01
Panels that do not sit flush
Aftermarket fairings often arrive with mounting tabs 1–2 mm off. You drill, file and shim, then the gap line still waves along the tank. Every hour of fitting is unbilled labor on a job you already quoted.
CNC machining for scooter bodywork
Custom Chinese Scooter Plastic Body Parts
We machine fairings, side panels, brackets and trim for Super Eagle GY125 style scooters and one-off builds. ABS, PP and PC stock, cut on 5-axis centers to ±0.005 mm so panels line up on the first fit.
ABS / PP / PC±0.005 mmNo MOQ12-hour DFM3–5 day shippingISO 9001:2015
±0.005 mmMachining tolerance
16Simultaneous 5-axis centers
3–5 daysTypical part shipping
99.99%Qualification rate
Where scooter plastics go wrong
Four problems we see in scooter bodywork projects
Most of these show up after the paint is on, which is when they cost the most.
02
Cracks around mounting points
Injection parts molded from regrind or under-dried ABS crack at screw bosses after a few hundred kilometers of vibration. The part fails at the boss, not in the middle of the panel, so a small crack kills the whole fairing.
03
Finishing that will not hold
Paint blisters where mold release was not fully removed, or primer lifts at the edges of a trimmed panel. Rework means stripping, sanding and respraying a part you already counted as finished.
04
Long waits on small batches
A steel fairing mold costs far more than a 50-piece run justifies, and tooling lead times push a build out by weeks. Small shops get stuck between expensive tooling and hand-cut parts that never fit twice the same way.
How we make the parts
Machined scooter bodywork without the tooling bill
Cut from solid plastic stock or from cast blanks, then finished to match the rest of the bike.
Material choice
ABS, PP and PC picked for the part, not for the catalog
Scooter bodywork lives outdoors. It sees sun, road spray, engine heat and constant vibration, so the resin choice matters more than the shape. We machine ABS for painted fairings and side panels because it takes primer and topcoat well and stays rigid at panel thickness. PP goes to parts that flex, like inner fenders and splash guards, since it shrugs off impact instead of cracking. PC handles clear or tinted screens and covers where you need optical clarity plus impact strength.
Thickness is set by the load, not by habit. A 2 mm panel flexes too much at a single mounting tab, so we thicken locally around bosses and add ribs where the part spans an open gap. Where a design calls for something we cannot cut from stock, we machine the pattern and move to vacuum casting or 3D printing for the first article.
- 1ABSPainted fairings, side panels, trim. Good paint adhesion, rigid at 2–3 mm.
- 2PPInner fenders, splash guards, flexible clips. High impact, low water uptake.
- 3PCScreens, lens covers, guards. Clear or tinted, strong at thin sections.
Machining and fit
Five-axis cutting keeps tabs and gap lines where the drawing says
Fairings are not flat plates. They curve in two directions, and the mounting tabs sit on those curves at odd angles. A three-axis cut forces you to reposition the part several times, and each setup adds a little error that shows up as a 1 mm gap at the headlight. We run 16 simultaneous 5-axis centers so the outer skin, the screw bosses and the tab faces come off one setup. Tabs land within ±0.005 mm of nominal, which is what makes a panel sit flush on the frame without shimming.
We check fit before finishing, not after. Mounting hole positions are verified against the CAD model, and we can machine a fit plate so you test the panel on a real frame before committing to a batch. For long parts such as a full side skirt, the 4,000 mm travel handles the piece in one pass.
- 1One setup per partCurved skins and angled tabs cut together, so hole positions stay consistent.
- 2Fit plate firstTest the geometry on a real frame before the production run starts.
- 3Long partsUp to 4,000 mm travel for full side skirts and one-piece fairing sections.
Which process fits your run
Choosing between machining, vacuum casting and 3D printing
Volume and surface requirement usually decide this, not the part shape.
| Process | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| CNC machining | 1–500 parts, tight tabs, functional test | Higher unit cost than molding at high volume |
| Vacuum casting | 10–100 parts, painted look, smooth skin | Silicone tool wears, detail softens over runs |
| 3D printing | 1–20 parts, fast form check, complex ribs | Layer lines need sanding before paint |
| Injection molding | 1,000+ parts, lowest unit price | Tooling cost and weeks of lead time |
What we run
Services that cover a full scooter body project
One shop for the shell, the brackets and the finish.
01
5-Axis CNC Machining
Curved fairing skins, angled mounting tabs and screw bosses cut in one setup to ±0.005 mm.
02
CNC Milling & Turning
Round parts such as spacers, bushings, mirror stems and axle covers turned from plastic or aluminum.
