Wichita Scorpion
Active member
All my information on repair to Goldwing plastic has been learned from another Goldwing forum.
The Goldwings are made of ABS Plastic. Bondo, epoxy, fiberglass, and other glues/cement will just crack away from ABS Plastic. Go to Lowe's or any hardware store and get ABS Plastic cement (Black, not the clear) for cementing black plastic pipe under sinks. If you need to fill in a hole or space wider than a crack, get a roll of fiberglass tape used for tape and bedding. The ABS cement will actually melt into the bike plastic parts. Be careful using it around painted areas.
Black ABS Cement-Oatey #30999
Cleaner-Oatey #30779
For just a crack, place some masking tape over the painted side. On the back side, clean the crack and area around the crack with the cleaner. Separate the crack with a knife blade just a bit and work ABS cement into the crack, being careful not to force cement to the outside under the tape. For me, still working on the backside, I then cover an area over and around the crack with ABS cement, then work/sink a cut piece of the fiberglass tape into the cement, then another thin coat of ABS cement.
For a larger area or hole, again use the cleaner. You will need to build it up in layers of fiberglass tape and ABS cement. If your repaired hole shows on the painted surface you will need to touch up your paint. Some on the other forum talked of using shavings of ABS plastic and mixing it with the ABS cement for get a putty like filler. I have tried once to use shavings from an under the sink pipe mixed with ABS cement but the cement cures so fast the shavings didn't have time to melt. I did end up with a putty like mixture that would have filled a hole and I think could have been smoothed out with some sanding and then layered with ABS cement. I have not had to repair a hole yet.
When I installed LED marker lights in place of reflectors on the GL 1100A saddlebags, I use ABS cement to stick the wires inside the saddlebags and it made a neat job.
I would also appreciate any other information others might have to repairing ABS Plastics.
The Goldwings are made of ABS Plastic. Bondo, epoxy, fiberglass, and other glues/cement will just crack away from ABS Plastic. Go to Lowe's or any hardware store and get ABS Plastic cement (Black, not the clear) for cementing black plastic pipe under sinks. If you need to fill in a hole or space wider than a crack, get a roll of fiberglass tape used for tape and bedding. The ABS cement will actually melt into the bike plastic parts. Be careful using it around painted areas.
Black ABS Cement-Oatey #30999
Cleaner-Oatey #30779
For just a crack, place some masking tape over the painted side. On the back side, clean the crack and area around the crack with the cleaner. Separate the crack with a knife blade just a bit and work ABS cement into the crack, being careful not to force cement to the outside under the tape. For me, still working on the backside, I then cover an area over and around the crack with ABS cement, then work/sink a cut piece of the fiberglass tape into the cement, then another thin coat of ABS cement.
For a larger area or hole, again use the cleaner. You will need to build it up in layers of fiberglass tape and ABS cement. If your repaired hole shows on the painted surface you will need to touch up your paint. Some on the other forum talked of using shavings of ABS plastic and mixing it with the ABS cement for get a putty like filler. I have tried once to use shavings from an under the sink pipe mixed with ABS cement but the cement cures so fast the shavings didn't have time to melt. I did end up with a putty like mixture that would have filled a hole and I think could have been smoothed out with some sanding and then layered with ABS cement. I have not had to repair a hole yet.
When I installed LED marker lights in place of reflectors on the GL 1100A saddlebags, I use ABS cement to stick the wires inside the saddlebags and it made a neat job.
I would also appreciate any other information others might have to repairing ABS Plastics.