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Road Rash Repair Advice (Maaco?)

8K views 26 replies 10 participants last post by  jgr451 
#1 ·
Hey Everyone!

I just registered here within this BMW cycle community, and I'm glad to be a part of it. After browsing around a bit, seems like an outstanding group of people here. I'm a 3rd generation rider, and part of the flying-brick clan (myself, dad, brother, uncles...etc, all brick owners).

I am the proud owner of a 1990 BMW K75S.
You can find some pictures of her here:
http://www.charlesdonahue.com/bmw

Now, I am looking for some advice. Towards the end of last years riding season for me, I had a fairly minor wipeout, and it gave my front left fairing a bit of road rash.
You can find pictures here and here

I have decided to repair and paint the front left fairing, as well as paint the right fairing and engine bucket all in one foul swoop... just to keep them the same color. Also, the right side fairing and engine bucket have some cracks from the previous owner, so I am looking forward to fixing that as well. I had a local BMW shop quote me a price for repair and it was wayyyyy outside of my price range. I then took my 3 fairing pieces to a local Maaco, and they quoted me $300. That price was unexpectedly cheap... so that kinda scares me (life lesson right, get what you pay for...). Has anyone had any experience with Maaco doing motorcycle body work? Further, does anyone know any people in the Chicagoland area who does dependable motorcycle body work at a reasonable price? Any advice/insight here would be great obliged! Thanks all :)
 
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#2 ·
Hi there,
I am not familiar with your area shops as I live in Canada, but I am a ticketed bodyman and painter so I might have something usefull to say.... Maaco is cheap because they don't pay their staff well which usuallly means they don't care how it gets done.It also depends on who is working at MAACO. You might have some noob apprentice that ****'s it all up or they might surprise you and do a good job. They get really good deals on cheap materials as they make deals with certain companies to only buy their products at all their locations. The paint they use is kinda a garbage compared to todays standards but it is better than what was available say 20 years ago.

The repair is the most critical as cracks and poor repairs will show through the paint as the paint cures and the panels heat up and cool repeatedly from use. The sun is really bad for doing this... If you don't need a really nice job done $300 isn't all that much like you said.... My experience ( not with maaco tho ) is if you want it done right you are going to have to pay to have it done right. By the looks of your pictures, I would suggest getting a body shop to do it. Your panels look like SMC and the fit and finish would be done better by a proper shop. Also the cracks in your panels go deep and would require a lot more time and material to fix than you might think..... one tube of repair adhesive is around $40-$50 and you will need approx 2 tubes. From your pics it looks like a $1000 repair job.... So yeah 300 is low....
If it were my bike? I would want to ensure it was done right. Maaco Is a second rate shop and uses cheaper paint and materials. You probably won't be happy. It certainly wont look as good as it did before the drop if they do it. If a real shop does it at least your bike has a chance of looking perfect again. You really do get what you pay for, but as I said, if the guys at your Maaco shop have a brain and experience it just might turn out.......
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the insight....

Ya, I kinda feel the same way. "ya get what you pay for" is a life lesson I have learned more than once. Each fairing piece is $277 primed, or $523 if I chose to just replace them, rather than repair them.

I guess I'm just on a strict budget lately (along with the rest of the world), and I'm trying to find the most cost effective way to restore my bike back to her beautifulness. I still haven't decided whether or not to go with Maaco. In the meantime, I've been on the hunt for a used fairing(s) to replace it with.
 
#4 ·
Have you tought of going to a boat shop? The fairing is fiberglass and they usually have a lot of experience with that material. I would probably do most of the prep work myself, but my dad used to own a bodyshop, so I have a slight advantage here.

For the valve cover, I have fixed worse than that on my GS, go at it with a fine file, then sand it well. I have had good success by mixing 2/3 HiHeat Gloss with 1/3 Flat to match older case paints. If you want it durable, Zinc Chromate primer is suggested for any Aluminium or Magnesium alloy parts. :thumb:
 
G
#6 ·
"Cheap paint jobs aren't good, and good paint jobs aren't cheap."

