For Painting the Acerbis Tank see Aftermarket Fuel Tank FAQ Classic
Flash #412
December ‘01
“Scuffed the paint off the luggage mounts, crash bar and hand-grip end. So the question now becomes what is the best choice for touching those areas up? Is this a standard glossy black automotive paint on these parts or is it some sort of magic goo available only from Dieter and the boys in Bavaria?”
Get a tiny bottle of Testor's Model Paint, black gloss. Tough as nails. Just for one minute touch ups. No sanding required, even.
For SERIOUS black gloss painting buy Engine enamel in a spray can.
Sand the parts to remove the gouges, if you care.
Finish sand the parts with 400 to give some "teeth" for the new paint.
Spray with engine enamel.
Give it a VERY light "tack" coating.
Wait about three minutes for it to tack up.
Then, give it a single good coat of paint, just so it looks evenly "wet."
Let dry at least over night.
Put your oven rack in the TOP position in your oven when your wife is no where about.
Suspend the parts by their mounting holes with paper clips or bent pieces of coat hanger. Bake the parts like brownies. ~325 for ~20 minutes.
Let cool.
Mount. (The smell won't last very long in the kitchen. It won't linger in the oven at all. Take her out to dinner.)
The guy who showed me this was SERIOUSLY into Vincents. That is how he did all the parts on his Black Shadow that would fit in his oven. And his Rapide, and his Egli. (His Comet was burgundy, so no black.)
I suggest using Testor's on stuff like scraped bar ends, control lever knobs and such. I did not suggest using a brush paint on a big surface like a gas tank. That should probably be sprayed. Although, some Testor's and some sanding could probably fill in some nasty gouges. But you'd still need to spray something over it, or else spend WAY too much time sanding and rubbing.
The Mandarin paint (and probably all solid color F650GS/Dakar) goes very deep into the plastic. I gouged the hell out of my Mandarin F650GS faux tank on a rock in Moab and fixed it so no one can even tell. First, check to see if the scratch went all the way through the paint and into the gray plastic (probably didn't). Next, sand the area carefully with 600 grit wet/dry paper as far as possible taking care not to sand through the paint. As noted, the yellow paint is very deep, so you can really sand the hell out of it, but be careful on edges and ridges. Get some Mequiar's Mirror Glaze "Medium Cut" and "Swirl Remover" compound from a good auto parts store. Start buffing with the Medium Cut and a cotton cloth, then go to the Swirl Remover after it starts to get shiny. If the scratch is down to gray plastic, then use the color stick from BMW to finish it off. Put some auto polish on it maybe since you now have completely exposed paint. Now go and be happy that you $10k bike still looks good, and be glad its not a $25k HD with a dent to go with the scratch. Rod, CO '02GS
Try some "Plexius" and see how that does. Shelley798~USA~NM
Rod has the right idea. But I wouldn't use 600 grit. I would us 1000 or, better yet, 1500 grit wet/dry sand paper. I don't know about the Meguar's product he mentions. but I have used 3M's Finesse-it II available at auto paint suppliers. You need to be cautious how far you sand. Go to the bottom of the scratch only. This combo will do a faultless job. Johnny #862
To keep belt buckles from marring the gas tank. Click on the picture to the left
for a larger image. These protectors are available from many fine mail order
warehouses as well as your local dealers and come in many different styles and
sizes. Glen Metcalf
Protective film by 3M. I'm finding that after just 2 weeks my new Dakar is getting lots of scratches on the faux tank, near the seat. Apparently my jacket is rubbing it more than I think. Anyhow, I saw someone here mention a 3M product that will work. I found some at a local auto shop, and it's called "3M Scotchcal Paint Protection Film." A roll measuring 4" x 84" cost me $28US. I think this will serve my needs given the limited area of damage. However, for a more robust covering of this stuff, you R1150RT folks might check out this site I just found: http://www.xpel.com/faqframe.html, Scott
Next
Gluing General:
Get some Super-Glue (or equiv) and some baking soda. Put glue in
the joint and then make a nice fillet of glue around the crack on the outside.
