my damaged rear brake pedal and fix the damage done to my Force Motor Products "Racewinder" carbon fibre air cleaner box.
The latter part has been "unobtainium" for over a decade ( our own Maz sourced mine for me in the States over 10 years ago ) and my initial attempt at repair using filler and a new outer skin of carbon fibre twill and resin didn't produce a good enough result - which I put down to my own inexperience and a probable chemical reaction between resin and a cleaning solvent ( cellulose thinners ).
So ........ I made up a fabric reinforced plaster mould inside the damaged air box and then did a bit of touching up and re-profiling before waxing it ( to enable separation of new part from the mould ) and then laying down 3 layers of resin impregnated carbon fibre twill with a couple of coats of resin as a brushed on top coat.
Although not perfect, I'm very pleased with the finished result and the attached window cill photo shows ( L to R ) plaster mould; new part; unsatisfactorily repaired original part.
As an aside, I recently replaced my original black plastic rear wheel hugger and lower belt guard with second hand original Buell carbon fibre parts. These seemed very thin ( I estimate only 2 layers of carbon fibre twill?? ) so I cleaned them with a degreasing agent and soapy water and then applied another layer of carbon fibre twill and resin to the inside surfaces where they can't be easily seen and they now feel a lot stiffer and more robust. I also covered the black plastic primary drive pulley cover with a layer of carbon fibre twill and resin to make everything match up and whilst this seems to have worked quite well I now wish I'd gone the extra mile and made up a plaster cast from which I could have made up a new part entirely out of carbon fibre twill and resin.
Lastly, I made up ( chopped apart new aftermarket bars which I then brazed together to the required geometry - 2 tries were required to get this right ) a set of "ace" bars to replace my original bars last summer and now just need to get them chromed. These allow a riding position whereby the wrists are about 2" further forward and 2" lower than the originals and I find them better for higher speed travel.
Richard
| Attachments: |
|
Ace handlebars.jpg [ 156.54 KiB | Viewed 363 times ] |
|
New airbox fitted.jpg [ 152.84 KiB | Viewed 363 times ] |
|
Carbon fibre air box 002.jpg [ 119.75 KiB | Viewed 363 times ] |
|
Buell damage 005.jpg [ 121.91 KiB | Viewed 363 times ] |
