Repainting my bike!

Bluberryrain · January 17th, 2017, 12:48 PM

Sup ya'll?

Since it's absolutely freezing outside, and I'll get no riding time over the next few months, I decided to take the time to do several projects on the ninjette. Just ONE of these is repainting the whole bike.

The previous owner managed to knock the bike over and crack the left fairing pretty bad, and add a few scuffs.. I managed to patch it together to get through riding season, but it always bothered me. I figured for the extremely low price I bought the bike for. I can invest some time and money into fixing it up. I'm using all colorrite spray paints, primer, clear coat, etc. It's expensive, but it's also amazing.

Also, for the non-damaged parts, I will be sanding lightly and adding in some Kawasaki green to them. (Passenger seat fairing, gas tank, front fender and part of the main fairings)

First things first - I used the dremel tool along the cracks on both the front and the back of the fairings to create a "V" shape. I then used ABS cement on the front, back and middle of the cracks to repair the cracks (and actually recreate a piece of plastic that was missing about the size of a quarter.)

Here are some pictures before starting:

https://i.imgur.com/P1eF044.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/VsmSRvv.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/dGGldTF.jpg

Here is a picture after filling cracks and sanding. I left a little of the ABS material on there, just to show how I am doing it:

https://i.imgur.com/hft8HPz.jpg

So, with that said, here is my process thus far:

-Fix & fill cracks/imperfections
-Use 120 grit sandpaper to sand everything down flush(the whole fairing down to plastic)
-Fill any cracks or gouges or scrapes again
-Sand with 120 grit paper
-Sand the whole fairing with 400 grit paper, to ensure everything is feathered and there are no extremely rough spots. Touch is really REALLY important here. If you can feel it- sand it more. If you think to yourself "I wonder if primer will cover this"....it won't. Sand it.

Now, it's time for primer!:

-Put on latex/rubber gloves (keep oil of the part)
-Use mineral spirits to wipe the part down throughly. This will remove any wax grease etc. This is very important.
-Use a tack cloth to remove any leftover dust, hair, etc. This is sticky and will pick it all up.
-Apply the primer in light even motions. Paint the corners first!
-Wait 15 minutes and apply another coat
-Wait for it to fully dry, and WET sand with 1000 grit sandpaper to remove bumps, uneven spots etc

Here are the fairings primed, but not sanded yet:

https://i.imgur.com/2BoLPsx.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/aWAWpUe.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/rYJJtVM.jpg

This is where I'm at in the current stage with the main fairings.

As for the other parts, I've already sanded, painted and clear coated some of them green. I'll wait a couple weeks, and then I'll wetsand with 2k grit and polish.

If there's any interest, I'll continue to update this post with my progress and steps used to achieve my final result. Let me know if any of you are interested!

Flying · January 17th, 2017, 01:17 PM

Solid work on the prep!

jkv45 · January 17th, 2017, 02:04 PM

Before you sand the primer, spray a light/overspray coat of a contrasting primer on the parts - no need to spray enough to cover it with the new color.

That gives you a "road map" of the surface and any defects as you are sanding. It also shows you what areas you haven't sanded, which is helpful when the entire piece is wet.

Bluberryrain · January 17th, 2017, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flying

Solid work on the prep!

Thank you! I'm quite happy with how well the primer went on. I spent a couple weeks patching and sanding, sanding, and then sanding some more.

The most important thing you need when doing this job is patience, and a lot of it. Although, it's kinda "zen" for me, so I enjoy it.

highvoltj · April 27th, 2017, 06:33 PM

WOW!!! Awesome job Nick!!! Ever thought about hiring your skilz out???

So can I ask...where did you get the Lime Green Kawi paint?

Bluberryrain · April 27th, 2017, 06:38 PM

Final Pics:

http://imgur.com/a/zI7p6

Quote:

Originally Posted by highvoltj

WOW!!! Awesome job Nick!!! Ever thought about hiring your skilz out???

So can I ask...where did you get the Lime Green Kawi paint?

Hey, thanks!!

I have thought about it, or at least buying some busted up fairings and turning them for a profit. Maybe someday I'll work on making that a reality

Sure! I got all of my paint from Colorrite.com. I believe the Kawi Green color is #777. Kinda pricey, but real quality stuff.

highvoltj · April 27th, 2017, 06:40 PM

Just saw the finished product! EXCELLENT!!!!!!

Bluberryrain · April 27th, 2017, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by highvoltj

Just saw the finished product! EXCELLENT!!!!!!

Thank you so much, Jon!

djerwin02 · May 16th, 2017, 03:40 AM

Looks great. The green color provides a nice contrast.

ROB654 · May 16th, 2017, 05:50 PM

Nice job. What did you use for paint?

DannoXYZ · May 17th, 2017, 10:36 AM

Very nice!!! Which clear-coat did you use? And how many layers? thanks.

