Repairs and a New Look!

Hey Everyone,

So 40 miles after buying my bike in the spring, I crashed the poor thing into a guard rail.  Well, specifically, I crashed and then it proceeded to slide and crash itself into the rail. ANYWAYS! Needless to say, I've been riding around with it looking pretty messy... holes, cracked fairings, scratches, blah.  I tried a few different things as temporary fixes, including clear silicone sealant, super glue, and even clear packaging tape (to be honest, the tape worked the best and was hardly noticeable!).  I didn't mind the damage too much, sure it ruined the look, but it was a reminder to take it easy.  Fast forward to the present!

Just broke the 7,000 mile mark, which includes twisties, commuting, highway travels, and grocery runs.  I decided that my bike needed a new look, and while I was at it, a patch up.  I did a bit of research, and then headed over to Lowe's to get some supplies.  What did I buy?  One package of JB Plastic Weld (one tube says steel, the other hardener).  8 cans of white Plasti-Dip.  I finally was going to get myself a white bike to match my white car and my white gear! So fresh, so clean.

So I returned home, pulled the bike into the garage, and stripped all the body panels off.  Everything is easy to take off..unscrew, unclip, or just straight up pop off.  I left the gas tank on the bike, which reduced some of the work in dis-assembly/assembly, but increased the work in painting and slightly decreased the quality of the work.  Oh well, I am lazy, sue me!  I decided it was best to check the consistency of the JB Weld epoxy, and found it to be a bit too runny (not really runny at all, but not a play-doh like consistency either).  While this was okay to fix the cracks by applying the epoxy to the inside of the cowlings, it was not good for patching up holes.  I ended up having to carefully reapply packaging tape around the holes, covering them while also giving them the natural lines and shape.  Once this was done, I applied a decent layer in and around the holes on top of the tape from the backside of the cowling.

In retrospect, it could have been possible, and maybe even better, to tape from the inside and apply epoxy from the outside, and then sand it down into shape afterwards.  The exterior had some cracks coming off the holes which did not get sealed, and the paint did not cover them as I thought they would!  Not terribly noticeable, but it still bothered me a little bit.

I didn't take a picture of the front cowling, but I attempted to patch the cracks from the front side.  The first crack I applied the epoxy with no regard to finish.  I thought I would sand it down later.  The second I tried applying the epoxy, getting it pushed into the crack/groove, and then wiping up the excess.  Which way worked out better? The latter of course.  Yes, you can sand the epoxy down once it finishes curing (15 hours or so), but it's a PITA, and way more work!  Unfortunately, at the time I was in the "it's good enough" mentality so I didn't sand to perfection.  This is evident if you look at the paint up close.

Once this was done, and the epoxy was fully cured, it was spray time!  I originally bought 4 cans of white Plasti-Dip, thinking it was enough. NO!  I think the main reason was that white on top of a color requires more paint...if I chose black 4 coats would be good enough.  I ended up putting 6 coats on most of the parts, and got away with 4 heavy coats on the front cowling.  I had to buy an additional 4 cans to finish the job, which all said and done, came out to about $48 for the paint and about $5.50 for the epoxy.

King Arthur was my Quality Control technician.  I axed him since this didn't turn out perfect!

For some reason I couldn't get the turn signals off.  I think I partially stripped one screw and didn't bother futzing with the other one.  Yes, it would have made the final product marginally better, but I figured it's not THAT noticeable if I can't completely spray around the signals.

From a few feet away it looks like a regular matte paint job.  It looks really good!  From up close, you can tell it isn't regular paint since it has the Plasti-Dip rubbery texture.  Keep that in mind if you all ever decide to experiment with the material.  The tank was difficult to get an even spray since the handlebars were in the way, but overall it came out decent.  Again, if you take the extra time to do it really really carefully, it will look better.  However, for me, it was very cold outside, there was limited day light, and I was limited by time  as well.  I did get some overspray on the bike components and frame, but I figured it was okay since the paint peels right off!  I'll clean it up on a warmer day.

Ahh don't look! She's naked!!

After about $50 or so, and 12-14 hours of my time (and also much complaining from my mom for the paint fumes), I finished everything and had the bike put back together.  There were a few things I noticed, and didn't care for much.  First, some of the cracks just did not get completely covered.  I was under the assumption the paint would be thick enough to simply fill and cover them but I was mistaken.  Apply just enough epoxy to fill those cracks, wipe the rest away and THEN paint, I guarantee it will look much better!

Second, take the time to set up your work area so no bugs, hair, or other debris get on the paint.  Touch ups kind of work, but it looks better just to have it done right the first time.  And finally, take your time and do things right! 

All said and done I am very happy with how it turned out.  From a few feet away and beyond, it looks absolutely stunning.  No more holes, no more cracks!!  It looks great once more!  The white also creates high contrast, which makes the black look super dark, and the white look whiter!  I was debating painting the mirrors white too, but maybe that's too much!?  Anyways, in the second and fourth finished pictures above, you can slightly see the ridges from the epoxy which I didn't sand down completely.  It's a bit more noticeable in person, but again, you would have to be within arms reach to really see it.  The last thing I noticed was that while I painted the top of the front cowling (where you can see paint from the seat) I overlooked the bottom of the bike where the front of the two side cowlings meet.  From select angles you can distinctly see the lime green.  Oh well, it could look cool like that, white with a glowing lime green interior!?

What do you guys think, white, yay or nay!?  My coworkers love it, do you!?

I will post an update in the coming months on the paint durability.  For starters, it's not like a clear coat paint where you can brush dirt off..it sticks.  However, if you take a soft wet cloth, dirt wipes right off.  Trade-offs I suppose!

- Pandabear

If you are going to read one thing, read this please!

Hey Friends,

Just a shorter post today, but a very important one.  Amid the rash of accidents among people from the forums, some resulting in tragic fatalities and serious injuries, I want to tell people to ride extra carefully, especially up in the colder climates such as where I live.

If you don't know a road well and can't see around a corner or over a hill, be cautious, ride the speed limit or maybe even less.
If you are riding with others, ride at YOUR pace, not theirs.  It's okay if you fall behind, but do not exceed your skill level trying to catch up.  All it takes is one mistake to end/seriously mess up your life.
It's nearly winter time and the roads are COLD, even on warmer days with the sun out, the ground is not as warm as in summer.  This plays a factor in the [decreased] amount of grip your tires will provide.  There may also be leaves, ice, salt, sand, and other debris.  Ride carefully, and don't try to lean as much.  If you are dragging hard parts, toes, knees, etc..you are riding too hard/fast, take that to the track.

I took the fun twisty road home from work yesterday, and on the way home two presumably more experienced riders pulled out in front of me.  They immediately started pulling away, and though I wanted to keep up, maybe it was a bit of my ego wanting to show my capabilities (or lack thereof? lol!), I said NO and did not attempt to follow.  The road was unfamiliar to me, with many blind curves over hills.  The surroundings were definitely not conducive to making mistakes without serious consequences AKA I would die if I went off the road.

So please be careful! Definitely have fun, but be cautious about it.

- Pandabear