I've taken BMW bike parts to an area auto body shop which does a lot of frame off restoration & paint work, but the owner owns several bikes and also does custom painting for motorcyclists. They'll also work with any material, even fiberglas since Vette owners have specialized work done there.
 
#7 ·
Talk to your local dealer. They usually know people who deal with motorcycle repairs like this, and who can do it right. I wouldn't take a crappy car I didn't want to Maaco, and certainly not one of my bikes.
 
#8 ·
DavidTaylor said:
Talk to your local dealer. They usually know people who deal with motorcycle repairs like this, and who can do it right. I wouldn't take a crappy car I didn't want to Maaco, and certainly not one of my bikes.
Oh yeah! That is what I did way back then,turned out the guy was was "THE" Triumph restorer/authority on the West Coast. Had about 20 restored bikes in his basement besides the ones in a museum which I saw later.

He was doing all the BMWs for them, the cost was very reasonnable considering he beautifully pinstriped my bike without asking me, at no extra cost over what we had previously agreed upon. And he painted the inside of the fairings too.

That paint job was even better than BMW's, it chipped less from rocks and such from the extra clear coats he put on.

Here is to you Rick Brown! :clap:
 
#9 ·
Jeromy sounds like he knows what he's talking about and it's good to hear from paintshop pros.

Over the years I've dabbled with paint finishing and with mixed results. Without a clean dust free workshop and IR heating lamps, it's hard to get good blemish free paint finishes. What impressses me about BMW paint work is how 'solid' the color is and it seems very UV resistant. My bike has never been stored inside a garage, but I do keep it covered with a fabric bike cover when I'm not riding. That blocks the UV because every 3 years the cover is toast, not through rain and rot, but UV - even in UK. UV protection in paint formulas is an expensive component of the paint, so it's worth considering what you might be getting when the paint is a bulk purchased non-speciality paint. My '97 needed a new red top tank panel which I damaged (ouch!) in 2005. Comparing the new and 8 year old panels, I could see no paint fade at all! That's why when you park older Beemers alongside most 3 year old+ bikes - they can look like sh*t.

The paint finisher won't use much paint on a panel, so you can afford the best paint. It's the labor of pre-preparation, setting up to spray and cleaning up afterwards that is time consuming.



 
#10 ·
Great group of people here, I appreciate everyone's insight and advice. I'm still leaning towards Maaco, just because I can't afford spend $1000+ at a more legitimate body shop... but I'm really hoping that I don't regret this decision. I'm still kinda back & forth in my head :confused:

Just for reference if someone stumbles across this topic in the future, I would like to add some seemingly-expertise advice from another K-Bike rider in the I-BMW forum:

Bob said:
Then here are a few hints. If your fairing is made of what appears to be "fiberglass" (that is, it is relatively thick and does not appear to be "molded out of plastic" like newer fairings are), then it is made of something called Sheet Molding Compound ("SMC"). This is the same stuff that Corvette bodies are made of. It is a mixture of chopped glass fibers, polyester resin, a catalyst, other fillers, and some mold release compound. It starts out as a putty-like glob that is precisely weighed and put between halves of a mold. The mold is then closed and heat applied. The stuff flows out, fills the mold and then hardens.

OK that's what it is. Now the problem. The mold release they put in, is there to ensure it doesn't stick to the mold. It also makes adhesion to it very difficult.

So... if you or your guy need to patch cracks in the fairing, DO NOT use ordinary polyester "fiberglassing" resin!!! It will not stick!

Instead, it is imperative to use an epoxy resin. Not the sort of epoxy that comes in 2 tubes in the hardware store, but a proper epoxy such as West Systems "G-Flex 650" epoxy. It comes in a kit of 2, 4 ounce bottles for about $20. This is a "toughened" epoxy that withstands vibration.