January 17th, 2017, 12:48 PM	#1
Bluberryrain ninjette.org member Name: Nick Location: USA Join Date: Apr 2016 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250r Posts: 109	Repainting my bike! Sup ya'll? Since it's absolutely freezing outside, and I'll get no riding time over the next few months, I decided to take the time to do several projects on the ninjette. Just ONE of these is repainting the whole bike. The previous owner managed to knock the bike over and crack the left fairing pretty bad, and add a few scuffs.. I managed to patch it together to get through riding season, but it always bothered me. I figured for the extremely low price I bought the bike for. I can invest some time and money into fixing it up. I'm using all colorrite spray paints, primer, clear coat, etc. It's expensive, but it's also amazing. Also, for the non-damaged parts, I will be sanding lightly and adding in some Kawasaki green to them. (Passenger seat fairing, gas tank, front fender and part of the main fairings) First things first - I used the dremel tool along the cracks on both the front and the back of the fairings to create a "V" shape. I then used ABS cement on the front, back and middle of the cracks to repair the cracks (and actually recreate a piece of plastic that was missing about the size of a quarter.) Here are some pictures before starting: https://i.imgur.com/P1eF044.jpg https://i.imgur.com/VsmSRvv.jpg https://i.imgur.com/dGGldTF.jpg Here is a picture after filling cracks and sanding. I left a little of the ABS material on there, just to show how I am doing it: https://i.imgur.com/hft8HPz.jpg So, with that said, here is my process thus far: -Fix & fill cracks/imperfections -Use 120 grit sandpaper to sand everything down flush(the whole fairing down to plastic) -Fill any cracks or gouges or scrapes again -Sand with 120 grit paper -Sand the whole fairing with 400 grit paper, to ensure everything is feathered and there are no extremely rough spots. Touch is really REALLY important here. If you can feel it- sand it more. If you think to yourself "I wonder if primer will cover this"....it won't. Sand it. Now, it's time for primer!: -Put on latex/rubber gloves (keep oil of the part) -Use mineral spirits to wipe the part down throughly. This will remove any wax grease etc. This is very important. -Use a tack cloth to remove any leftover dust, hair, etc. This is sticky and will pick it all up. -Apply the primer in light even motions. Paint the corners first! -Wait 15 minutes and apply another coat -Wait for it to fully dry, and WET sand with 1000 grit sandpaper to remove bumps, uneven spots etc Here are the fairings primed, but not sanded yet: https://i.imgur.com/2BoLPsx.jpg https://i.imgur.com/aWAWpUe.jpg https://i.imgur.com/rYJJtVM.jpg This is where I'm at in the current stage with the main fairings. As for the other parts, I've already sanded, painted and clear coated some of them green. I'll wait a couple weeks, and then I'll wetsand with 2k grit and polish. If there's any interest, I'll continue to update this post with my progress and steps used to achieve my final result. Let me know if any of you are interested!

January 17th, 2017, 02:04 PM	#3
jkv45 Rev Limiter Name: Jay Location: WI Join Date: Jul 2013 Motorcycle(s): '06 SV650n, '00 Derbi GPR, '64 CA77 Dream 305, '70 CL450 Scrambler, numerous dirt bikes Posts: A lot. MOTM - Jun '18, Oct '16	Before you sand the primer, spray a light/overspray coat of a contrasting primer on the parts - no need to spray enough to cover it with the new color. That gives you a "road map" of the surface and any defects as you are sanding. It also shows you what areas you haven't sanded, which is helpful when the entire piece is wet.
	1 out of 1 members found this post helpful.

April 27th, 2017, 06:33 PM	#5
highvoltj ninjette.org member Name: Jon Location: Santa Rosa Join Date: Nov 2016 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Ninja 250R, 1986 Ninja 250R (x2) '06 ZX6R 636 Posts: 88	prep/paint WOW!!! Awesome job Nick!!! Ever thought about hiring your skilz out??? So can I ask...where did you get the Lime Green Kawi paint?

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January 17th, 2017, 01:17 PM	#2
Flying ninjette.org sage Name: - Location: somewhere cold Join Date: Jun 2013 Motorcycle(s): 2010 Ninja 250 Posts: 596 Blog Entries: 1	Solid work on the prep!

April 27th, 2017, 06:40 PM	#7
highvoltj ninjette.org member Name: Jon Location: Santa Rosa Join Date: Nov 2016 Motorcycle(s): 2008 Ninja 250R, 1986 Ninja 250R (x2) '06 ZX6R 636 Posts: 88	re:paint Just saw the finished product! EXCELLENT!!!!!!

May 16th, 2017, 03:40 AM	#9
djerwin02 ninjette.org newbie Name: Jerwin Location: Ga Join Date: May 2017 Motorcycle(s): ninja 300 Posts: 8	Looks great. The green color provides a nice contrast.

May 16th, 2017, 05:50 PM	#10
ROB654 ninjette.org member Name: ROB Location: WORCESTER Join Date: Oct 2014 Motorcycle(s): 08 NINJA 250,EX500,YSR50,86 VFR750 Posts: 54	Nice job. What did you use for paint?

May 17th, 2017, 10:36 AM	#11
DannoXYZ ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: AKA JacRyann Location: Mesa, AZ Join Date: Dec 2011 Motorcycle(s): CB125T CBR250R-MC19 CBR250RR-MC22 NSR350R-MC21 VF500F CBR600RR SFV650 VFR750F R1M ST1300PA Valkyrie-F6C Posts: A lot. MOTY - 2018, MOTM - Nov '17	Very nice!!! Which clear-coat did you use? And how many layers? thanks.