03
Rapid Prototyping
First article in days so you can check fit and gap lines on the frame before any tooling spend.
04
Vacuum Casting
Silicone-tooled copies for 10–100 painted panels with a smooth skin and consistent color.
05
Custom 3D Printing
Fast form checks and complex internal ribs that would be slow to cut on a mill.
06
Part Surface Finishing
Bead blasting, sanding, priming, painting and laser marking of part numbers on the inside face.
Scope and limits
What we can hold on scooter plastic parts
Numbers below come from our own machines and inspection records.
| Item | Capability |
|---|---|
| Tolerance | ±0.005 mm (±0.0002 in) on machined features |
| Surface finish | Ra 0.8–1.6 μm as machined, Ra 0.2–0.8 μm polished |
| Maximum size | 4,000 × 400 × 150 mm travel |
| Batch size | One prototype to 10,000+ parts, no MOQ |
| Inspection | 100% before shipment, reports on request |
| Lead time | Quote and DFM in 12 hours, parts ship in 3–5 days |
Why GreatLight
Numbers behind the parts we ship
2011
Machining since 2011
Fifteen years of production work, now across 3 wholly-owned plants and 7,600 m² of floor space.
127
CNC machines on site
16 simultaneous 5-axis centers, 12 four-axis mills, 27 three-axis machines and 16 mill-turn centers.
±0.005
Tolerance held in production
Not a one-off best result. Process monitoring keeps the same limit across the whole run.
12 h
Quote and DFM turnaround
Send a STEP file and we return pricing plus a manufacturability review within 12 hours.
24 h
Production start
Once drawings and material are confirmed, cutting can begin the next working day.
0
Minimum order quantity
One prototype and a 10,000-part run go through the same setup and inspection steps.
7,600 m²Manufacturing space
150Technicians on staff
99.99%Qualification rate
<2%Historical late-delivery rate
What this industry requires
Scooter and light vehicle bodywork we support
Fairing panels and side skirts
Curved skins with angled tabs, cut in one setup so gap lines stay even along the frame.
- ±0.005 mm
- 1 setup
- ABS / PP
Mounting brackets and stays
Aluminum and steel brackets that hold panels without flexing at the screw boss.
- 6061-T6
- ±0.005 mm
- 100% inspected
Prototype builds
First article in days for fit checks on a real frame before committing to a run.
- 3–5 days
- No MOQ
- Free DFM
FAQs
Questions engineers ask before sending files
Which plastic should I pick for a painted scooter fairing?
ABS is the usual answer. It sands, primes and topcoats well, and it holds a sharp edge at panel thickness. If the part flexes in service, such as an inner fender, PP survives impact better but does not take paint without a primer made for low-surface-energy plastics.
Send the drawing and we will tell you which resin we would cut it from and why.
Can you machine a part that matches an existing fairing?
Yes, if you can supply the original part or a 3D scan of it. We reverse-model the geometry, adjust the mounting tabs to nominal, and cut a fit plate first. That step catches a scan error before you pay for a batch.
What tolerance can you actually hold on a curved panel?
±0.005 mm on machined features such as tab faces and hole positions. The curved outer skin is a blend surface, so the practical limit there depends on how the CAD model is defined, not on the machine. We review this during the DFM check and flag any surface that cannot be verified with a touch probe.
How many parts do I need before CNC stops making sense?
CNC usually wins from one part up to a few hundred, especially when tabs must be tight. Past roughly 1,000 parts the unit price of injection molding overtakes the tooling cost. Between those two points, vacuum casting covers 10–100 pieces with a painted skin.
Do you need a native CAD file?
STEP or IGES is best. We also accept native SolidWorks, Fusion and Inventor files, plus STL when the part is going to 3D printing. Include the material, finish and any critical dimensions so the DFM review can be specific.
How do you check the parts before they ship?
Every part gets a raw material check, in-process monitoring during cutting and a final inspection. Critical dimensions are measured against the CAD model, and inspection reports go out on request. Nothing leaves without passing that final step.
Can you keep the design confidential?
Uploads are handled as confidential and we can sign an NDA before you send files. That covers drawings, scans and any photos of the frame the part is built for.
What does a quote include?
Pricing, lead time and a free DFM analysis within 12 hours. That review lists anything we would change, such as a tab that is too thin to cut cleanly or a surface that is cheaper to 3D print for the first article.
Send your scooter bodywork files
Upload a STEP file and we return pricing plus a manufacturability review within 12 hours. No minimum order quantity, and every part is inspected before it ships.
12-hour quote100% inspectionNo MOQNDA on request