The only problem with using epoxy is that the stuff is not nice and runny like polyester fiberglassing resin is. It is like honey. So if you need to repair a real bash, you will need to lay up layers of fiberglass cloth, and saturate them with the epoxy. The best way to do this is to suspend the part being fixed above a hotplate, and allow it to heat up to about 100 - 110 degrees F . Now, when you brush on the thick epoxy onto the part, it will instantly heat up and get nice and runny and "wet" the part beautifully. The other advantage of heating is that the epoxy will cure MUCH faster... in about half an hour, instead of a day.

As for more minor graunches, ordinary "bondo" filler (body filler that uses a catalyst) works well.

As for painting, once the bodywork is finished, you need to primer it with a catalysed primer like "PPG Prima K36", then sand with 400-grit wet-or-dry sandpaper, and then rub it thoroughly down with a Green Scotchbrite pad.

Final color coat should be painted with Glasurit paint. Glasurit is BMW's paint supplier and the have the original formula. Trying to get a paint match using another brand is a crap shoot.

Your bike should have a sticker with the "Finish Code" under the seat. My old K100's is #617. This needs to be looked up to get the actual Paint Code which is what they need to get the paint formula. In the case of my old K100RT, looking up the #617 Finish Code, results in a paint code #186, and the color name "Diamond Grey Metallic" (or some German equivalent ...in my case, "Diamont Grau Met.").

Here is the website where you can look up your own Finish (or "scheme") Code to get the paint code..... http://www.bmbikes.co.uk/paintcodes.htm

First, select the general color (in my case, I clicked on "greys"), then in the page that comes up, look down the Scheme Code column (I looked down until I saw #617), then next to it you will find the color name and paint code number (iin my case, paint code 186 and the name Diamond Grey Metallic.

Glasurit has a US site that gives locations US many US shops that use this paint.
 
#11 ·
Maaco, sounds just like a shark, and their ads on TV were pretty "Sharky" too.

But I'll ask for you, I'm on something else with a long time BMW rider in Chicago, I'll ask him about alternatives. But thanks for the link on BMW paints , it answers something that puzzled me about them "Alaska Blues"...! :)
 
#12 ·
charlesdonahue said:
Great group of people here, I appreciate everyone's insight and advice. I'm still leaning towards Maaco, just because I can't afford spend $1000+ at a more legitimate body shop... but I'm really hoping that I don't regret this decision. I'm still kinda back & forth in my head :confused:

Just for reference if someone stumbles across this topic in the future, I would like to add some seemingly-expertise advice from another K-Bike rider in the I-BMW forum:
I didn't see anyone saying you were going to spend $1000+ by talking to your dealer and finding someone who works on bikes in this capacity. Not sure why you're projecting high cost into the equation with no data to back it up. Do some research, it's free!

And just to give you something to think about - You already are regretting the decision to go to Maaco. If you felt good about what you were going to get from them you would be there already.

TALK TO YOUR DEALER.

ASK OTHER MOTORCYCLISTS.

DO SOME RESEARCH.


You're setting yourself up to be disappointed, and there's nobody to blame for that but yourself. So if you don't like the $300 special from Maaco, how much are you willing to spend to fix it somewhere else after the fact? Add that to your budget and go shopping. There are two things I would hate to have happen -

1) you're bike get screwed up and turn out poorly
2) listen to you whine about a bad paint job you knew you were going to get in the first place

Did I mention do some research? ;)
 
#13 ·
Personally, If it were My bike, I would collect bottles and take on a paper route just to keep those Maaco fingers off my precious BMW.... Its kinda like using nothing but the highest grade gasoline or using the best oils and tires.... we treat them better than we treat ourselves. Consider this - If you were going to send your wife out to the spa ( cause you love her... duh ) you'd send her somewhere expensive not to the dog groomer cause you know at the end of the day your going to.... well you know.... :kiss: :gaRy: ummm, yeah, go to bed early.... riiiiiiiight... You'd get what you deserve if you chose the groomers. :rant :deadhorse :hanged Your bike is really your other wife isn't she? Treat her right and she'll love you back. Thats all i'm say'in.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Oh that Bob on I-bmw...

