[sriad84]

As promised here is the carbon fiber lamination DIY details. As you may already know, I have laminated Saya (my Continental GT650) in carbon fiber. It may feel intimidating at first todo this yourself, but with a few trials it is relatively easy (in some ways easier than vinyl wrapping, but that's just my personal opinion)

Why lamination and not full carbon fiber?

• If all you want is cosmetic improvement (No weight savings, infact you would add a little weight (fabric + resin)
• It is real carbon fiber! and unique (at least for a RE)
• Relatively in expensive (not considering the time you would spend to do this)

What you will need

1. Carbon fiber fabric - Choose the weave pattern you would like. Some of the most common patterns are - plain weave, twil (2x2 or 4x4) weave and Harness Satin weave. I went with 2x2 twil as it was easily available locally.
2. 3M 77 Super Multipurpose Adhesive Aerosol
3. Clear, low viscosity, UV resistance (no yellowing) epoxy resin + hardener
4. Black spray paint
5. Sand paper (wet and dry) - 400 to 2000 grit
6. masking tape (3M or good quality ones)
7. small wooden hanging clips (backup)
8. Electronic scale to measure the resin/hardener mix
9. Soft bristle, good quality (1 to 2 inch wide) paint brushes (3-5) - New brush for each coat and resin hardens and renders it useless for next use.
10. Dremel or similar tool for finishing
11. Exacto knife & scissors
12. Latex gloves
13. Enough workable space indoors which is dust free (spare bedroom in my case )
14. Rag/newspaper/cloth to lay on the floor
15. Clear coat - recommend professional shop for best results

helpful links to get carbon fiber and resin (this is what I used, you may find other sources)

• Arrow technical textiles https://www.arrowtechnicaltextiles.c...on-fibers.html
• Alpha System 103 Crystal Clear Epoxy Resin Kit https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B07RM395DN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The process (I will use the motorcycle tank, front fairing and tail as references here)
Step1 : Understand the amount of material you will need.

• Carbon fiber fabric from where I sourced came in 1m wide roll and you can order as many meters in length as you want. Lay the parts down and get a rough idea of square footage. if you are OCD like me, make sure you are considering the direction of weave to match on all panels . I got 1m x 5m fabric. Extra is always better as you wont get it right first time (or maybe you will)
• Epoxy resin - I used 3 kg total and probably have some 250gm left over. 3-4 coats and rework and there will be wastage as it drips after application
• Generic black spray can - 1 to 2 depending on surface you need to cover (you will see why in later steps)

Step 2: Prep the parts for lamination

• Clean parts thoroughly and sand it down a little (better adhesion)
• If you have a base color which is lighter shade or anything other than black, I recommend spray a coat of black color (i preferred matt). The reason todo this is as you lay the fiber, the weave will move a little and show what's behind. Painting black will make it hard to notice and you will thank me for it . re-sand post painting if required

Step 3: Cut the required fabric

• When doing so, please mark an outline and tape the outline with masking tape and cut in the middle of the tape. This ensures the fabric stays together. If you cut without doing this, the weave will come off and turns into a nightmare. Learnt the hard way!
• Caution - please ensure the fiber particles are cleaned immediately and they can splinter, especially if you have toddlers at home.

Step 4: Laying the fiber on the part. There are two ways to get the fiber to stick to the base metal/plastic

1. Option 1: 3M aerosol glue - works great and easy to spray on evenly. But depending on type of resin you use, the glue will dissolve while applying resin later and there would be risk of fiber lifting from the base surface. To avoid this you can use the clips I mentioned in the list on the edges of the part to keep fiber in place during resin process, also can use masking tape on the insides of the part (after you fold carbon fiber over) over the fiber material to keep it in place. Surprisingly masking tape does not come up when resin is applied. leave parts for few hours to let it set well.
2. Option 2: Use the resin/hardener mix itself to paint brush a thin layer on the part and then lay the fiber. You have more time with this method as the setting time for resin is higher unlike 3M and gives you some time for adjustability/re-placement. Leave parts for curing time or at least dry to touch (can be anywhere between 8 to 24 hrs)

Pictures of the tank post the laying of the fiber. Sorry I did not take pictures of the previous steps when I did this.









Step 5: Applying the epoxy resin

• Ensure you have sufficient time. Recommend 3 to 4 coats of resin application and time between each coat is 3-4 hrs. Resin should still be wet when applying another coat, do not let it set
• Most epoxy resins needs to be mixed in 2:1 ratio (resin : hardener) by weight and not volume. So be careful when doing this. Best is to use a kitchen scale and mix small quantities at a time. For the tank for single coat I used 100g resin and 50g hardener. Mix this well using a ice-cream stick or the paint brush or whatever works, try to avoid bubbles while mixing
• Use the paint brush to apply even coats across the surface evenly, generous application is ok, but avoid resin from pooling in areas where it may collect (in my case near the tank filler hole). Thin consistent layers and multiple layers will give best results. Keep an eye for bubbles and run the brush over that region to pop them. You do not want bubble from getting trapped while setting.
• Repeat the above step 3 to 4 times at an interval of 3 to 4hrs between each coat. Once done let the parts set for 24 hours (check curing time for the resin you are using, be patient)

Pictures of the front fairing and tail during the resin application shown below. Where The shape did not allow for one piece of fabric to be laid, I kept the joints where I knew i would be painting over.









