Honda V45 Magna battery door, scanned and re-made

The challenge

The battery door on the 1982–84 Honda V45 Magna is a side cover that is often lost or cracked, and the original part is out of stock. The owner brought in an original cover so a new one could be made from it. The replacement had to match the original's shape and clip onto the motorcycle's existing mounts. The owner also asked for added reinforcement and extra hardware inside the new door, which meant changing the design rather than making an exact copy.

Our process

1. Scanned the original door with a 3D scanner the same evening it came in.
2. Turned the scan into a clean CAD model of the outer shape and the inside face.
3. Added the reinforcements and extra hardware the owner asked for, and reproduced the mounting pins.
4. Added the iTalkRobot name to the inside face as raised lettering.
5. Printed the door in black on tree supports, then removed the supports and compared the print with the original.

The result

The new battery door was ready 2 days after the original came in. It follows the original's profile, keeps its mounting points and has the added reinforcement inside. It is shown here fitted on the motorcycle. The printed part is plain matte black, without the original's purple paint and V45 Magna decal. The owner left a 5-star Google review, quoted below.