Carbon Fibre Sheet

[originalracingsnake]

My boots are rubbing the paint off the frame on my K5!

So far I have lessened the effects by using masking tape on boots and frame, but I want a longer term, waterproof solution. I'm not keen on vinyl look-a-like sheet, so wanted to use carbon fibre sheet like this http://tinyurl.com/49mpm3

Anyone done it? As the area is not a flat surface, any advice n how to work the sheet to the required shape(s)?

Jim

[lorenzo]

Proper sharp, proper strong scissors. You'll find it difficult to do with normal paper scissors and the edges will be scruffy.

[gnarly]

Hi,

1.8mm thick carbon sheet will not cut with anything like scissors or shears,you need one of those mini angle grinder discs that go on a dremel or a razor saw and wet and dry to deburr the edges(and wear a dust mask!!).

You can mill,cut,drill,and sand it but proper pre preg 1.8mm carbon will not bend at all it will fracture and break first.

You can bond it to stuff by roughing the area wiping down with acetone and use epoxy resin as a glue.

DIY guide to moulding your own parts enough here...

http://www.hunterdogs.org/GeneralInfo/Arti...0COMPONENTS.pdf

Here is a carbon/ally sidestand I made for one of my project bikes.

UKsupplier of pre preg carbon here(not cheap tho).

http://www.carbonology.com/

HTH

[originalracingsnake]

I can see this turning into a bit of a mini project.

Is it possible to use gentle heat to form a curve, using the frame as the anvil to shape it? I'll be heating the sheet, NOT the frame BTW.

Gnarly, many thanks for the link, VERY interesting, but seems to err on the side of the guy who has a full workshop and space to make a big investment. My biggest issue is lack of workshop. The garage is tiny, having been stolen from me by SWMBO for a utility room and dining room. Thanks too to Lorenzo, I'm guessing the Fiskars from me wifes sewing box are not man enough then?

I'm not keen to give this up, but it looks like sticking leather to the plastic on my Sidi Vertebras might be the answer. I tend to ride with my toes on the peg and actually lift my foot off the peg to swap cogs. This must be what is rubbing/abrading the frame. The LHS is nowhere near as bad as I don't use the rear brake as much as the gears..... I cannot be the only chap on a black framed GSX-R to have this issue, surely?

[rureadyboots]

i have a 11000 mile gsxr 1000 k5 and the paints 100% fine all over.not much help i know but my bike is faultless and no one must ever critise it....ever ever,ever,ever

[originalracingsnake]

It does help, as it makes me think I have still got issues with my smashed left foot after a crash on my TLS. Maybe I just keep my feet/legs too inboard? Not sure.

Don't get me wrong it is not a quality of finish issue, I have owned Suzukis for years now and know the limitations. I'll have a nother gander tomorrow and saee of I can make up a protector that extends from the heel plate, in prepreg carbon...

I'm haunted by the "build it, don't buy it" tag.

[rureadyboots]

well if it was me it would be a"wrap shit loads of duct tape round it,dont build it" tag

[TKDMitch]

I tried doing this with some carbon fibre sheet from Motrax or someone similar. Sounds crappy but it was genuine carbon fibre. I used it on the polished swingarm of a Mille where your boot heels rub.

Trouble was it had some kind of coating over the top, which your boot heel wore off pretty quickly, leaving it looking pretty crappy. Then the water got between the weave and that (I guess) and the pressure of your boots started to slide it around on the swingarm.

It just ended up looking gash pretty quickly, then worse soon after.

I gave up in the end, but fortunately the Tuono had swingarm guards and an identical swinger.

Don't spend a bomb on it, it might not work.

Mitch

[originalracingsnake]

well if it was me it would be a"wrap shit loads of duct tape round it,dont build it" tag

Masking tape is my current defence, it is working well........

I reckon an alternative attack might be to cut a patch of leather and glue it to my boots. The vertebra has a plastic "cup" where it velcros shut, and it is this that is buggering the finish on the frame.

"Must think laterally".........

[originalracingsnake]

I tried doing this with some carbon fibre sheet from Motrax or someone similar. Sounds crappy but it was genuine carbon fibre. I used it on the polished swingarm of a Mille where your boot heels rub.

Trouble was it had some kind of coating over the top, which your boot heel wore off pretty quickly, leaving it looking pretty crappy. Then the water got between the weave and that (I guess) and the pressure of your boots started to slide it around on the swingarm.

It just ended up looking gash pretty quickly, then worse soon after.

I gave up in the end, but fortunately the Tuono had swingarm guards and an identical swinger.

Don't spend a bomb on it, it might not work.

Mitch

Fuck! Just what went through my mind too. Bugger. Thanks for the precident, you have just stopped me making my garage smell like a boat builders, and my wallet stays fat(ish).

[TKDMitch]

Fuck! Just what went through my mind too. Bugger. Thanks for the precident, you have just stopped me making my garage smell like a boat builders, and my wallet stays fat(ish).

I might have a bit left in the garage which you'd be welcome to have as a freebie and experiment with if you want to?

There may well be better stuff out there too, so it may be worth pursuing, but the stuff I used certainly didn't work for me.

Mitch

[roadracer]

If the frame has a gap behind the affecting area, could you not use some exhaust wrap around the frame like wot them WRC Rally cars use on their headers??

Surely it would give a bit of hardarse to the bike and make it look purposeful and not tatty lie carbon frame guards.....?

[originalracingsnake]

I might have a bit left in the garage which you'd be welcome to have as a freebie and experiment with if you want to?

There may well be better stuff out there too, so it may be worth pursuing, but the stuff I used certainly didn't work for me.

Mitch

Mitch, that is very kind of you, thanks. Can I let you know how my thoughts go on it? I have a few ideas, but need more time to sort out what is going to be drawn up, and what is going to be binned!

[originalracingsnake]

If the frame has a gap behind the affecting area, could you not use some exhaust wrap around the frame like wot them WRC Rally cars use on their headers??

Surely it would give a bit of hardarse to the bike and make it look purposeful and not tatty lie carbon frame guards.....?

That'd work on a 80-90's cradle framed AMA bike, but on this modern sports bike, IMHO, it would look like a lash up.

[roadracer]

Buy a Honda?

[ChrisH]

Don't try and heat CF, it won't react well to that. And bonding to Aluminium without first treating the aluminuim is not a great idea either (CF reacts with aluminium, so the best thing to do is bond glassfibre around the ally part first and bond that to the CF.)

Why not take the CF sheet and make some newer, bigger heel guards with it? (not sure if it's this easy as i don't have a gixxer in front of me)

Nevermind, i'll learn to read first.

ride with the balls of you feet on the pegs and wear away the heel guards first?!?!

IGMC

[TKDMitch]

Mitch, that is very kind of you, thanks. Can I let you know how my thoughts go on it? I have a few ideas, but need more time to sort out what is going to be drawn up, and what is going to be binned!

No worries. Reading the description in the link you posted, that looks like much better stuff than I used. Mine was thin and flexible and on a self adhesive backing, the stuff you're looking at seems much more pukka so might work.

Mitch

[fastdruid]

Buy a Honda?

Not going to help

See that big black section where the paint has worn off on the seat sides by the peg?

That is all thanks to my sidi vertigo boots. ~35k with no damage and then that's happened from the times I've ridden it in the dry in the last 5k.

Not a lot I can do about it so I just figure to buy some nicer panels off ebay!

Druid