Sprinkle baking soda on the glue. Let dry for an hour or three and see if that
don't get it. Flash #412
Gluing Fender
Problem: Glue recommendation to fix front
Dakar fender I need to know what type of glue would work well on the back BMW
fender plastic. I've got a crack in the black plastic part of the front fender
and I'd like to try some glue before buying a replacement. The crack is only
about 2 inches long. Chicago, '01 Dakar
Solution:
First thing you should do is drill a tiny hole at the end of the crack so it does not spread any further. I believe the plastics on out bikes is ABS or Acrylontrile Butadiene Styrene. If this is the case Methelyene Chloride acrylic cement should work well. It is a watery substance that melts the plastic and then as it dries fuses it back together, it works very quickly. I have a jar of it sitting on my desk for a similar repair. I have not had a chance to try it. I will let you know how it works out. It is hard to find, I ended up phoning in an order to Michigan and with shipping it was $8.75 and came pretty quick. For more info on fixing plastic check out http://www.sportrider.com/tech/146_0204_body/ MasterITRIT
Feedback:
Why not take this golden opportunity to justify to your wife why you should spend a few buck$ on an extenda fenda?
My cleaning couple broke the rear fender of a plastic model car and I used Goop on the underside to fix it. I use it for just about everything except wood. Perfect! Art 884
Just fyi, the plastic is not _that_ expensive. I got one for my GS and it was something like $12, I don't recall the exact price anymore.
Try "Three Bond Plastic repair Kit". It is manufactured by Three Bond Int'l. Inc. Torrance, California 90501. I bought mine through a good Honda dealer. It is somewhat expensive (about $30), but IT WORKS WELL. It is a step-by-step process, and the repair is really stronger than the base material. I fixed a cracked panel on a 1988 BMW K-75 and it is now bullet-proof! (almost). This is a system with fiberglass fabric and some stout chemicals. Be careful if you choose to use it. It is h*ll on a paintjob! timber/ kawaW650retro
Gluing Driving Light Support Bracket
I'm adding driving lights and will be mount them to the plastic fairing just above the turn signal lights. I want to reinforce this area (maybe 2 inches by 4 inches) by gluing another thin layer (1/16 or so) of plastic to the back side. Does anyone know what plastic I should use and what glue? My plan is to try mount the lights using brackets I made and using the same rubber nut/screw thingy’s holding the wind screen on. I'm thinking that if I take a fall these may pull through instead of breaking the fairing. I will see how these seem to mount the brackets. If my bike didn't already have damage to the fairing from the previous owners fall I would be thinking twice about drilling holes in it. The thought of using polyester resins to reinforce would work but I need to keep it thin to use these thingy's. I'll put a thin piece of metal back there and use some epoxy then the fender washers.
I posted this on the "old" board, and here it is again. I used this method to repair plastic (space age composite) on a Ducati and it will work here. Get some fiberglass fabric/roving and lat on a couple thicknesses using polyester resin (w/hardener, of course) over the area you want to stiffen. Mount the lights there using largish (fender) washers on the back. Be sure to roughen the inside of the plastic with coarse sandpaper before adhering the fiberglass. '98 F650, Bellingham, WA. Johnny #862
If you need to mount them there anyways, you might get away with using a piece of sheetmetal on the backside to stiffen the area, with the mounting bolts for the lights serving as the glue(?) This method worked on the plastic canopy shell on my truck when I needed to reinforce the bike rack mounts I installed. Twelve years ago. Cheers, Scott, '02 Dakar, Boise, Idaho.
You can
use carbon fiber fabric instead of fiberglass, which is much thinner but also
stronger. This is commonly done for rockets and model planes. You can buy fabric
on eBay and it's not so expensive as it may seem. Mason #631
Painting Plastic
A Change of Color
Sean #807
EZ - You don't need experts. I painted mine for about $80, including reflective tape.
Feedback:
Painting plastic is different than painting metal. I'm not a painter or chemist but I have ruined plenty of things by just painting with whatever spray paint I have around. The main problem with painting plastic is getting it to stick. You may get away with cleaning the surface well, maybe wet sanding with 320 to 400 grit paper to rough it up, and then using a good-quality spray paint. I'm just not sure how well or how long it will stay on. Here is a simple page about painting plastic. Not real helpful but the list of materials at the bottom is a clue. http://sportbikeguy.com/garage/floor/painting.html Brad #1002
Acerbis Tank. The story I got from Acerbis is that the volatile components of the fuel "breathe" (out) through the plastic tank. They DON'T breathe through any additional paint covering it (the tank color is molded into the plastic). As a result, they get trapped under your paint, forming bubbles in the paint (soon to peel). I tried to use double-sided tape to fasten the mounting hardware for an RKA tankbag setup. It unstuck itself within 24 hours. Roughed up the surface and used epoxy to fasten the Velcro, seems to be working so far. So words of warning are: live with black or white (a red one was once available, but it faded to pink over time and has been discontinued). If you have any tankbag type accessories, check that they will adjust to fit, as the Acerbis doesn't have a Faux cover and is slightly bigger than stock. Marty #436
I have an Acerbis tank that I haven't got around to installing yet, and it has a sticker that says (in 4 languages) that the plastic material is not to be painted. Whether it can or should be painted is another story, but the manufacturer seems fairly clear that they don't recommend it. James #523 One more thing about paint...These apparently are difficult to paint, from statements here previously. Finding a good primer coat that will adhere will be your biggest challenge and "if so found", paint will be no-brainer and easily done. I know of none right now (primers), but have never tried either. Maybe a good epoxy primer will work. Proceed at your risk, as the paint on plastic tanks is a challenge, at best. BMW did paint their plastic tanks on early GS1100's with some bad results and tank replacements with metal ones. This GS model BTW was the only BMW produced with outer shell plastic tank! My GS1100 plastic tank never had to be replaced with metal one, as it never failed, so the painting of plastic tanks IS possible with the right stuff! Randy748 The painting process apparently ruins the MTBE plastic type that Acerbis used. It's not safe to prime and apply the paint to the tank, just use as is. DavidHPark, #711.
