We thought you should know more about the quality of ASB's carbon fiber. All of our parts are built using only the best pre-preg carbon fiber materials and vacuum bag autoclave technology. Many years of experience have gone into perfecting the process along with untold dollars for equipment.

There are many different methods of producing carbon. Our parts come straight out of the mold with a void free and pinhole free surface, without the use of any clear coats or gel coats. Our parts are 100% carbon laminates, not just one layer of carbon backed up with fiberglass.

There are many companies that use wet laminating vacuum only processing and some don't even vacuum bag their pats. Furthermore, most of the cheaper products on the market are not 100% carbon, meaning most of it is 1 layer of carbon backed up by fiberglass, cloth or chopped mat with a black pigment in the resin. This wet laminating process also requires the use of some kind of a gel coat to mask surface imperfections. The end result of this process is an inferior composite part that is typically resin rich, weak, brittle, and heavy. We use the method that gives you the best results for the needed application. In a motorcyclists case or any high performance application, saving weight is very important.

The first and easiest way of producing carbon is called the hand-lay-up method. This might be familiar to you. It is used on surfboards, boats, cars and more. It starts with a piece of cloth like fiberglass which is laid over a mold. Next, a resin like an epoxy or polyester based liquid is brushed or sprayed over the cloth. The next step is to work  all the resins into the material to get proper cloth saturation while removing those pesky little air bubbles trapped within the layers of the cloth. This can be done with squeegees or rollers.  Disruption of the weave is common which can result in "pinholes" in the part.. Curing is done at ambient room temperatures.

The second way of producing composite layups is called the Vacuum Bagging method. It resembles the hand lay up method, but it covers the laid up parts with a non-stick nylon sheet called a peel-ply. It is sealed at the edges and a fitting is hooked up to a vacuum pump. The vacuum allows atmospheric pressure to squeeze the nylon peel-ply closer to the part, and the peel-ply wicks excess resin out of the carbon fiber/resin layup and eliminates most air bubbles. This makes for better resin saturation into the cloth.  Once cured, the peel ply is removed from the part, taking a lot of the excess resin with it, and leaving only enough resin in the composite structure to hold the shape of the cloth.  This makes lighter, stronger and less brittle parts than the hand-lay-up method.

The third method, called Autoclave Molding, is what we use. This process yields the strongest, lightest parts possible and is the very same technology used to build exotic Formula 1 cars and  high-tech military aircraft. This process along with specific proprietary knowledge allows us to manufacture some of the most beautiful parts in the industry. This method starts with a material that's called pre-preg. The textile manufacturer works the resins mixed with catalyst directly into the weave of the material in a controlled factory process, and then freezes it in what is known as the "B-Stage" semi-cured condition.  The cold prevents the pre-preg from fully curing at this time. Each layer of CF cloth for a part is cut on a CNC cutter for exacting standards before nesting into the mold. A peel ply is applied, and the entire part put into a vacuum bag.  The vacuum bagged part is then baked using  heat & pressure in an autoclave (basically a large pressure cooker), which wicks even more excess resin out of the layup, producing a lighter, stronger, void free part. Normally most shops do not achieve this high quality due to complexity and cost of production. Note: Due to the wide variety of carbon parts in our line up, not all carbon fiber in our catalog, store or website are manufactured using these methods. But we strive to convert all parts to this method where economically feasible.

Some tips when looking at carbon:

Look for ASB decals (quality assurance)
Look for smooth surfaces, no ripples
Make sure it is void of cloudy surface or delamination
Make sure there are no pinholes when looking through the part in light
You want your part to be all carbon on the inside and out. Some manufacturers will use fiberglass in the middle and charge you for all carbon fiber
Clear or gel coating (used to cover up flaws)
Side by side comparisons will allow you to see a difference for yourself

Our high quality carbon fiber is shipped all over the world to places like Japan, Germany, France, Italy, The United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, South America and more.

In addition to the Buell parts we specialize in, we also offer a variety of carbon for the Harley-Davidson V-Rod, Aprilia, Kawasaki, Ducati, Honda and Suzuki. For "parts that move you," use only the best, parts from American Sport Bike.

We hope that we've given you some helpful information that will help you make an educated decision. If you would like any more information regarding our products, please feel free to contact us by any of the methods listed below.

Sold exclusively through American Sport Bike and better dealerships around the world.