Need help please!!!!

[Brently7785]

Soooo..... it was a beautiful day in MI and some buddies and all went riding. 7-8 of us and it was a great time. Lots of differnt bikes and people and all enjoying a ride around the lake and the sun. Well coming around a turn the bike in front of me went down on a patch of small dirt in the road. to avoid the rider and his bike I was forced onto the shoulder (which in the country is dirt) and I was able to keep control and slow it down to about 10-15 mph before going down. It scrapped up the right front fairing and just a tiny bit on the nose. I will be badding pictures tonight when I get out of work. My new muffler is still in transit so its not a big deal the stock one was scrapped up. Snapped the drivers rear set as well.

Have new flush mounts also on the way so everything but the fairing is on the way. The rear set was only 75 and will be here in 24-36 hours. So what do I do about the faring?

Should I just say screw it and leave my bike with a few scraces? get new fairings? or try and have the sanded and repainted? (since they did not break or crack)

Does anyone know how much a new fairing is or where I can order one? Ebay has nothing really and I have been having trouble finding a site where I can order them. Dealers are not as cheap and im looking to go cheaper here since I am leaving for overseas ( Iam in the Army) this coming fall.

Anyone who could help would help make this a better day....I am 99% ok though!!!!!!! I was bale to slow the bike and did a smart job of the way i had to go down. Also, had all my gear on!!!!!!! I always have been and now have a reason to be a "RIDE WITH ALL YOUR GEAR CUZ WHO KNOWS WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN...HOT OR COLD!" kind of guy.

[Greg_E]

I'd leave the fairings all scratched for now and concentrate on the broken stuff. Then think about if you want to change the color or something like that. Maybe even try out a spray can paint job and not feel too bad if it doesn't turn out decent. Basically use the damage to your advantage for testing. Then when you know exactly what you want to do, you can buy new bodywork and do it right.

[Brently7785]

the bike will be 100% again and back to full working orer in 2 days. Its just the scraches on the fairing. Im debating on just leaving them or getting a new fairing?

[Momaru]

Very glad you're okay and the bike's on the mend. Props for not hitting the other rider and at least minimizing damage. What do you think you could've done differently to avoid going down entirely? More distance between riders? Slower?

Anyway, here's a link to a stickied thread of parts suppliers. http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=37334
Look under OEM parts. I've used cheapcycleparts.com and kawasakipartsnation.com several times and have been generally pleased with prices. Shipping takes a while, but does happen. There's lots of other suppliers that are good on that list, just look around. A new lower fairing runs about $230 last I looked.

Since the fairings aren't cracked, I'd say keep 'em. How deep the scuffs are will dictate what to do about 'em. I've got a few that went all the way thru my paint on the right side that I just hit with some touchup paint (Colorrite.com has the exact matches for our bikes). Funadamentally, it's up to you. If you feel your bike has to be 100% beautiful, it's new fairings or a repaint. If you're okay with some gravel kisses, leave 'em or go with some touchup. If you drop it again on that side, you won't feel quite as bad about it.

Just my

[CC Cowboy]

Originally Posted by Brently7785

the bike will be 100% again and back to full working orer in 2 days. Its just the scraches on the fairing. Im debating on just leaving them or getting a new fairing?

Stickers! They cover scratches well.

[Greg_E]

Keep them for track days?

[kkim]

Not to be mean, but if that was the scenario of why you went down, you have a lot to learn and this will most likely not be the last time you drop it. I'd say get the bike back to running order and live with the scratches.

Have you taken the MSF course? I assume you did based on you being in the military.

[Brently7785]

Originally Posted by Momaru

Very glad you're okay and the bike's on the mend. Props for not hitting the other rider and at least minimizing damage. What do you think you could've done differently to avoid going down entirely? More distance between riders? Slower?

Anyway, here's a link to a stickied thread of parts suppliers. http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=37334
Look under OEM parts. I've used cheapcycleparts.com and kawasakipartsnation.com several times and have been generally pleased with prices. Shipping takes a while, but does happen. There's lots of other suppliers that are good on that list, just look around. A new lower fairing runs about $230 last I looked.

Since the fairings aren't cracked, I'd say keep 'em. How deep the scuffs are will dictate what to do about 'em. I've got a few that went all the way thru my paint on the right side that I just hit with some touchup paint (Colorrite.com has the exact matches for our bikes). Funadamentally, it's up to you. If you feel your bike has to be 100% beautiful, it's new fairings or a repaint. If you're okay with some gravel kisses, leave 'em or go with some touchup. If you drop it again on that side, you won't feel quite as bad about it.

Just my

Thanks. Really appreaciate the insite. If found some prices already and your right...about 230 for a new one. On bikebanditt.com I can order the nose and right fairing together for about $465. I wont have that kind of extra money laying around for a while. Im going to go to the dealership here in town and see what they have for touchup paints. Only a few of them were deep scratches so I know they could be sanded and repainted.

Starting to think for now, just touchups and battle wounds will have to do. After that its wont be too bad and from more than 5ft away you wont notice the damage....

[noche_caliente]

someone also posted a turtle wax product last night in another wrecked thread that has a touch up stick to fill in the cracks. Wouldn't be the metallic black, but it might work with the wax on it....

