Make your Own Fiberglass Pipe Guard

This tip was sent to JustKDX  by FattyK

Materials list:

-Paint brush(s)
-Tin foil
-Measuring container (I used a plastic one)
-Acetone (for cleaning paint brush and measuring container)
-Approx. 7-10 sq. feet of fiberglass material (depends on how thick you want it)
-A can of "thick, sag resistant polyester resin" (I bought the resin, fiber glass material and catalyst in a box set called "body pro" from an automotive supply store)
-High temp BBQ paint
-1 or 2 hose clamps (1 works fine for me, make sure they are big enough to go around the biggest part (bell) of your pipe)

Directions:

-Remove pipe from bike, it may be a good idea to clean with a solvent like varsol or something. Wrap the pipe in tin foil to prevent the resin from sticking to the pipe and stuff rags in both ends of the pipe. Mark out where you want the guard to cover on your pipe. Then cut strips of different shapes/sizes of fiberglass in accordance to where they are going to be placed on the pipe. Try to plan out as much as you can before you actually start the process of making it. Next, mix the resin with the catalyst at the amount shown on the can. Move fairly quickly as the stuff gets hard in a couple of minutes. Start spreading down the resin on the tin foil then lay the strips down on the wet resin and keep adding layers of strips and resin until the guard is the shape that you want and it is about 2-3mm thick. Remove the guard from the pipe when it is dry enough to stand on its own without collapsing, and let dry. Make sure to clean the measuring container and the paintbrushes between batches of resin with the acetone. After the guard is dry, add some more layers on to it until it is about 1\4" thick or however thick you feel it should be. While adding on the finishing layers try to mould in a slot for the hose clamp to go through so it is hidden from view. Your finished product should look something like this:

Then let it fully dry overnight then sand it with an orbital palm sander and trim the edges to make the desired shape. Next paint it with a few coats of high temperature BBQ paint for a finished look. The tin foil will stick to the inside of the guard; you want this, so don’t try to scrape it out. It acts as a heat guard. If you scrape it out, you will have a sticky mess all over your pipe on the first ride! You might want to add some of those stick on heat shields. You will notice a slight smell coming from the guard the first couple of rides, but dont worry about it.

*Note* I know its not the best directions but it helps if you or someone you know has some experience with fiber glass.

It cost me about $10-$15 and 3 hours labor. But you can easily do it in 2 hours. I just wanted to sand it nice and smooth.