Paint question......What kind?

I'm needing to repaint the black trim pieces around the upper fairings and gauges, and would like to know what has worked for some of you. Is there a rattle can product that may hold up? Hoping someone has done this and has some ideas.

 

Get yourself a can of paint that is made for plastics. All the big paint companies make the stuff. I'm a fan of plastikote when it comes to rattle cans. Though I have heard good things about the krylon fusion paint for plastics. As long as the paint is designed for plastics you'll be in good shape. Wipe the trim pieces down with some sort of solvent (prep sol if you have it), rubbing alcohol will work in a pinch, just to make sure they are good and clean.

 

Krylon Fusion works a treat as a primer for almost any paint. Painted my bike three years back and primed the chainguard with Fusion. Topcoated with Rustoleum's version of Hammerite. Holding as new..

Prep like was already said.

 

That sounds pretty slick, BB. Any chance you got a pic? I may wanna give that a shot.

 

There's a pic of my 91 posted. Taken about a week after the bike was painted and re-assembled. Still looks good.

The Rustoleum IMO is the better solution than using Hammerite. Hammerite is hot and has a recoat window that should be observed. Hammerite in bulk (pints and quarts) has to be used with the Hammerite reducer.

 

That's a nice looking bike. I'm thinking about gently sandblasting my trim before painting. I'm worried about adhesion. Havent done much plastic painting. What do you think?

 

If we are on the same page on your trim, sandblasting IMO is way too agressive a treatement and is unnecessary. Less agressive methods exist blasting with bicarbonate of soda or shaped plastic media. IMO your bike'

s trim is just oxidized and at best needs a wipe down with a solvent or perhaps even some light sanding with say 400 grit wet and dry paper..

The "plastic" paints IMO seem to work best on ABS plastic that is somewhat oxidized. The way they work is not so much the paint fraction but the solvent cocktail that slightly "melts" the plastic creating a cohesive bond.

We are talking basically unpainted ABS plastic here and not painted or repainted fairing pieces. These are a whole nother can of worms.


Thanks for the compliment on the bike.. I'm sticking to my story that stockers are boring even if they are painted RWB in Japan..

 

Thanks Billy. I'll scuff them up and go with it. I didnt plan on getting this involved with cosmetics, but now that I've started everything is noticable. Another thing that keeps standing out is the aluminum on the bike, just looks 'dirty'. Not the frame but the foot peg brackets and such. What is the best way to clean this up? I have some eagle one never dull but have not tried it yet. Any other suggestions?

 

Best stuff for cruddy aluminum is "aluminum jelly" Try Ace Hardware. Finish the polishing up with your Eagle One if it is the polish for non-ferrous metals. Another finish polish is that works on aluminum is Brasso and literally any of the others.

Dont use any of these on anodized aluminum or coated aluminum like the frame..

If you pull the parts a buffer is good too.