I am slowing educating myself on fiberglass and composite construction with my fairing project and would like to throw my 0.02 of knowledge in...

I don't understand his comments about mold release and SMC. Mold release used in a mold is usually PVA film that simply washes away with warm soap and water.

He MIGHT be referring to the gelcoat layer that basically is a very hard, pigmented resin layer sprayed on the mold before the fiberglass is laid down. It acts as a finish coat to provide that super smooth surface and prevent the "print through" of the fiberglass cloth.

The reason for using epoxy resin isn't because of this "mold release." It's because simply, polyester resin makes for a poor adhesive. By nature, polyester resins contract as they cure (or dry). When they contract, the area becomes prestressed and the adhesion is poor.

None of this matters much to you. You just want to know if your part can be fixed. Well...

I think enough structural damage was done to mounting points that fixes will be difficult. A repair on a large flat panel is easy. On a thin curved edge like some of yours is not. In addition, the gelcoat has cracked and will never quite be the same after repair. I'd say bring it to the best shop specializing in fiberglass repair and ask if it can even be done. If they say no, then go to Maaco and get the quick fix.

charlesdonahue said:
Great group of people here, I appreciate everyone's insight and advice. I'm still leaning towards Maaco, just because I can't afford spend $1000+ at a more legitimate body shop... but I'm really hoping that I don't regret this decision. I'm still kinda back & forth in my head :confused:

Just for reference if someone stumbles across this topic in the future, I would like to add some seemingly-expertise advice from another K-Bike rider in the I-BMW forum:
 
#15 ·
JCW said:
Oh that Bob on I-bmw...

I am slowing educating myself on fiberglass and composite construction with my fairing project and would like to throw my 0.02 of knowledge in...

I don't understand his comments about mold release and SMC. Mold release used in a mold is usually PVA film that simply washes away with warm soap and water.

He MIGHT be referring to the gelcoat layer that basically is a very hard, pigmented resin layer sprayed on the mold before the fiberglass is laid down. It acts as a finish coat to provide that super smooth surface and prevent the "print through" of the fiberglass cloth.

The reason for using epoxy resin isn't because of this "mold release." It's because simply, polyester resin makes for a poor adhesive. By nature, polyester resins contract as they cure (or dry). When they contract, the area becomes prestressed and the adhesion is poor.
.
Well, I did not understand some of it either,not the first time....! :D I'm glad you brought this up and refreshed my memory.But I am going back to fiberglass repairs way back when them epoxy resins were not even available.
But I always go back to boat experts for that kind of info so here is some.....Interesting as to the tidbit on epoxies with gelcoats !

Using Polyester or Vinylester Resin
For above-the-waterline repairs you can use either polyester or vinylester resin. Of course, for an even stronger repair you can also use epoxy, but not if the surface of the repair will be gelcoat. (You should use epoxy for underwater repairs.)


From Don Casey, a legend in Boat Building/Repair, but also past experiences.... :teeth

