I like the stealth look....top it off with a headlight cover or something and you are knight rider....

 

the only tools i used to get that paint job is 180 grit sand paper and some Dupli-color universal flat black! and a little 80 grit paper to get out the scratches... but if you still have good body and paint i would just leave it untill you drop it or crash or somthin..

 

thanks for the help. i want to paint it because the front cowl needs to be replaced on my bike and the rest of the paint isent that great and i have the silver and red f4i. im kind of sick of those colors thats why i thought of going with an all flat black because i dont see too many of those riding around in my area. thanks again for the help

 

I would just keep your GRIT # above 320 you'll be less likely to have visible scratches once the paint drys.. use "more light applications" than "heavy" will reduce the chance for runs, and just take your time !! whats the wost that can happen anyway ?? You can just sand it again a repaint !!! And spdrmns you paint looks good mann !! sweet !! Good luck painting is a pain but it gives you all the glory!!

 

This is going to be a somewhat long post so bear with me here.

I spray can painted my 900RR a year ago or so. The fairings i had were all different colors and sticker combinations due to them being off of 5 different 900rr's.

First step: Remove all fairings and wash them inside and out with liquid dishsoap - this will help remove any wax and road oil that is on the panels.

Second: Remove all stickers and decals with a hairdryer or heat gun on low setting, a razor blade can help in the process, but try not to cut into the paint or plastic. Now use WD-40 or denatured alcohol ( hardware store has it ) to remove the sticker glue goo completely. Remember you can't sand sticker glue off, it will just make a mess.

Third: Fix any damage to the panel. Cracks should be plastic welded, but can be glued with specail plastic glue made for ABS plastic. Again hardware store has it, it is a two part epoxy mix in a suringe style holder. "V" out the crack and glue it thouroughly or plastic weld it. Do NOT expect the plastic glue to hold up for more than 8,000 miles of riding, it won't. I know i used it on my bike. Fill in any low spots or road rash with plastic filler ( urethanesupply.com ). Once dry, sand it it down to the desired shape/contour. Use no courser than 200 grit to start with then as the shape of the filler gets closer to what it should be gradually come up in sandpaper grit ( ei: 200, 280, 320, then 400 ).

Fourth: Sand entire panel with 320 grit WET sand paper. Be sure to get into every nook and crevice on the entire panel. If you do a "90% good job" of sanding... expect a 50% nice finish once painted. 90% of making paint look professional is in the prep work, before actual primering or painting. Once you have wet sanded the entire panel two times with 320 grit, move up to 400 grit WET and do that twice over the panel thuroughly.

Fifth: Wash the panel again with dishsoap and water, rinse it very well a few times. Let it airdry. Now use a tack cloth ( tacky cheesecloth available from auto paint stores ) and wipe the entire panel GENTLY to remove any remaining surface contaminants. To go an extra step I use a WHITE clean rag and denatured alcohol and wipe the entire panel down, then use the tacky cloth to wipe it after. Don't touch the panel with your hands now! Your hands have a natural body oil on them that primer or paint won't stick to.

Sixth: Buy a FLEXIBLE filler primer ( urethanesupply.com OR Sherwin Williams auto paint store has it in cans under the brand name SEM ). Spray the primer on using even coats, when you get to the end of your 'stroke' let off the spray button. Start the spray button again once you begin your next 'stroke.' Same goes with paint. Don't go to fast or too slow when doing this and maintain a 6-8 inch distance from the panel while primering or painting. Allow the primer to dry 5 minutes between coats, you shouldn't need more than two coats. Let the panel dry for 20 minutes to 3 hours depending on the climate.

Seven: Wet sand the entire panel twice with 400 grit paper. Change the paper often so it doesn't loose its grittiness. If you accidently sanded through the primer coat then just touch up primer it in that spot. Sand again if necessary. Rinse the panel off with water a couple times. Allow it to airdry. Now use a tacky cloth to gently remove any residue from the panel. If you push too hard on a tacky cloth the tacky adhesives on it will transfer onto your nice panel and ruin your nice primer job.

Eight: I can't stress this enough... shake your CAN! LOL. Not your can but the spray can for at least 3 minutes vigorously. You're now ready to paint! Do so in a dust free environment, wet the floor down beforehand if you need to. Also using a piece of wire or coathanger it's best to hang the panel from somewhere. Use even coats staying approximately 8 inches distance the whole time your painting. If your

 

Oh almost forgot... paint stores carry a thin blue plastic line tape... it's what you can use for masking off areas to be painted a different color. The stuff i use is made by 3M and is called "Plastic Tape # 471." I painted my bike black matte finish, with silver matte flames.

http://www.allsportcycles.net/projectrebuild.htm. I tried the link from here, you may have to copy & paste it to your browser addy bar.

Have fun painting !

 

thanks for the directions now i belive i can actually do this. just one question? did you clear coat youre bike and if you dont clear coat will the paint start to chip.
and do you happen to have any pics of youre bike
thanks

 

fastrr, that is a kickass write up! i was going to do my prep, but after reading that i might try to do the top coat myself too! thanks!