Pictures of the set parts before sanding








Step 6: Finishing - wet sanding. i started with 400 grit and worked my way up to 2000 grit for a smooth finish. Resin will lose shin and translucency after this stage. Be careful not to overdo this as take the resin layer too far down. Some pictures post sanding while doing some mock ups for paint ideas







Step 7: Final prep and clear, finished product (done by Ricochet Motorcycles







first ride


Hope this helps!

[motorpsycho]

Looks amazing and Kudos for taking this on, I was always under the impression that we need a Vacuum autoclave to work with Carbon Fiber.

[GTO]

Looks super hot . Thanks for sharing! Am moving your thread to the motorcycle forum so that our 2-wheeler fans don't miss out on this wicked mod.

Request: Some images aren't loading. As per my PM to you, please email them across and we will have them added. For future reference, remember to "save" or "submit" your post within 30 minutes of uploading the pictures, else those images expire.

Thanks for the support & understanding

[RedTerrano]

Awesome mod! I never knew carbon fibre could be worked with at home. I was also surprised no "baking" was involved.

Now that you have mastered it, perhaps next time we can expect some more exotic mods for your steed

[roy_libran]

Looking good! Just a couple of queries coming from my experience with vinyl laminates -

1. How easily is this reversible to stock? If not, this will need to be endorsed on RC?

2. Does the carbon fiber also crease like vinyl during application, or is it a lot more manageable?

[sriad84]

Originally Posted by motorpsycho

Looks amazing and Kudos for taking this on, I was always under the impression that we need a Vacuum autoclave to work with Carbon Fiber.

Thanks. Considering this is lamination you do not need any special tools , but if you were to make parts using a mold that would provide the strength and bonding needed as they are meant to be structural.

Originally Posted by GTO

Looks super hot . Thanks for sharing! Am moving your thread to the motorcycle forum so that our 2-wheeler fans don't miss out on this wicked mod.

Request: Some images aren't loading. As per my PM to you, please email them across and we will have them added. For future reference, remember to "save" or "submit" your post within 30 minutes of uploading the pictures, else those images expire.

Thank you. I just sent the pictures to you email. Thanks for the help!

Thanks for the support & understanding

Originally Posted by RedTerrano

Awesome mod! I never knew carbon fibre could be worked with at home. I was also surprised no "baking" was involved.

Now that you have mastered it, perhaps next time we can expect some more exotic mods for your steed

Haha, no more parts left to carbon fiber on the GT, however, I am working on the single seat cowl now with left over material. Idea is to have bolt on parts to be able to change it from a cafe racer to a tracker. and vice versa. But will happen in time.

Attachment 2118314

Originally Posted by roy_libran

Looking good! Just a couple of queries coming from my experience with vinyl laminates -

1. How easily is this reversible to stock? If not, this will need to be endorsed on RC?

2. Does the carbon fiber also crease like vinyl during application, or is it a lot more manageable?

I would say it would be hard to reverse. You will need to sand/shot blast it as it is a hard outer shell now. I think it would be cheaper and easier for me to get a GT tank and swap it instead! You will need to change color is RC as this is permanent.

Ease of work with fiber will depend on the weave. But with 2x2 twil I used, it confirmed to the shape and having a adhesive to keep it in place is what makes it work. you will need to work from the center and outward. Creasing is not a issue as much as creating gaps in the weave.

[Axe77]

Super stuff Sriad84. Just love how much personal time, effort and skill you have deployed into this project.

Look forward to riding with you sometime soon. Why dont you join the Mumbai Pune mega meet on 14th Jan. Will be lovely to see you there.

Cheers.

[curious.yash]

Great Job sriad84!!

It looks like a complete carbon fiber tank. The best thing is that it is now dent-proof. You gave me a really nice idea for protecting and enhancing the look of my 1200 GSA.

I have some carbon fiber fabric and raisin lying around. I'm thinking of giving it a try!!

[BrakingBad]

Awesome mod. Blown away by the outcome. A few questions
1. If vehicle colour on RC is Black, do we still need to get endorsed?

Going by the meticulous work you have done, this would have taken a week at least, great patience.
2. Are the racing white lines vinyl stickers?
3. Is that applied before or after clear coat?
4. Was there any sanding and polishing done after clear coat?

[sriad84]

Originally Posted by Axe77

Super stuff Sriad84. Just love how much personal time, effort and skill you have deployed into this project.

Look forward to riding with you sometime soon. Why dont you join the Mumbai Pune mega meet on 14th Jan. Will be lovely to see you there.

Cheers.

Hey, thank you so much. Yes I am considering joining the meet, just need to figure out the plan at home next Sunday

Originally Posted by curious.yash

Great Job sriad84!!

It looks like a complete carbon fiber tank. The best thing is that it is now dent-proof. You gave me a really nice idea for protecting and enhancing the look of my 1200 GSA.

I have some carbon fiber fabric and raisin lying around. I'm thinking of giving it a try!!

Thank you!. I am not sure if it is completely dent proof , but yes will add good protection. But do keep in mind it is permanent unlike vinyl and going back to stock may mean you need a new tank

Originally Posted by BrakingBad

Awesome mod. Blown away by the outcome. A few questions
1. If vehicle colour on RC is Black, do we still need to get endorsed?

Going by the meticulous work you have done, this would have taken a week at least, great patience.
2. Are the racing white lines vinyl stickers?
3. Is that applied before or after clear coat?
4. Was there any sanding and polishing done after clear coat?

Thank you!

1. I think black would be sufficient. This is something I have not done yet, but plan to in near future. Also, this is just my assumption, will find out when I try and get RC updated

2. Stripes are in paint
3. Prior to the clear
4. After clear the shop did the ceramic coating for added protection.