[Brently7785]

Greg E - Im defintly going to that

KKim - Theres more to the story than I put up. its wasnt just hard dirt but but more of a fine sandy dirt. VERY SOFT! I was able to keep the bike up for a bit but when the back finally over slipped and leaned I knew it was going to go down. Being in the militray I know its better to bail out than to take the personnal damage trying to pull off the impossible. I did save the bike from worse damage though and did the best I could. It was either that or hit the rider or his bike in front of me! you pick which is better?

...and yes I took the MSF course and advanced course! Not everything can be avoided.

[BlueRaven]

If it was me i'd just touch it up and leave be. Like kkim said it might not be the last time something happens.

[Brently7785]

Originally Posted by noche_caliente

someone also posted a turtle wax product last night in another wrecked thread that has a touch up stick to fill in the cracks. Wouldn't be the metallic black, but it might work with the wax on it....

link to the thread?

[chrisenglandus]

Hi. Very sorry to hear of your problem. If you get to Ft Benning they may still have the free dirt bike course that was worth taking. The same course is given regularly at the Honda Rider / MSF training center in Alpharetta, GA but it costs some $. Probably neither would have saved your situation - but they just might save a future problem. I like the idea of just putting up with the scratches - My husband used Lanka on our daughter's dirt bike to mostly obsure scatches a few years ago.

[Tigress]

I would just touch up the scratches as well and deal with it. $465 is a big hunk of change if you don't have it. No one will probably even notice it unless they are up on it.

[BlueRaven]

Turtle wax magic color polish with bonus color stick

[noche_caliente]

Originally Posted by Brently7785

link to the thread?

[adri99an]

Originally Posted by Brently7785

Greg E - Im defintly going to that

KKim - Theres more to the story than I put up. its wasnt just hard dirt but but more of a fine sandy dirt. VERY SOFT! I was able to keep the bike up for a bit but when the back finally over slipped and leaned I knew it was going to go down. Being in the militray I know its better to bail out than to take the personnal damage trying to pull off the impossible. I did save the bike from worse damage though and did the best I could. It was either that or hit the rider or his bike in front of me! you pick which is better?

...and yes I took the MSF course and advanced course! Not everything can be avoided.

According to KKIM and CC---everything can be avoided...just read my crash thread or Ninja250s when we laid our bikes down......these 2 are GGTNR or Gods Gift to Ninja Riding....

Glad YOU are okay---I have the same issue with my bike as my left side is all scratched up......band aids work well and everyone gets a kick out of them.......I was thinking about ordering any color on EBAY (some fairings are cheaper than others) and then having them painted to match my bike.....new fairings are a good hunk of change.....

[cnichols79us]

Originally Posted by BlueRaven

Turtle wax magic color polish with bonus color stick

DO THEY STILL MAKE THAT STUFF?????? I was an Automotive Manager until 2005 and I was told back then that stuff wasn't made anymore.....

[Brently7785]

Originally Posted by adri99an

According to KKIM and CC---everything can be avoided...just read my crash thread or Ninja250s when we laid our bikes down......these 2 are GGTNR or Gods Gift to Ninja Riding....

Glad YOU are okay---I have the same issue with my bike as my left side is all scratched up......band aids work well and everyone gets a kick out of them.......I was thinking about ordering any color on EBAY (some fairings are cheaper than others) and then having them painted to match my bike.....new fairings are a good hunk of change.....

+1....I like the bandaide! Thats funny as h***. Might get a big one too as a joke for me and my buddies, I am sure they will like it. I decided to get the polish and now the bike looks wayyyy better. once I get the new Slip on and flush mounts it will be hard to ever notice. I went ahead last night and got some fine plastics sand paper and did some touch up work. (Im taking picture of everything....maybe a touch up and deal DIY) Ill post pictures when the bike comes back from the shop though. She was due for breakin maintenance anyways and they are replacing the broken rear set for nothing more than the price of the part.

[BlueRaven]

Originally Posted by cnichols79us

DO THEY STILL MAKE THAT STUFF?????? I was an Automotive Manager until 2005 and I was told back then that stuff wasn't made anymore.....

Yup I was glad i found the Turtle Wax Color Magic product. It really works well with the chipstick included. It just looks like i have little defects or smudges instead of the big white scratches i had on my black bike. You have to be standing beside the bike to see that they are scratches.

Should of taken a before and after pics but as usual i always forget to bring my camera when i go work on the bike at my parents house. I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a cheap way to make the scratches less noticeable.

[Dano]

color matched spray and clearcoat.. www.colorrite.com

[Banzai]

Originally Posted by Dano

color matched spray and clearcoat.. www.colorrite.com

MAJOR expensive, and unless your prep is up to par, it's cheaper to have a body shop paint it for you.

Broken pieces can be fixed with ABS cement from Home Depot. The color matched wax works OK. Buff out the scratches as much as you can first before using it. Trust me, it really helps.

As for the paint, you'd be AMAZED how much will buff out with Maguiers products! Oh, use a power buffer, hand polishing won't cut it! Start with Ultimate compound, switch to Scratch X 2.0, finish with Swirl X, then wash and wax.

Of course, we'd have to see a pic to know if it was worthwhile!