How to Repair a Motorcycle Fairing with Epoxy

Have you ever dropped your motorcycle? If so, you know the heart-sinking feeling you get as you watch it hit the ground. A common result in this scenario is a cracked fairing. A new one can cost you $500 or more – probably more than you have budgeted right now.

Maintaining your bike is expensive enough as it is, so you might be happy to hear that you can fix a cracked fairing in your garage for much less than $500.

All you need is:

• Epoxy
• Sandpaper
• Manufacturer-recommended fairing primer and paint

Epoxy is great for repairing cracks, filling holes, and filling surface imperfections in most plastics, metals, and wood. It’s also easy to use. It is good to keep LOCTITE^® EA 445™ Fast Cure Epoxy Mixer Cups on hand for situations like this. It’s a two-part epoxy that comes in convenient, single-use cups.

Here’s how to fix your cracked fairing with epoxy:

1. Sand the area you’ll be applying the epoxy to with 280-grit sandpaper. This will create a rough surface for the epoxy to bite into. A rough surface is necessary for a strong hold. Be sure to sand both the inside and outside of the fairing around the cracked area, as you’ll be applying epoxy to both sides.

2. After sanding, remove any dust and be sure to clean the area.

3. Open the package and push down in the center with the supplied applicator stick. This will create a cup.

4. You’ll notice there are two different-colored components inside the package. One is an epoxy resin, and the other is an amine resin. Using the applicator stick, mix the two components until it has one consistent color.

5. Using the applicator stick, apply the mixed epoxy evenly to the outside of the cracked area. You’ll have 5-15 minutes to work with the epoxy before it sets.

6. Let the epoxy cure for 24 hours, and then apply more to the inside of the cracked area. Again, wait 24 hours for a full cure.

7. Once you have a full cure, you can do some light sanding to smooth out any uneven surfaces.

8. Clean the area of any dust or debris, and then paint over it with the manufacturer’s recommended primer and paint.

And that’s all it takes. Your fairing can be repaired over the course of a weekend for just the price of the epoxy and some paint – a huge savings over a full replacement.

Other Uses for Epoxy on Your Motorcycle

Epoxy is a great thing to have on hand for a number of different motorcycle fixes. You can:

• Repair or reinforce a plastic fairing boss. A boss is the plastic piece that holds the threaded inserts in your fairing. These can sometimes crack or get weak, resulting in a loose fairing. You can use epoxy to reinforce them – just apply it around the outside of the base and let it cure.
• Repair any hard saddlebag damage.
• Reinforce any fairing brackets.
• Reinforce windshield bolts.
• Reinforce any other areas that may become weak through usage.