Kaos Theory Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 I have an '04 ZX6R track bike that's been sitting up doing sweet fuck all the last couple of years due to me being perma broke. I'm going to start going through it in a couple weeks getting it ready for this years track day season and apart from all the mechanical checks I want to do, I'd like to tidy up the race fairings which aren't looking the best. I'm not looking for a showroom condition machine, as the reality is I could very possibly toss it into the gravel trap at turn one, but I'd like it to at least pass the 20 yard test! So my question is this, can anyone who has done similar give me a few tips or a bit of advice? I know the devil is in the preparation so from scanning web pages and videos on youtube (most of which are useless) I have a rough idea of what to expect, e.g. various high grades of sandpaper, start with 200 to rough up and remove old paint, then onto 400 sanding in opposite direction, then primer, multiple coats leaving time in between each coat to allow it to dry, then light 1st coat, then wet sand with 1000 grade to see imperfections, repair or ignore, then multiple top coats, again allow time to dry, then clear coat as required. I should also mention here that I'm going to give the wheels a bash as well, so any tips on this would be much appreciated. Anyone have any comments/recommendations/rants at my lack of knowledge? Before you ask, no I don't have access to a compressor/booth etc. this will be done with off the shelf cans, in a shed, on the cheap, with copious amounts of tea and swearing. Let the enlightening/flaming begin... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porter_jamie Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 leave it white gelcoat. no-one will care. spend your time and money on something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaos Theory Posted February 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 leave it white gelcoat. no-one will care. spend your time and money on something else. It was painted when I bought it so its either leave it looking tired and shitty, or do something about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wavydavy Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 Leave it looking tired and shitty - some of the less intelligent types will give you a wide berth when on track if you look like you really don't give a fuck about the bike whereas if it looks like you care about it they might expect you to defer to them when its 50/50 going into a corner... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porter_jamie Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 What about diy wrapping? Cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kayla Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 Leave it looking tired and shitty - some of the less intelligent types will give you a wide berth when on track if you look like you really don't give a fuck about the bike whereas if it looks like you care about it they might expect you to defer to them when its 50/50 going into a corner... I love this idea! If you come across as ever so slightly unhinged- maybe add the odd twitch or nervous laugh into the mix as well - then people will give you a wide berth. You may even get the nickname 'mad dog', or something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesifume Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 Edit again..Paint it dude. i have painted bikes in the past you know dahlink. Or you could get your mate the Graphic designer to see if he can whip up summat on vynil and apply that. Or you could just Right C Unt down the sides own rip the hole off it. Im more than appy to elp for payment in tea..no bikkies,,40 days and 40 nights and all that shite. Except for this weekend..Im protesting and there is WSBK on Edit: Also, i had a fibreglass kit but i gave it to that twunt that bought the cbr600 race bike we owned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbo S2 Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 I rattlecanned mine matt black, cost about £25 all in. Spent nearly as much on dust sheets because I turned the box trailer into a stay booth for the weekend... I don't like mess so will look at wrapping next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 I'm just preparing my race bike. Plain white rattle can job. Tank and seat done so far, cost - £10. Just the fairing top and lower to do which will cost another tenner I'm not going to spend loads on it looking pretty just to run the risk of lobbing it down the road! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuelline Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 I have an '04 ZX6R track bike that's been sitting up doing sweet fuck all the last couple of years due to me being perma broke. I'm going to start going through it in a couple weeks getting it ready for this years track day season and apart from all the mechanical checks I want to do, I'd like to tidy up the race fairings which aren't looking the best. I'm not looking for a showroom condition machine, as the reality is I could very possibly toss it into the gravel trap at turn one, but I'd like it to at least pass the 20 yard test! So my question is this, can anyone who has done similar give me a few tips or a bit of advice? I know the devil is in the preparation so from scanning web pages and videos on youtube (most of which are useless) I have a rough idea of what to expect, e.g. various high grades of sandpaper, start with 200 to rough up and remove old paint, then onto 400 sanding in opposite direction, then primer, multiple coats leaving time in between each coat to allow it to dry, then light 1st coat, then wet sand with 1000 grade to see imperfections, repair or ignore, then multiple top coats, again allow time to dry, then clear coat as required. I should also mention here that I'm going to give the wheels a bash as well, so any tips on this would be much appreciated. Anyone have any comments/recommendations/rants at my lack of knowledge? Before you ask, no I don't have access to a compressor/booth etc. this will be done with off the shelf cans, in a shed, on the cheap, with copious amounts of tea and swearing. Let the enlightening/flaming begin... All that about rubbing down, multiple coats clear coat etc etc. That ain't a rattle can job. Rub it down...a bit, get a tack rag on it or wet cloth dry out. Spray the fucker that'll stand the 20 yard test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baileysam Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 ok rub it down with a brillo pad the soap in it will clean off all the dirt and grease the wire will help the paint key , what rattle cans have you got kicking about dont matter what colours they are just have a play, you never know you may enjoy it, bit of a tip you have any old net curtains sretch them over the job and paint over them, to see what paterns you can make rubber gloves to make hands use whatever you like to make paterns and a set of stickers £5 off ebay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rureadyboots Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 This is my halfords rattle can spray job. It aint pretty up close and I didnt bother with laquer as I had already spent about £50 on spray cans. Dont be fussy with it just do it! Its a track bike so who cares? Uploaded with ImageShack.us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustyrack Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 What's the blue colour code you used on the Gixer mate? Dont have a Halfords over here but hopefully could get it on the web. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 I can't see the point of having a few grand in a bike and not making it look nice for the sake of a couple of hundred quid.Get someone to spray a single colour for you.If you do the prep it won't be more than £150-£200 tops.Be proud of your bikes ffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rureadyboots Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 What's the blue colour code you used on the Gixer mate? Dont have a Halfords over here but hopefully could get it on the web. I just had a look for the left over cans and could ironically only find the white and the red. The blues not a perfect match or a Suzuki colour anyway. Sorry I cant help dude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaos Theory Posted February 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 What about diy wrapping? Cheap. Also looking at this, seems a lot less messy and faster, thinking wrap it in flat matte black with a decal or two, would look mean... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 I can't see the point of having a few grand in a bike and not making it look nice for the sake of a couple of hundred quid.Get someone to spray a single colour for you.If you do the prep it won't be more than £150-£200 tops.Be proud of your bikes ffs. Beacuse £200 could be better spent on tyres. A tarty paint job won't win you a race. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonic Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 Beacuse £200 could be better spent on tyres. A tarty paint job won't win you a race. New tyres won't help most on the grid win a race either!!But at least a nice paintjob will look good as they ride around slowly,lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Von Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 Not exactly rattle cans paint job, but i did have one on those cheap (£15) spray guns that came with the compressor, got some white coach paint, mixed in a little thinners to get it to spray out, but i did prep it properly and made a spray booth inside my shed, put a heater on in there in the summer and this was the result, all in about £20. http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g170/Gerry_05/RGV/HPIM1145.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter187 Posted February 29, 2012 Report Share Posted February 29, 2012 I have a shitty old compressor from the 1970s that I bought for like $20. A litre of primer, a litre of yellow lacquer, a half litre of purple lacquer and some thinners came to around $100AUD. It's easy to spray. Lacquer is easy to touch up if you have an off and have to reglass an area and respray it and it looks a lot better than rattle cans ever will. You can even polish it up with some metal polish. If you can't afford the $100 it costs for some paint, ie if money is so tight that you desperately need that $100 to go towards a set of tyres, maybe you should look for another hobby or at least hold off until you have a few more reddies available. Racing definitely isn't cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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