http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/17.htm
 
#16 ·
Having trade certificates in both collision repair and paint refinishing I have had much experience with SMC. It is VERY common on Fords. The Taurus and I think nearly all F trucks had SMC header panels ( what the grill and Headlamps mount to ) for many years throughout the 90's. I have found that SMC is much easier to repair than fibreglass simply because of its construction. Norton, 3M, and Fusor all make excellent products for repairing SMC. A common misconception with SMC is that you cannot use fibreglass to repair it. You can use fibreglass and it's resins to do a repair on SMC. The catch is that you cannot go the opposite way - SMC repair compound on fibreglass. This is because of the thickness, uniformity of the material, and how it reacts to expansion and contraction due to heat. Fibreglass as you know is greatly affected by heat. You may have a perfect mirror finish on your Vette when it leaves a shaded 75 degree shop, but when that nice new finish hits 150 degrees in the sun in a parking lot of a grocery store you have what you started with - wavy fibreglass. SMC because of its uniform thickness, random fibre structure and resin compounds combine to make a very rigid semi-flexible non-warping panel. This makes it very attractive combined with its light weight and mould ability to Manufacturers like BMW. It simply will stand up very well where fibreglass will not. My experience with painting SMC is good. I have found that there is very little mould release agents on smc panels. If it is because they are washed when they leave factory i do not know, but I have found that it does not fisheye easily when i paint it without washing the panel first.... not that i would recommend this.... When you do wash SMC or fibreglass you must be sure you allow it to thoroughly dry. Applying heat to the area will help this. If you have ground out the damaged area all you should need to do is blow off the repair area with high pressure before applying repair material. There is no issues with adhesion due to any sort of mould release agents imbeded in the SMC part. Just be sure to blow the part very well before you wash or apply glues. Todays repair materials work excellent and the only failures I have had with repairs was when I force dried the adhesive for too long with too much heat and it blistered the adhesive. Therefore I would not pre heat the panel too much. I would ensure it was not cold, but I would not get it hot. The adhesives are fairly runny as it is and you will want the glue to build as you are filling the gaps with the glue material. Not run all over the floor... If it is hot it will run all over and make a bloody mess and you may have to fill the repair area twice.

1st grind out the repair area with a 40-80 grit disk. ensure that you have ground out all the damaged material. Next bevel the edges of the repair so that you have a gradual 'V' around the crack / damage. Kind of a very gradual valley. Blow the area thoroughly!!!

2nd - Cut your fibreglass tape into pieces that will fit in your repair area gradually getting larger to cover the entire area. ( most of the industry uses drywall mesh because it is cheap..... I do too it works good ) You will never have too much mesh. You want to fill the gap with it to give the area strength and then use the glue to give it adhesion and flexability.

3rd - attach mixing tip to glue tube and start dispencing purging and inch or two of material to ensure an even mix ( into garbage can). I would suggest the 15 minute material as you will have ample time to work with it before it hardens. apply some glue to the bevelled repair area and work it into the existing SMC panel with a flexable plastic putty knife. Next start to place your pre cut mesh into the repair area applying more glue over it as you go. Be sure to work the glue into the mesh with your knife as you go so that there are no air pockets. Also make sure you have a random pattern as you lay down the mesh. This will give it the proper strength. make sure that the final glue / mesh application is higher than what the surrounding panel is as you will sand it down later. Once the product has dried, sand with 100 - 150 grit sand paper until the repaired area is slightly lower than what it should be. And I do mean slightly. TIP: If you are rebuilding a tab or mounting point, Aluminum Foil Duct Tape will help you form whatever shape you are needing...

4th and finally apply one more spread of glue over the area, allow dry and finish sand with 150 grit paper till you have the desired contour. Sand around this area with 320 grit, blow, wash, dry, and then prime. NEVER NEVER NEVER wet sand. SMC is hydroscopic and holds water. Keep water out at all cost!
5th sand with 600 grit paper and paint.

I may need to edit this a bit as I may have overlooked something, but I am just going to post it and proof read at it later..... :teeth

I know it wasn't requested, but someone will find it very helpful later I'm sure.
 
#17 ·
For anyone interested...

The issue with epoxy and gelcoats is that gelcoat is essentially a polyester resin. Epoxy is an epoxy resin. Now, because of the different chemistries, sometimes a polyester gelcoat placed over an epoxy/fiberglass part will not be compatible and leave a gooey mess or poor adhesion. Even waiting after the epoxy is fully cured, the presence of an amine blush may not let the gelcoat stick. Not to say it isn't done and sometimes works, OK.

That said, how do manufacturer's get that deep 3D look on carbon fiber pieces that pretty much are always wetted out with epoxy? From what I understand, there are epoxy counterparts to the gelcoat layer called epoxy surface coats. That and clear coat paints can be used. This is particularly important in that the epoxy and carbon fiber can break down after prolonged UV exposure. And the there are special surface coats that can resist this UV damage. Of course, if you plan on painting over the carbon fiber, the paint will usually suffice.


