Suzi's gettin a fresh coat.

Suzi_Thumper_650 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 20, 2012 11:57 pm

Hey Guys wanted to show off my Suzi, and what mods I've done.

Here she is the day I bought her...
http://s1064.photobucket.com/albums/u37 ... nt=096.jpg
http://s1064.photobucket.com/albums/u37 ... nt=097.jpg
And here she is with her new parts...
http://s1064.photobucket.com/albums/u37 ... 4-1655.jpg
So far in the last pic I've added some drag-style handlebars, a self-installed postal shipping box trunk, DG O-series muffler, and ProCycle Jet kit (drilled the access door a few times, didn't want to cut the top of the air box).
Just got back inside from stripping off her plastics and tank to paint them a nice coat of Flat Chevy Orange. I'll post pics of the process. Not gonna put the "mud flap" back on though, any suggestions on mounting the license plate on the cheap?

67Corona · **Posted:** Sat Jan 21, 2012 3:54 am

Looking good.
Find a piece of metal sheet ( street sign) and cut and bend to suit. nice and easy. see pro cycle site for ideas.
Keep the mods going

Kernel · **Posted:** Sat Jan 21, 2012 8:18 am

Try bending a couple of pieces of flat steel bar and drilling some holes in them to use as license plate holders. This guy did it well: topic3439.html

DustDevil · **Posted:** Sat Jan 21, 2012 1:28 pm

Painting plastic and making it stick ain't easy. I'm just curious as to how you plan on prepping the plastic parts and what type of paint you're planning on using?

Personally I would stay away from that supposed-to-be-for-plastic Krylon stuff, it doesn't work very well IMO. Prepping with an adhesion promoter such as Bulldog and using epoxy paint produces nearly professional results that last, with the convenience and lower cost of aerosol paint.

It's not clear in the pics but that looks like it might be a plastic tank. If it is, there's been a lot of problems with paint bubbling & peeling and decals failing because of the gas permeable nature of the plastic. Not many solutions to that problem, most folks just choose a tank in the limited colors available and go from there.
Or just paint the stock metal tank.

Not trying to tell you waht to do, just hate to see you wind up with a mess on your hands... beside the black looks good to me. :pardon:

Suzi_Thumper_650 · **Posted:** Sat Jan 21, 2012 3:03 pm

DustDevil wrote:

Painting plastic and making it stick ain't easy. I'm just curious as to how you plan on prepping the plastic parts and what type of paint you're planning on using?

Personally I would stay away from that supposed-to-be-for-plastic Krylon stuff, it doesn't work very well IMO. Prepping with an adhesion promoter such as Bulldog and using epoxy paint produces nearly professional results that last, with the convenience and lower cost of aerosol paint.

It's not clear in the pics but that looks like it might be a plastic tank. If it is, there's been a lot of problems with paint bubbling & peeling and decals failing because of the gas permeable nature of the plastic. Not many solutions to that problem, most folks just choose a tank in the limited colors available and go from there.
Or just paint the stock metal tank.

Not trying to tell you waht to do, just hate to see you wind up with a mess on your hands... beside the black looks good to me. :pardon:

The PO actually did a nice job of painting it for me. The current layer is actually primer so whatever i pint on top of it will surely stick. And thankfully the tanks is the stocker. I've read horror stories and heedings of not painting the plastic IMS or Acerbis safari tanks. I do appreciate the advice DustDevil. Like I've said in other posts, I'm new to DR650's AND motorcycling in general, I just have a good knowledge base in automotive technology to get myself by.

oldebike · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2012 12:24 am

Suzi_Thumper_650 wrote:

Not gonna put the "mud flap" back on though, any suggestions on mounting the license plate on the cheap?

I made a low budget mount for my plate out of a 1/4" thick piece of extruded thermoplastic I had laying around in the garage. Not sure what it used to be, but it's tough and flexible. Half an hour with a hacksaw, a file, and a heat gun, and I had this:

This is what it looks like on the bike:

Doesn't look too bad, and it's tough as nails! It's taken a couple of big rocks and a loop out and the license plate and mount came out in great shape.

Suzi_Thumper_650 · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2012 1:17 am

Well , started painting her up and the paint started having a toxic reaction with whatever the PO painted her with was not a good mix with what I bought. Taking the parts in to get sandblasted so I can start from scratch.

dirtyrod · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2012 8:41 am

DustDevil wrote:

Painting plastic and making it stick ain't easy. I'm just curious as to how you plan on prepping the plastic parts and what type of paint you're planning on using?

Personally I would stay away from that supposed-to-be-for-plastic Krylon stuff, it doesn't work very well IMO. Prepping with an adhesion promoter such as Bulldog and using epoxy paint produces nearly professional results that last, with the convenience and lower cost of aerosol paint.

It's not clear in the pics but that looks like it might be a plastic tank. If it is, there's been a lot of problems with paint bubbling & peeling and decals failing because of the gas permeable nature of the plastic. Not many solutions to that problem, most folks just choose a tank in the limited colors available and go from there.
Or just paint the stock metal tank.

Not trying to tell you waht to do, just hate to see you wind up with a mess on your hands... beside the black looks good to me. :pardon:

+1 on all of what DD said as well. No matter what anyone tells ya, the plastic will flex and heat or cool and expand with different temps more than the paint ever will which will always lead to cracking and flaking over time primer or not. It may look good at first but just give it time and you will end up with a mess.
Sorry to hear the paint went bad on ya at last post. I dunno if attempting to sandblast the plastic would be all that great of an idea though?

Best of luck and let us know how ya recover your new ride from this. Please post pics.
Thanks

:drinks:

rowie · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2012 9:00 am

Bead or soda blasting will be the go. Sand blasting will be too aggressive and will eat the plastic.

malokam · **Posted:** Sun Jan 22, 2012 12:39 pm

I beg to differ. EIght months since I have painted my plastics and still going strong.
I have problems with the bed-liner on the tank but thats my own damn fault. SHould have fixed the leaky petcock before I got the tank bedlined.

Most people suggested lotsa alternatives, adhesive promoter etc etc but I dont see a problem with using just Krylon and clear coat with some rustoleum. Yeah, if it flakes off after a year, I am going to spend another $10, big deal. Prepping is the key though...clean > 100 Grit > 300 Grit > 1000 grit > clean > 1 coat > 20 minutes > have 4-5 LIGHT coats > wait 24 hours > COat again if needed. And let them bake for at least a couple of weeks and Clear coat. Worked fine for me.

BTW, the plastics i painted now withstand gasoline after a couple of months. The clear coat is helping out good.

Here are some pics.
This is the panel I spilled half a gallon gas on accidentally.

Ghetto painting booth

Thats when I got the bike

This is how it looks now.

dirtyrod wrote:

DustDevil wrote:

+1 on all of what DD said as well. No matter what anyone tells ya, the plastic will flex and heat or cool and expand with different temps more than the paint ever will which will always lead to cracking and flaking over time primer or not. It may look good at first but just give it time and you will end up with a mess.
Sorry to hear the paint went bad on ya at last post. I dunno if attempting to sandblast the plastic would be all that great of an idea though?
Best of luck and let us know how ya recover your new ride from this. Please post pics.
Thanks
:drinks:

www.DRRiders.com

Suzi's gettin a fresh coat.

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