Trunk reinforcement

[saltcreep]

I saw a picture somewhere of how someone had reinforced their trunk to prevent it breaking... but I can not for the life of me find that picture again.

 

My cycle did not come with a trunk so I bought one off ebay and had to buy the mounting rack also, because they had cut off the bolts on it.

 

Would it be enough to just use big washers in mounting it?

[utadventure]

Which part are you looking to reinforce? The base/mounting area...the backrest area....both?

[saltcreep]

Which part are you looking to reinforce? The base/mounting area...the backrest area....both?

 

Sorry, the base I guess, I had to buy the backrest separate also. Do I need to reinforce it also?

[utadventure]

Brandon-

 

The ABS plastic does become more brittle over the years. I would recommend you reinforce both areas. The support area behind the mirror, where the passenger backrest attaches will crack/break in time. Mine was damaged when I bought the bike. As I had to paint the trunk to match, I took the time to repair it at the same time. I'll look up the photos tonight. Mine even had a small piece of plastic missing. I put masking tape on the outside to prevent a mess on the outside of the trunk, and then used ABS glue to weld the cracks back together. Next I put a layer of ABS glue over the entire area the backrest bolts into and worked a piece of fiberglass cloth into the glue using the but end of a screwdriver and allowed it to set. Finally I cut a piece of LEXAN large enough to cover the area and applied another layer of ABS glue and held it in place with some wood blocks and C clamps while it dried. After all was set I re-drilled the mounting holes and attached the backrest. I did the repair 4 years ago and all is good still.

 

Mounting areas - Last weekend on a ride, one of the other riders mentioned that my trunk was bouncing a lot. Upon inspection, I learned that on the base (nearest the back of the bike) the trunk had cracked almost all the way from side to side. I pulled the trunk when I got home and a friend of mine helped with the repair. Again we taped the outside to contain any leaking. First we used an epoxy to repair the crack. Next he used fiberglass to add support to the entire area of the crack. I haven't reinstalled the truck yet but I'm pleased with how it appears and hopefully the strength. Time will tell.

 

Dave

[utadventure]

Here are some pics:

 

http://s470.photobucket.com/albums/rr70/utadventure/Trunk%20Repair/

[saltcreep]

Awesome!! thanks muchly, now I know where to reinforce, I have a bottle of epoxy resin and some glass from another project... Might as well use it now and not have to fix it later before I put it on. Thank again for you help!

[jasonm.]

Since I have had my bike for over 20years. I have seen all sorts of plastic issues. 90% are preventable...when you know where it can and will break. FYI- fiberglass is not the best item to use. ABS type epoxy is best. Such as Devcon plastic welder from Walmart or at True Value hardware stores under their brand or Permatex Permapoxy 5 min plastic weld-Advance Auto. A true plastic welder epoxy get warm as it sets. And if you "wrap it" in plastic while it sets, it can get hot enough to smoke due to lack of air(not recommneded). Also it will not stick to plastic cooking wrap and allow you to mold it as it sets. My repairs have never come undone since the last one 17 years ago. Lastly...the stuff stinks to high heaven and can get you dizzy.