Yesterday morning I was going to take the bike from my garage and like an idiot forgot to take the front disc brake lock and the result was this: What should be the best way to repair this?
There are several proprietary two component mixtures for repairing ABS plastic. Not a clue what you have in Portugal.. The split looks like it may continue through the curve. The ususal procedure is to remove some the ABS plastic from the back. This is called here "V grooving" , then applying the repair mixture. The front can be touched up with the proper paint and a small brush or the entire fender can be repainted. The bike is only 2 years old so matching the red will not be a serious problem. On a total repaint the crack on the front will need filling too. Tons of repair techniques in the archives.
I think I will go with an Epoxy solution, because is the option I feel more comfortable. Later I will post some pics when the job is done! Thank you!
There is a video on plastic welding from some English guy but I would think it the repair may be quite noticeable where you have that crack. You tube has dozens of videos on all methods of repairs. I did try one of those two part products which I failed with . I used Plastix which is a powder which you mix a solution with and apply much like Badbilly mentioned. I am fairly sure I was doing something wrong as others here are quite happy with that product.
Epoxies and polyesters do not bond well with ABS plastic. In the last few years with the introduction of more and more auto parts made of ABS, two component adhesive/fillers are easy to find at full service auto suppliers. The damage done to the fender is a hairline crack. IMO if plastic welding is employed it is best done from the back. None of the adhesive/fillers and plastic welding techniques work worth a damn unless the paint is removed from the area needing repair.
