I am in the middle of sanding down my bike and repainting it Envy Green with Black flames. I am going to need quite a bit of paint because I want to do atleast 3-5 layers to make the color look good. (If you think I need more let me know) Basically though I want this to be an exact match and I know that even with the color code it is sometimes still tough to get that same color. The reason it is important is I am also going to be fixing a BIG gash that someone put into my xb on new years. So it has to match the existing paint. If anyone has any advice on painting Plastic fairings, where to buy paint, or the fastest way to sand down the current paint on my bike let me know.

Remember the fairings are plastic so most power sanders dont work.



Thanks in advance

 

try www.paintscratch.com

 

Wow. 300 bucks for just the paint? Man I did not know that it was going to be that expensive. I had a quote to have my bike all repainted and done profesionally for 680 bucks. I had seen this guys other work and it was nice so I know it was good work. Is this the usual price for a custom paint like that?

 

Paint scratches price is about right maybe possibly a touch high. I would suggest finding a local automotive refinish store and try to purchase from them. If they have a good color match technician he can mix the formula and tint it to even better match the sample you will provide him (gas doors are what i usually use for this, BUT, the xB is annoying since it is pop riveted on). You do not want to take a plastic part for him to match if possible as they tend to vary a little from the rest of the car. SO removing the gas door may be the best option. If we are replacing a panel say a hood I just cut a 6 inch circle out of the middle of it and take that. Smaller body shops in your area might be able to recommend who has a good color match service.

 

house of kolor or have a local body shop mix some up for you!

 

those are the opposite ends of the spectrum, my friend! lol

 

Hey I appreciate your input very much! I am just trying to save some money on the side and would not be repainting in the first place but my motorcycle got the best of me on the ice.

Any advice from any of you about sanding down the paint on the plastic peices? Best type of primer? how many coates of primer, paint and clear coat?

Sorry I am completley new at this and hopeing to get good at this in order to fix my bike, car, and maybe customizing a couple peices in the xb.

You guys are awesome keep them rolling.

 

You said sanding down the paint on the plastic pieces so they must already be painted. If they are painted and in good shape all you really need to do is sand them with about a 320 grit wet paper and follow with a 600 grit wet paper. They are then ready to paint. Try not to sand through edges, very small spots where you can kinda see the color is getting thin are alright. If you have areas that are scratched or damaged (where you have to expose a good size area of plastic or repair gouges) you will need to make repairs to smooth these areas and then prime on plastic I recommend sanding any primer with 320 wet then 600 wet just like paint. Primer that is used for priming plastics is what you want, altho any good professional name brand general use primer will likely be ok. PPG's K-36 works well.

After everything is smooth and sanded with 600 grit you are ready to paint. Apply enough coats of your basecoat to get even coverage. Then apply your clearcoats normally some short time after the basecoat (with PPG's DBU system you clear as soon as 30 minutes after the base has been sprayed). Get the data sheets for each paint you purchase and follow the manufacturers instructions as to mix ratios and number of coats of clear. Do not trust the # of coats listed on basecoats however just spray till it is evenly covered. On your clearcoat if you ointend to wetsand the clear and buff it out I pretty much universally recommend applying 1 more coat than the manufacturers recommendation. Too many coast can cause problems just as too little clear can also cause problems. Go to you local autmotive paint store (where your body shops buy) talk with them. IIf you are lucky they will be helpfull and recommend some processes and materials. Best to stay within the same brand line for all the materials from primers through base and clear coats. Good Luck.

 

Wow how much you want for me to send you the peices and have you paint it for me? Seriously...... Anyways I can take a look into this some more and see what I come up with. I am starting to get that overwhelming feeling that sucks and kills your drive. Thanks for all the help it is very refreshing.

 

As long as you have the compressor and spray gun necessary doing the work isn't really a big deal. It is following instructions and doing some sanding. The materials cost for doing only a few small pieces can add up but you will likely have left overs for another project.

 

How much do you believe would be needed to do a full job on a motorcycle? I was guessing a gallon but am not 100% sure

 

Oh I really doubt that. Depends on how much you have to paint. Assume you have a tank 2 side covers and 2 fenders. If we were using PPG's paints you would need 1 pint of basecoat (but you would likely use it all), 1 quart of reactive reducer for the basecoat, 1 pint of clear (only sold in quarts minimum tho I think) , 1/2 pint of hardener (with the clear I use...only comes in 1 pint minimum), and 1/2 pint of reducer (quart minimum sell size). You might need some primer (quart minimum size), hardener for primer and reducer for primer (with PPG system this is the same reducer as used in the clear). A gallon of basecoat would paint about 1.25 xB's outside all over.
Paint is cheaper in larger cans. if a pint of basecoat is $50 a quart is about $80 and a gallon is about $220-$250. If you are having color custom matched to your xB by all means get a bit more than you think you will need. From the above example I would get 1 quart of base for the motor cyle parts I listed just in case as 1 pint will be about right (sucks to run out!!). Same with the clearcoat better to have a quart on hand if you think a full pint may be needed.