Oh and BTW, I looked up SMC and yes, there are internal mold release compounds in the fiberglass. Sounds like primarily a high volume product and similar to chopped mat but finer in construction. What I read is that a wet layup unsing fiberglass cloth will be stronger than one made with SMC.


H96669 said:
Well, I did not understand some of it either,not the first time....! :D I'm glad you brought this up and refreshed my memory.But I am going back to fiberglass repairs way back when them epoxy resins were not even available.
But I always go back to boat experts for that kind of info so here is some.....Interesting as to the tidbit on epoxies with gelcoats !

Using Polyester or Vinylester Resin
For above-the-waterline repairs you can use either polyester or vinylester resin. Of course, for an even stronger repair you can also use epoxy, but not if the surface of the repair will be gelcoat. (You should use epoxy for underwater repairs.)


From Don Casey, a legend in Boat Building/Repair, but also past experiences.... :teeth

http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/17.htm
 
#18 ·
Good stuff, thanks!

Jeromy said:
Having trade certificates in both collision repair and paint refinishing I have had much experience with SMC. It is VERY common on Fords. The Taurus and I think nearly all F trucks had SMC header panels ( what the grill and Headlamps mount to ) for many years throughout the 90's. I have found that SMC is much easier to repair than fibreglass simply because of its construction. Norton, 3M, and Fusor all make excellent products for repairing SMC. A common misconception with SMC is that you cannot use fibreglass to repair it. You can use fibreglass and it's resins to do a repair on SMC. The catch is that you cannot go the opposite way - SMC repair compound on fibreglass. This is because of the thickness, uniformity of the material, and how it reacts to expansion and contraction due to heat. Fibreglass as you know is greatly affected by heat. You may have a perfect mirror finish on your Vette when it leaves a shaded 75 degree shop, but when that nice new finish hits 150 degrees in the sun in a parking lot of a grocery store you have what you started with - wavy fibreglass. SMC because of its uniform thickness, random fibre structure and resin compounds combine to make a very rigid semi-flexible non-warping panel. This makes it very attractive combined with its light weight and mould ability to Manufacturers like BMW. It simply will stand up very well where fibreglass will not. My experience with painting SMC is good. I have found that there is very little mould release agents on smc panels. If it is because they are washed when they leave factory i do not know, but I have found that it does not fisheye easily when i paint it without washing the panel first.... not that i would recommend this.... When you do wash SMC or fibreglass you must be sure you allow it to thoroughly dry. Applying heat to the area will help this. If you have ground out the damaged area all you should need to do is blow off the repair area with high pressure before applying repair material. There is no issues with adhesion due to any sort of mould release agents imbeded in the SMC part. Just be sure to blow the part very well before you wash or apply glues. Todays repair materials work excellent and the only failures I have had with repairs was when I force dried the adhesive for too long with too much heat and it blistered the adhesive. Therefore I would not pre heat the panel too much. I would ensure it was not cold, but I would not get it hot. The adhesives are fairly runny as it is and you will want the glue to build as you are filling the gaps with the glue material. Not run all over the floor... If it is hot it will run all over and make a bloody mess and you may have to fill the repair area twice.

1st grind out the repair area with a 40-80 grit disk. ensure that you have ground out all the damaged material. Next bevel the edges of the repair so that you have a gradual 'V' around the crack / damage. Kind of a very gradual valley. Blow the area thoroughly!!!

2nd - Cut your fibreglass tape into pieces that will fit in your repair area gradually getting larger to cover the entire area. ( most of the industry uses drywall mesh because it is cheap..... I do too it works good ) You will never have too much mesh. You want to fill the gap with it to give the area strength and then use the glue to give it adhesion and flexability.

