Strange cracks.

[Lonewolf]

When I had my GTR  I used to only hand tighten the fixings on the glove box and the fairings. That seemed to work well for me. The glove box is just over £50 to replace.

[GTRpilot]

This is what I found, when I removed the panel (After this photo), the plastic around the fasteners just crumbled. Note the fastener on the corner of the box has also cracked, it fell inside. There is a very small crack running away from where the box fastener used to be, you can barely see it. Noticed this after returning from a run down to London. Never had any problems prior.
I understand the panel is around £50 and the glovebox is around £200 

[Redrat]

Looks like plastic gone bad to me..

Anyway, can I borrow that pic for our forum?

Thank you for asking and of course you can post for the US guys. The Kawasaki parts fiche shows all the separate items making up the 'front box' but the actual box is not listed separately. The 'case-assy, storage' is given an outline band containing all these components and is listed at £209.36p. and unfortunately I have come across this marketing strategy by Mr K on a previous purchase. I've just read BP post and crumbled is the right word to describe the damaged plastic around the bolt - in fact my original post suggested the heated grip controller might have been responsible.

[GTRpilot]

Just ordered a new panel, £50, the glove box at £209  when its only the corner lug that's cracked off, I don't think so  , I'll try and fix that somehow!

[Charlie747]

Just ordered a new panel, £50, the glove box at £209  when its only the corner lug that's cracked off, I don't think so  , I'll try and fix that somehow!

👍😃

[STX1300man]

Birdpilot,

1. What do you clean/polish the black plastic with?

2. Has the bike ever had brake fluid spilt/wiped over that panel?

[GTRpilot]

Hi,
1. Mr Sheene
2. No never.

[hurricane]

3 years on mine so far (and 77000km), always in the Oz sun while parked at work, no such issues. I do however have the upper fairing screw mounts (on the mirror assemblies) break around where the rubber mount nuts go - general consensus here also that I over tightened them  . Anybody else have this issue? 

[virginiajim]

All the well nut holders on both sides of the dash on my 08 have cracks in them....they weren't 'over-tightened'.  I've replaced the left mirror for just such a thing but the other cracks are in the mounts from the front fairing I think.  If people were to look, many would see those cracks.  If you have them, it might not be a bad idea to strengthen them with some sort of solidifying mixture...I'm thinking Bondic http://notaglue.com/ .   If someone has a better idea for a substance to fill the cracks and strengthen the mount, then by all means..

My feeling is that the plastic well nut holders just don't hold up to the vibration.

[Burchy]

Thought I'd update this older thread.  I've suffered this cracking twice and I know that i haven't overtightened the screws.  A replacement panel is £37 I believe, so not too much of a hit, but I thought I try a repair first

Although a small triangle of plastic had broken away, I did have all the bits, so I cut out a piece of stiff plastic from a chinese takeaway tub and glued it into place underneath the back edge of the panel with JB Weld.  (Its brilliant stuff).  I then glued all the missing bits back into place and held then in place overnight for the cement to harden.  Just had to re-drill the screw hole and job's jobbed

I'm pleased with the result.  Stronger than the original and would take a good man to spot it

[ChrisB]

All the well nut holders on both sides of the dash on my 08 have cracks in them....they weren't 'over-tightened'.  I've replaced the left mirror for just such a thing but the other cracks are in the mounts from the front fairing I think.  If people were to look, many would see those cracks.  If you have them, it might not be a bad idea to strengthen them with some sort of solidifying mixture...I'm thinking Bondic http://notaglue.com/ .   If someone has a better idea for a substance to fill the cracks and strengthen the mount, then by all means..

My feeling is that the plastic well nut holders just don't hold up to the vibration.

I had exactly the same problem on my 2009 model. At first I blamed the dealer for overtightening them at a service but found out that this problem is quite common. I made new brackets for both sides, bought some new wellnuts from ebay and fixed them to the existing mirror mount studs.

[Wookie]

This procedure I have used to repair car plastic bumpers (my drivers have a habit of reversible g into stuff)also used it on m/c fairings model trains etc etc...

Tools needed
1 heavy duty soldering iron
2 or 3 white or black cable ties.

Heat the iron until it's starting to make the cable tie semi fluid ..at the same time doing the same to the bits of broken plastic .... now get the molten cable tie to meld into the bit ya repairing .
Practise on some scrap first of all . And avoid ABS plastic ie the really thin shite.
...
Another alternative is to file some hard plastic ..gather up the filings ..put a dollop of super glue on the broken piece and drizzle in the filings .  Fine sawdust works bloody well too 
Hope this art is of use to some of you 

[Macskwak]

Or forget bluepeter n buy another one 

[Wookie]

Mack ya wuss lol 

[Macskwak]

08 gtr and no signs yet but thanks for heads up ill keep an eye out 👍