11-01-2012, 12:06 PM
Disclaimer: Do the following at your own risk, it's your bike. If you screw it up it's not my fault. Also, You'll be working with heat so don't burn yourself, blow yourself up, burn the hair off your dog, maim your cat, etc. You do the following at your own risk!
I did this several months back and never posted. It's pretty easy. I'm assuming you already have a cage installed to do it this way.
Tools needed:
-Allen wrenches
-Sockets
-Hammers- body hammers and blocks work best for denting portion, you can pick up a set at harbor freight for around $20
-Heat gun
-various size blocks of wood
-Phone book
-ratchet straps
-Pair of gloves
Optional:
-Spray paint
-Traction pad
Step 1: Remove fairings including tank cover
step 2: dent your tank, don't have pics of this part but start towards the gas lid and work out. Use the phone book to beat on around the lid unless you want to replace the broken cap. Keep working your way towards the back of the bike until you're happy with the depth. If you get a fold stop beating that area down or you could tear the metal.
Here's a pic of mine after denting the metal(sorry the pic is a little blurry):
step 3: Put the tank cover back on and bolt the sides back down. Now warm up your heat gun.
Step 4: form the plastic. Start by heating an area and continually move the heat gun, don't stay on one area for a long time. Put a pair of gloves on and start pressing the plastic into the dent.
Step 5: After trying to get the plastic to stay in place I found it kept popping back out so I did the following. Grab some wood and some ratchet straps. Put the wood in the dent and run the ratchet straps across the bike hooking them to your cage. Heat an area and while doing so tighten down the straps. Let it cool and move to another area. If you take your time you will get the plastic to fit the dent and line up with the cap perfectly. Here are some pics of this method:
Now either repaint it, throw a wrap on it, put some traction pad on it, or leave it.
Here's a pic of HT Moto traction pad I got from Zeus(awesome price and fast shipping) when I started installing it after denting.
I did this several months back and never posted. It's pretty easy. I'm assuming you already have a cage installed to do it this way.
Tools needed:
-Allen wrenches
-Sockets
-Hammers- body hammers and blocks work best for denting portion, you can pick up a set at harbor freight for around $20
-Heat gun
-various size blocks of wood
-Phone book
-ratchet straps
-Pair of gloves
Optional:
-Spray paint
-Traction pad
Step 1: Remove fairings including tank cover
step 2: dent your tank, don't have pics of this part but start towards the gas lid and work out. Use the phone book to beat on around the lid unless you want to replace the broken cap. Keep working your way towards the back of the bike until you're happy with the depth. If you get a fold stop beating that area down or you could tear the metal.
Here's a pic of mine after denting the metal(sorry the pic is a little blurry):
step 3: Put the tank cover back on and bolt the sides back down. Now warm up your heat gun.
Step 4: form the plastic. Start by heating an area and continually move the heat gun, don't stay on one area for a long time. Put a pair of gloves on and start pressing the plastic into the dent.
Step 5: After trying to get the plastic to stay in place I found it kept popping back out so I did the following. Grab some wood and some ratchet straps. Put the wood in the dent and run the ratchet straps across the bike hooking them to your cage. Heat an area and while doing so tighten down the straps. Let it cool and move to another area. If you take your time you will get the plastic to fit the dent and line up with the cap perfectly. Here are some pics of this method:
Now either repaint it, throw a wrap on it, put some traction pad on it, or leave it.
Here's a pic of HT Moto traction pad I got from Zeus(awesome price and fast shipping) when I started installing it after denting.
Originally Posted by j blox