3rd - attach mixing tip to glue tube and start dispencing purging and inch or two of material to ensure an even mix ( into garbage can). I would suggest the 15 minute material as you will have ample time to work with it before it hardens. apply some glue to the bevelled repair area and work it into the existing SMC panel with a flexable plastic putty knife. Next start to place your pre cut mesh into the repair area applying more glue over it as you go. Be sure to work the glue into the mesh with your knife as you go so that there are no air pockets. Also make sure you have a random pattern as you lay down the mesh. This will give it the proper strength. make sure that the final glue / mesh application is higher than what the surrounding panel is as you will sand it down later. Once the product has dried, sand with 100 - 150 grit sand paper until the repaired area is slightly lower than what it should be. And I do mean slightly. TIP: If you are rebuilding a tab or mounting point, Aluminum Foil Duct Tape will help you form whatever shape you are needing...

4th and finally apply one more spread of glue over the area, allow dry and finish sand with 150 grit paper till you have the desired contour. Sand around this area with 320 grit, blow, wash, dry, and then prime. NEVER NEVER NEVER wet sand. SMC is hydroscopic and holds water. Keep water out at all cost!
5th sand with 600 grit paper and paint.

I may need to edit this a bit as I may have overlooked something, but I am just going to post it and proof read at it later..... :teeth

I know it wasn't requested, but someone will find it very helpful later I'm sure.
 
#19 ·
Tons of great info here :clap:

Someone dropped a comment about research, research, research.... That's what I have been doing. The very first place I visited for a quote was my local BMW Cycleworks. They told me that it would cost more for me to repair them than replace them. I asked for alternative advice, and he told me to keep an eye out for used fairing parts. I searched around, and wasn't able to come up with anything. Sure, I could wait on the repair, keep looking... but I think that would shave too much time off my 2010 riding season.

Next, I started pricing other shops. First was Maaco, just to see what my absolute cheapest would be ($375 - talked down to $300 as I mentioned earlier). Then I went to a handful of private body shops. They all quoted me somewhere between $900 - $1,200.. which is close to replacement cost.

Also, it is noteworthy, 2 of the body shops I visited actually recommended Maaco! Although it was shocking to me at first, they both gave me the same rationale when I asked why. They asked me how much my bike was worth... I told them it's somewhere between $2,500 - $4,000, and it kinda clicked in my head. If it was a $20,000 motorcycle, sure.... $1,000 is reasonable, but the bike just isn't financially worth that much. Of course, you all understand, my bike has much more value to me personally, emotionally... but ultimately money is the decision driver here :wtf:

Anywho, I think I'm just going to take the gamble and try my local Maaco. I figure, if they really mess it up, I'll just take the plunge and replace the fairings. I'll cross my fingers and take the $300 gamble. I'll post the pictures of their work when it's all done, and you can be the judge whether or not it was the right decision
 
#20 ·
I look forward to seeing the end result. Be sure to take some "before" pictures so we can compare them with the "after" ones. How else will we be able to truly pick this apart in great detail??? :D
 
#21 ·
JCW said:
For anyone interested...

Oh and BTW, I looked up SMC and yes, there are internal mold release compounds in the fiberglass. Sounds like primarily a high volume product and similar to chopped mat but finer in construction. What I read is that a wet layup unsing fiberglass cloth will be stronger than one made with SMC.
Yes, interesting, just looking at my brochure from 1985...."Now a new high-strenght, fiberglass-reinforced fairing on the sporting K100RS", could it have been fiberglass cloth together with SMC? I seem to recall similar techniques used on boats. :confused:
 
#22 · (Edited)
I just picked everything up from the body shop (right and left side fairings, engine spoiler, and gas tank)... and everything looks awesome!!! I gave the guy who owns the shop and extra $20 for the great work.... $380 (plus the $20 spiff) for repair and paint.

I'm very happy with how it turned out, at least thus far. We'll see what happens when the sun hits it. I'll post some pictures in a couple days once I get this stuff back on my bike :)
 
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