I had use PJ1 paint before and it's pretty good. They have paint for both metallic and non metallic. I used on my offroad bikes for touch up. Believe it or not they even have the Kawasaki green for my KLX250 which I used it on my plastics. Here is the link; http://www.pjhbrands.com Cheers scx The Singapore BMW F650GS Dakar.
Since it's aluminum you'll need to apply an etching (acidic) primer, specially formulated for aluminum, after first thoroughly cleaning and preferably gritblasting the area to be painted. After that you can generally use any paint you prefer, but an epoxy based enamel would probably be best. Paint will not bond well to untreated aluminum. Oyvind #1052 Bergen, Norway
A good silver-coloured paint for the engine block of the F650 ? In the past I have tried to get touch-up paint from BMW for their silver engine cases and wheels. They act like it is some sort of violation of German law to even ask the question. The best I have been able to do is to look through all of the touch-up paints that are sold in auto accessory stores for automobiles and try to pick one that comes as close to the shade that I want. If you could get the right touch-up paint, I assume that you could then go to the auto manufacturer's parts department or body shop and order a quart of the same paint. Richard #230: 1997 Funduro, 2002 R1150R, 2002 Yamaha YZ1, 1993 Honda CB750 - Pacifica, CA, USA
I would go to a shop that paints cars, a good reputable one and ask them what you should do to prep the areas if they will paint them. Here in the states auto paint store sell aluminum etch and conversion coatings to use before the painting. All the old paint must be scraped away and the oxidation removed. Then the conversion treatment. Mask the parts nearby you don't want painted and then take it to the paint shop for them to paint. Nothing you can buy yourself at the store will so an adequate job long term. Needs to be a good catalysing primer and top paint coat. Johnny
Maybe a good paint store could whip up a batch of heat resistant paint if you brought them a part to put in their scanner. You're not going to get it in a spray can so you would need an air brush or paint gun to apply it. Brushing is not likely to turn out very well. The frame parts are close in color but look more metallic. I'd like to find a match for the frame color too. Brad, N. CA., 2001 F650GS - Inmate #1002
I found a spray paint that is just about a perfect match for the engine guard. I bought a used engine guard, sanded it a bit and re-painted it. Works great, looks like new. With as much gravel as they toss on the roads here in winter it'll probably need a new coat once a year. I dunno if regular touch up paint would hold up to the heat on the engine block though. '03 black F650GSA Runaway #1259 (CO)
Actually it not a good idea to paint on engine block. One reason is the heat dispersion. The last time when I did my own major O/H I actually got the block blasted and it came out with a nice silver. That's only when you decide to O/H. To answer your question, I had use PJ1 paint before and it's pretty good. They have paint for both metallic and non metallic. I used on my offroad bikes for touch up. Believe it or not they even have the Kawasaki green for my KLX250 which I used it on my plastics. Here is the link; http://www.pjhbrands.com Cheers scx The Singapore BMW F650GS Dakar.
In theory it may not be a good idea to paint an engine block, but off-hand, I can't think of any manufacturer that doesn't paint their engines, even the ones that are hidden from view. Richard #230
F650 Body Panels: Have you tried the salvage yards? http://www.cyclemallusa.com/parts.html If you want all your panels a different color, just get them painted. Painting panels does not work for less than all panels since you cannot buy matching paint. But for a complete redo, you can get whatever color you want. And then keep the formula for "repairs." TomO-AR 650GS;1150GS Adventure
Next.
Q. Anyone knows how to take stickers off of my Bike, it's
those 'Check the Oil Regularly' and 'Use only Unleaded Fuel' type of stickers.
A. Heat em up with a blow dryer and try pealing
them off. Mark #403