Would anyone know what material the fenders are made of on a 1500 Drifter? I made the saddle bag mods to carry two hard case bags off the seat frame. I made a 1,242 mile trip around Lake Michigan over the weekend and some of the roads in the U.P. werent the best. I hit a good size pot hole which drove the fender up into the bottom side of the seat frame and the bracket bolts were a little longer then they should have been. Yep. Two nice souvinors. I'd like to get the correct repair compound to make the repairs.
Thanks in advance for any assistance anyone can add.
Based on knowledge of plastic I believe the Drifter fenders to be molded out of ASB (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) thermoplastic. This material has been used for years on the toy industry to add impact resistance to products. At first I though they were molded from polyesters or polyurethanes which are currently used in manufacturing flexible auto bumpers. However just as hawkfan, my fender cracked after coming in contact with a low hanging electrical accessory. Bumper materials would not crack in that manner.
However the repairs are the same. 3M™ Bumper Repair - Flexible Parts Repair Material is an excellent material for repairing Drifter fenders. It is a specially formulated two part epoxy material design for this type of application. Follow the direction on the package or watch any one of the You Tube videos on the subject and you can't go wrong.
My friend, the body wizard, did some hole plugging on my fenders, as well as removing some gouges in the top of the rear fender. His full time job is as a customizer for semi-trucks...He used the same stuff on my fenders he uses on the semis, since they have lots of plastic on them, now a days
Gentlemen,
Thank you both. It looked like some sort of plastic but I didnt think they would make fenders out of a form of poly. I didnt even think of the bumper repair material. I'll pick some up tonight. Again, Thanks!
Seems like I read somewhere, some time ago, about replacement fenders for sale, and ABS rings a bell. Not that that means the originals have to be the same, but I figured they were.
I used a good body filler to fix a couple gouges in my rear fender and panel bond to fix a crack in the front and has so far been peachy-keen
A good grade of bondo might do the job but it also tends to crack if flexed too much or from vibration plus it is designed for metal not plastic. The 3M bumper material is designed specifically for this type of plastic and remains flexible even on thin material. In addition to repairing Drifter fenders I have used it extensively for repairing plastic fairings on sport bikes. It has never failed me.
Quote from: greenbarn on July 15, 2014, 21:33:34 PM
Seems like I read somewhere, some time ago, about replacement fenders for sale, and ABS rings a bell. Not that that means the originals have to be the same, but I figured they were.
Oldy's has Drifter fenders for sale. They were molded from Drifter fenders and then cast in fiberglass, so they're actually stronger then stock ones, but they do require a little fitting work. http://www.oldinc.com/oldys.htm
Ron Ayers still lists stock fenders for sale too, but I'd call to be sure. they're stock and pre-painted, but they ain't cheap! Select your year and you're off! http://www.ronayers.com/Motorcycle-C355234.aspx