any tips for painting chin fairing?

[neilrl79]

Planning on painting the grey part of my chin fairing black anybody have any advice?
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab139/neilrl79/IMG_20120306_164231.jpg

[CrazyTexan]

All I did was sand, prime, base, second coat, and clear coat. Just painted it like the rest of the plastics.[up]

[Lesley]

I painted my chin "spoiler" by scuff and spray method. When it looks a little dull I just put a VERY small amount of tire shine on it and it matches the other part of the "spoiler" just fine. [up]

1 can of paint $2.99 :)

[neilrl79]

Would you say the paint holds up well, I know that part of the ''spoiler'' seems to take a direct hit from any road grit/debris?

[Lesley]

I know that part of the ''spoiler'' seems to take a direct hit from any road grit/debris?
Yes thats right and if you are like me and put 5-8 thousand miles a year its not worth the effort to try to make it(fairing/spoiler) look pristine.
I guess it is up to you and how nice you want it to look.
Maybe you can see mine in this pic. I really did a ****ty job spraying it but it really isnt noticable unless you get real real close

http://www.buellxb.com/buell_images/9095_20111111124007_L.jpg

[BuellyBagger]

just use some rattle can or roll on bedliner on it(just the grey part). It will be black and tuff that way. Make sure u sand and clean it properly first.

[wally]

I used Rust-Oleum's Textured Black Paint (http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=122) - has a bit of that rough plastic texture to it and it holds up great on the Uly!

And it doesn't require a primer! Scuff the paint a bit and it goes on a treat!

[Oakes_86]

I just scuffed, taped off the sides, and sprayed mine as well. I used rust-oleum industrial max flat black and I've had to touch it up once after a year.

[freak2180]

krylon fusion paint works awsome. just clean and spray. even after 3 yrs and tons of rocks hitting it it still looks good.

[snrusnak]

The best looking and most durable rattle can paint I've found is the stuff sold at autozone, I think it's called dupli-color. They have two types, one is a little more expensive but holds up a little better. It's around $6-$8 a can.

Clean with dish soap/water mixture.
Wet sand with ~800 grit.
Clean again.
Clean again.
Clean again. Cleaning is the most important and overlooked step in painting.
Spray a couple coats of primer.
Spray a few coats of the black base while it's still tacky(after 15 min).
Spray several coats of clear while it's still tacky.
Let it thoroughly dry(can help it with hairdryer or heat gun on LOW setting...don't burn the paint!). Best to wait overnight.
Wet sand with ~800 lightly, then move to 1000, 1500, 2000, rubbing compound, and finally polishing compound.

Wait about a week then wax it.

Another method is to let it dry overnight between every coat, and wet sand and clean between each coat. This obviously takes a lot longer.

I did this with rattle can:

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m589/snrusnak/Erics%20Sportster/P1010116.jpg

http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m589/snrusnak/Erics%20Sportster/P1010117.jpg

It still looks the same today(probably about 3 years later), although beware no matter what you do, cheap rattle paint will never be as durable as real paint. There are some dings in this bike(my brother's) that wouldn't be there if it was real paint. Also a few fuel drips that caused damage to the paint as well.

[J_Undisputed]

I did the same as many above. Sand, degrease with mineral spirits, Prime, Paint, Paint a second coat. Multiple coats of clear. Did the inside with multiple coats of high heat paint/no clear.

[neilrl79]

I'm going to start this project tomorrow morning. I'll post my results when I'm done.

[thrstrmech]

I just bought one in black from surdyke.com for $24 instead of painting the stock grey one. Now I have two center fairings:D.
http://www.buellxb.com/buell_images/10624_20120118111555_L.jpg

[oh9bolt]

^ [up]

While your at it if you do what thrst did, do the rivit elminator.

I bought 4 t nuts and 4 screws, I JB welded the t nuts to the back side of the center section. Now to change the oil I only have to remove the right side of the chin fairing.

[neilrl79]

^^That's a good idea. I was actually planning to go to harbor freight and buy a cheap rivet gun to put it back together.

[godzilla]

I just cleaned good and shot with spray on bedliner (wallyworld) looks great and is tough as nails and actually matches the ring around the gas cap, of course I took apart and used the rivet eliminator kit,kinda a rip off..the kit that is

[neilrl79]

Well, it's painted and put back together. I ended up riveting it back, it's not that hard to remove the whole spoiler at oil change time. It certainly isn't perfect but I think it looks much better than the grey.
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab139/neilrl79/IMG_20120519_124549.jpg

[christianmb]

[up] on the bedliner idea. You could drill outthe rivets, and get that piece separate, then you wouldn't have to mask. Then you could put some stainless hardware in there to replace the rivets.