Should I have it repaired or buy new parts?

[bigguybbr]

This is reposted from my local forum, but I figured you guys will have some good info too.

I went to work on building my bar yesterday, when before I even got started, the cord reel from the ceiling of my garage, fell, traveled over 4 feet horizontally in the air, to zero in on smashing a dent in my tank. Needless to say, it ruined my day before it even started.

As with the other cosmetic flaw with my bike, they both happened while I wasn't even on them. My left hand fairing has a big scratch on it from when it was being unloaded from a trailer, and the trailer tipped. I was able to wrestle the bike so that it barely took any damage, but the fender of the trailer made a nice scratch (no cracks though). I wasn't really rushing to get this fixed, as it's pretty low on the fairing, and not super noticeable.

When I looked online, I was able to find a new tank for my bike for around $415 + shipping and a new fairing for around $375 + shipping for a grand total of $800 something once everything is said and done.

So my question is, how much would this cost at a body shop to fix? I've never actually had anything worked on at a body shop (I always drive a POS, so why bother), and I don't know if body shops even work on bikes. Any info or names of people to check out, would be really appreciated (Obviously if you are in the CT area, not riding out to Oregon to have my bike fixed).

 

[MC#4]

I've heard of people putting air pressure into a motorcycle gas tank and popping dents out that way. I'm not sure if it would work on yours but maybe some other users here can chime in. Good luck!

 

[ksanbon]

If you don't care about it being perfect & want to save money......

You can hide the scratch w/ a $20 paint pen. I got my Color Rite Touch-up pen from the dealer. It matches the Yamaha blue pretty well if you shake it enough to get the metal-flake right. As a bonus, I have it for future scratches.
Here's the link:
Paint Search :: Step 1 - ColorRite

If the dent on the tank doesn't have any sharp creases, an automotive dent-removal service like Dent-Pro or Dent-Master might be able to pop the dent out. They usually visit auto dealerships, but often make house-calls, and charge $65 to $100.

Good luck.

.

 

[motoguy82]

that sucks, but I know the feeling. On my last bike the only cosmetic flaw was from my dirtbike falling over onto it in my box trailer...200 miles of bumps and stop and go wore the dirtbike handgrip and radiator right into my tank and side fairing.

I agree with the paint pen idea above, looks like that will be the cheapest way to go. Just visit a few body shops and I'm sure you'll find one that knows how to pop that dent out and make it look new again.

 

[FitZ6R]

Ouch. Looks everything's still functional, right? If so, I'd find it hard to justify $800 for purely cosmetic repairs. For the plastic, I'd DIY with some touch-up paint and polishing.

There are companies that specialize in motorcycle tank repair. Bunch of vids on Youtube: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfRya_ke8Ps&feature=related]YouTube - Motorcycle Dent Removal - Paintless Dent Repair (Sarasota)[/ame] Contact some of these guys and/or ask around local shops for someone in your area.