While I was cleaning my bike yesterday because the Indy I took it to does not clean up after himself, I noticed a place on my tank that looked like oil had been dripped onto the tank. I wiped it off, and it looks like my clear coat is bubbled up a bit. Now, its not large bubbled up places, its about 7 or 8 tiny little spots just above the tank badge. I just had my ape hangers put on, and I am afraid that it was brake fluid from the bar swap.

Is there some way to fix this without going back to the shop and showing it to them? If it is something simple I would rather do it myself. If it is a repainting issue, I am going to be a little pissed. I read on here about putting alcohol on it, but I already wiped off the crap, and am afraid that if I try something else at this point, I will screw it up worse.

Has anyone had experience with this in the past?

 

Brake fluid on paint is not good. Sounds like the damage on yours isn't too bad. I've seen it eat through and bubble the paint almost instantly.

 

I know DOT4 brake fluid is corrosive to paint. Had my front MC gasket fail and it would spit a tiny speck of fluid out of the gasket when I applied the front brake. Stopped by the dealer for a new one on my way home and the service manager was concerned if any had gotten on the tank, told me if I found any problems with the paint to bring it in. Tank was fine, but coulda been bad.

Painted surfaces should be covered when working with brake fluid.

 

any brake fluid on a painted surface is bad,I've had it take paint off down to bare metal.

 

Are you using dot 3 or dot 5. Dot 3 will lift the paint but I have never seen dot 5 lift paint. Now if you have it on the edge of a decal it may lift that. I would clean the area with alcohol. If it is a bubble and you do not want to hassel with it use clear fingernail polish ( you wife or girl friend will have this) to go over it so that is does not get any worse. I would take it back to the guy who worked on it myself.

 

Yep so would i.
theres no easy way i know of to fix it short of paint work.
Perhaps if you get it all off (make sure you get it all)
Then you might get some real clearcote (not fingernail poilish) and dab in the aria, then wetsand and polish it out ?
A bodyshop thats worth their weight can and will help you with the lil bit of clearcote this will require.
perhaps they might even do it all cheap as per my sugestion.
Now if it has in any way affected the color underneath ...its still gonna show

Good luck
Stay safe

 

Wipe with alcohol 2-3 times to make sure you got it all off. Then clean with water/soap. Dry completely. Go over the area with scratchx or light white polishing compound and see what you have left to deal with. I would then wax it with a light cleaner wax. But the re-paint is a Winter project. I would definitely talk to the indy about it.

I always wait for some major bonehead FUBAR on my tank for the chance to get custom tins or custom repaint my stock tins. I am totally amazed my bike is 4 years old and I haven't ruined the tank yet.

 

I have done brake work on my bike and the stuff was really paint unfriendly. Luckily my spill was from the caliper where it didn't show much. Just cleaned it and used touch up paint. On a more obvious spot it would be harder to hide. good luck. He should know better than that.

 

Brake fluid is a cheap paint remover and is water soluable to boot

 

If the damaged paint is soft,, Remove it, Fill, Sand, Prime, Repaint . It isn't too hard to do tiny repairs and to get them almost invisible. "Mask off Everything you do not want to paint"