I don't think anyone had the flamethrower fired up.

We are just trying to point out how bad this could end up!

I've tried enough "short cuts" in my life to know the results aren't worth it!

 

I was by no means trying to flame this guy but it would never look right attempting to paint it that way, and would not adhere to the inner fairing very well. I was actually on the phone today with a professional painter about painting my inner fairing and cap and as he said it is a different type of plastic and needs to be prepped, treated, and painted differently then the rest of the plastic. I think he said something like the plastic has to be sprayed with a type of etch prior to a final paint and clear coat. Over the phone he said a couple of hours labor and a quick quote of about $160 for a black inner fairing and cap it could be a little higher or lower once he looks at the actual fairing. Good luck, I would just hate to see someone make that type of mistake and a already very nice bike but to each his own.

 

Well, . . . er . . . I gotta confess: I did just that this past weekend on my EGC. For the second time.

It took me a couple of hours to remove the outer fairing & windshield, mask off the inner fairing/cables/handle bars, etc., as well as the neck, lowers & the tank. I'd guess that it was the same time it would have taken to pull it all apart. The place I gained time was the reassembly of the outer & inner halves, and the removal of the masking tape & paper.

The first time, I painted the entire inner fairing flat black, as it had begun to bleach white. [If you don't want to paint your inner fairing when it starts to bleach out, you can use the same renewal/preservative you use on your chaps, & it will re-moisturize the plastic.] I drove it for a couple of months like that, & it appeared to be "a professionally done job." [I used a prep & cleaner to remove the leather treatment first.]

However, I had a couple of paint-dings on the outer fairing & one of the saddle bags from when I accidentally launched myself into the Manzanita [a type of tree. Don't ask.]

I ordered a paint stick & one can of aerosol paint from Color Rite a company in So Cal [www.colorrite.com - excellent turn-around, perfect match, highly recommended]. I used the paint stick to fill in the gouges on the fender from rock chips, the saddle bag & outer fairing from the Manzanita, and the underside of the outer fairing caused by rubbing on the side of my trailer when one of my strap-ties broke. [Another "don't ask." There's a difference between "inexpensive" and "cheap." 'nuff said.]

As I said, my Luxury Rich Red from Color Rite was a perfect match. I filled up the gouges with the paint from the paint stick & then used some 400 grit, 600 grit and finer-grit scuffing pad. I then fogged it with the spray paint & over-spray with clear. I still need to buff out the edges. [Painters: I know "that's not right." Since mine's an 02, and it's mine, it's "good enough."]

On the inner fairing, I was able to get a good base coat [Luxury Rich Red] by slowly applying several light coats. In it's 'wet' form, the paint looked sufficient. Now that it's dry, I realize I should have applied 2-3 additional coats.

I finished it off with two coats of rattle-can clear. Mostly, it came out well, but at one of the dips above & right of the tachometer, the can "spit," & I ended up with a run. That's OK, I will eventually cover it with a HogTunes tweeter.

What mistakes did I make?
1. I didn't start early enough in the day, so, toward the end, I rushed it. I was outside, it got late in the day, & the wind came up.
2. I didn't pull off the masking around the raised instrument area soon enough, so the paint has a bit of an edge on it rather than "flowing" to be more flat.
3. I didn't put enough coats on, primarily the base (color) coat. The effect with the insufficient clear coat is that the paint on the inner fairing is a "semi-gloss" rather than the "clearcoat gloss" of the outer fairing. That's OK, as I have read posts about "glare" off the inner fairing paint & did not want to re-mask & shoot with a "flattener."
4. I left my patience in a box on the shelf in my closet. Next time, not only will I start earlier, I'll go to Costco first & get the industrial size of patience.
5. I should have spent the previous night reading up on the steps of painting multiple layers, sanding, & finishing.
6. I'd have set up fill-lights so that there would be no shadows during the painting process.

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat.

What's my next project? Applying the plastic "pin striping" to flow from the lines of the outer fairing - I don't think I'll pay a professional pin-striper until I get the inner fairing "perfect."

Thus, if you have any talent (I don't), I recommend you give it a stab. I really think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the good quality of the outcome.

 

I don't think anybody's trying to say the OP is an idiot, only that he had a bad idea. We all have bad ideas now and then. Some of us didn't go to charm school.......also don't assume that the OP is a thin-skinned fragile little thang. I bet he can hold his own.
If you run a bad idea past your buddies at the bar, do they try to spare your delicate sensibilities? I think not. Let's man up around here, guys. PS: The Flamethrower is too fun...

 

If that was easier or produced good results, every painter on the planet would be doing it...ask one..I did...bad idea..

 

You would spend more time masking than you would removing....
not to mention overspray all over the place.

 

Man I know how to get you guys going!!!!!!! I was thinking of that when I was putting it back together! I thought wonder if anyone has tried to paint this on the bike, I know its not a great idea.. My buddy is a painter and painded it for me I got it back the other day!It looks great