Obsessed with perfection (well, sort of perfection)

I’m new to the site and have purchased a 2003 Swing. It only had 4812 miles on it so mechanically, it’s like new (and I have been reading quite a bit here so I am considering a new belt due to age despite the very low mileage). When I get a new bike (well, new to me), I get a little obsessed with making it as new/ pristine as possible. Maybe this is expensive folly to do this. Cosmetically, the bike is pretty nice, but due to several apparent falls while still (by the prior owner or owners), there’s some touch up paint work (not the best attempt). I have already via Partzilla and Babbitt’s Honda online bought some parts and fasteners (to include a red painted ‘dash panel’ - part where the cubby lids are adjacent) as well as the exhaust shield.

I’ve been doing some minor upgrades (mostly for visibility)…LED H7 lights low and high beam (actually really easy to install), LED tail lights and an LED flashing bar (LED bar to which I connected a $5 flasher module)- this is getting power from the brake light LED housing (flashes 4x rapidly, then 4X slower, the steady on) and it’s localized on the gray rear piece of the scooter so it can be easily seen by others in traffic. This AM, I added amber LEDs to the rear and front indicators (rear was very easy, front required tearing into the front of the bike and taking off the dash plastic)- I now have  nice  bright indicators and parking lights (and they had built in resistors so no need to upgrade the flasher unit).

What I did notice is some broken plastics (like the hooks used to interlock the plastics and on the dash panel, there was an Allen bolt present but the underlying flange of the front fascia is broken off on the left side (I assume due to a fall)- I wanted to tear into it all anyway after reading the recalls including the steering clamps and the center stand (all nice and tight).

So here’s the question- is it rather stupid to buy the front face piece (there’s one on Partzilla for $317) just to have that flange on the inside edge so I can use the Allen bolt to complete the job, or would you just JB weld a piece of metal or plastic and try to make it work that way with a speed nut on the made flange?

I recently bought from Cosmic Jumper a set of unobtainium wind deflectors that will hide some of the sins of the past (on the lateral front piece) and I was discussing via email with another member here getting some replacement plastics (so I can get the upgraded black plastic lids for the compartments).

My 2000 ST1100 is still in pretty pristine condition and the 94 ST I bought needed some cosmetic work- so I had all the plastics repaired/ repainted and the wheels powder coated black (poor spoon use by the prior owner for tire mounting) back in 2018- that now looks like a new bike.

Help me…I’m obsessed!!! Just kidding actually, but is it kind of a waste to try to make like new what is now 19 years old??

I’m trying to add a pic of the damage but haven’t figured it out yet.

Thanks for opinions.

As with all bikes it's whatever it's worth to make you happy.
I have friends who insist on perfection at all times and won't take the bike out if the garage if there is even a hint of rain, others don't give a hoot and treat their bikes as disposable appliances.

When I bought my used 2012 SW, it had some cosmetic flaws and some broken mounting tabs, etc., on several parts, that got me a substantial discount on the purchase price when pointed out. I considered repair/repaint, but the repair work/cost to repaint/downtime, etc., versus buying new and just bolting on was negligible, "new is new", perfect paint and not repaired, is what I chose. I've found the SW new parts cost very reasonable compared to other, bikes or scooters I've owned, maybe a USA phenomenon ?? IAC, check for part availability with any vendor before you order, long backorders+ lead-time are common nowdays, and don't wait long, prices are on the rise.

My favorite vendor is https://www.ronayers.com/

I agree prices on parts are not actually too bad. I took it out for a nice ride today- from 5’ away, it looks really good, despite the flaws. Maybe I’m too critical and should just accept it for how it is. Thanks for the responses

AS they say in the Harley world Chrome don't get you home. The best money spent is on safety and maintenance issues first.

I suffer from a little of the same obsession; my wife summarised this for me and told me if I want to buy another old bike, better make sure it is cosmetically pristine. I don't mind doing mechanical maintenance but bodywork repair and paint is beyond my meagre skills and budget, residual dents/scrapes will bug me, and I do love shiny.

If the bodywork just needs some tabs then I have had good success with Permatex Plastic Weld two-part epoxy, it is fantastic on the ABS that the fairing is made from. I canabalised another crash-damaged fairing for some likely donor parts and had a great outcome. My poor abused Swing had been dismantled by someone with a prybar but no other tools, and then reassembled with silicone caulk....it was called the SiliconeWing for a while until I fixed it up.

Yup, I get irked when people don’t take care of their stuff like I do mine (but then again, it was theirs, so buyer beware)- mine only has 5K miles on it, so mechanically, it’s perfect. I was thinking about a new front piece but I think JB Weld or Permatex and a piece of plumbers strap tape might be the fix under the  skin for a new mounting tab on the left for the Allen to go in (and use either an OEM spring nut or well nut). I might take off some of the scratched panels underneath and tape, spray vs touch up brush (touch up by brush never looks that good).