Hello, I am interested in purchasing the kits to build a skid plate outof carbon fiber for my moto...sure, it probably costs less to buy one from amanufacturer but, I thought it would be a good project to learn how to make itmyself...I am just not sure how many layers of carbon fiber or kevlar I wouldneed to use. Any suggestions, would be appreciated. Please remember, the bottomof a motorcycle (offroad) will take some hits on rocks or dirt. Also, thefinish, do I just apply a clear coat of paint? (Great tutorials and website!!)Tank you!! Miguel

Hi Miguel,

Answers as follows...

Justa few more questions (sorry). Does kevlar have the same weight savingscharacteristics as carbon fiber?

Kevlar is a stronger reinforcement than glass and so a kevlar reinforced part will be stiffer for the same weight than a GRP part. It's not quite a 'stiff' as carbon fibre (which has the highest tensile strength of all those materials) but it does offer a much better abrasion and impact resistance. It's also a low density material which means that for a given thickness of laminate it will result in a light part.

if I wanted to make the "look"of the skid plate or outer layers to be out of carbon fiber but, reinforcedwith kevlar, would I use the same epoxy laminating resin and how many layers ofeach material would you recommend (11?)?

Yes, the resin would stay the same. If you want the outer layers to be carbon fibre then this is no problem, just make the first and last layers carbon (or carbon/kevlar). To do this, just substitute the first and last (meaning 9 layers of Kevlar, 2 layers of carbon (each side)). It does depend of course on what thickness you want the laminate to be - I only guessed that 5mm would be appropriate.

How would you suggest transferring the bends and shape ofthe bottom of the bike without some of the irregularities of the partsunderneath the bike?

I would suggest using something like some a thick sheet of sheetwax smoothed and pressed into place on the underside of the bike to create a nice regular contour on which you could base the sump guard/skid plate. Here's a link to the sheet wax on our site. I would think that a 2mm sheet would be good, 5mm would be another option.

All the best, Matt


Matt Statham
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Sales