How to cut bodywork for frame sliders

[Fat_Nate]

Hi guys,

What's the best way to cut a clean and smooth hole for my frame sliders to poke through?  I'm mounting sliders an an '01 sv.  Thanks,

Nate

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

Hole saw thats a bit larger then the slider.

[Fat_Nate]

Is there a "right way" to finish the fiberglass after sawing through it?  

Thanks,
Nate

[secularist]

Is there a "right way" to finish the fiberglass after sawing through it?  

Thanks,
Nate

yeah...let it rub against the slider during races until there are no more sharp edges! ;D  (well it's worked for me.)

[Fat_Nate]

Hey Secularist,

Ah -- so it's the same way I made my front fender fit.

Are you going to Homestead?

Nate

[Zac]

Is there a "right way" to finish the fiberglass after sawing through it?  

Thanks,
Nate

A fine cut half-round file works good for deburring these holes, it will cut off any hanging glass fibers, which just sandpaper cn leave.

-z.

[H-man]

Maybe you'll be like me and not have any rough edges.

Once the spot was marked on the inside of the bodywork (putty or molding clay works well), I put masking tape on the fiberglass and cut with the hole saw from the inside.

Result was 2 smooth holes.

[Fat_Nate]

Sounds good -- I will be operating tonight or tomorrow.

By the way, I notice that the sliders don't really extend past the bodywork, or only just barely.  So . . . what do they end up saving?  Footpegs?  Gas tank?  Just curious

Nate

[H-man]

Nate, you may want to look for a 1-1/2" spacer and a longer bolt at the hardware store to extend the slider a bit.  I did this on one side of my F2.

[ekraft84]

My dad has it down to an art and does it perfectly.  We'll mount the bodywork completely (drill everything else) except for the sliders.  Obviously the sliders are taken off the bike.  Then he'll take a small pencil and insert it where the frame slider goes, so that it's pointing at the bodywork.  He'll mark the inside of the bodywork with this pencil as the center of the slider.  

Then he'll drill a small hole in the bodywork as a starting point.  He then has a selection of round, circular saw-holes (horribly incorrect term there) and uses the one that matches the size of the slider.  He then uses the same drill with the the circular "piece", drilling through the center point he started.

Mounting bodywork is a time consuming process if done right.  It's even time consuming if done wrong.  :)  But it's a nice site when the bodywork mounts perfectly right around the frame sliders.  :)

edit:  he then uses a small dremmel tool to round off any edges and rough surfaces after the main cut.  More of a cleaning up tool.

[honda923]

don't forget to put tape over the hole where it is going to be drill.