Painting plastics?

[BurningExample]

So I hate to sound like a noob but my plastics are starting to show scratches and scuffs even after using Novus like a hundred times it's just starting to fade and some scuffs just won't come out. I was wondering if I brought my plastics to a local body shop of they would Repaint the pieces? Could you even Repaint the molded plastic? I called and asked earlier and they said " yes we have done motorcycles" but I think he thinks I have like a metal motorcycle like a Harley or something. I just don't wanna show up with my bike and look stupid.

Also has anyone else done this?

Btw black is Bitch to keep clean lol!

2009 black 1125r

 

[oh9bolt]

Plastics painted gloss black.

 

[snrusnak]

Some people paint them. It is stupid IMO though, you completely ruin the benefit of color molded plastics and pretty much forever ruin the plastics. If you want a "custom" paint job that's one thing, but if you paint it a color that it already comes molded in, that's what's stupid IMO. No matter how faded it is it is possible to polish it back, no offense but you're just not doing it quite right I'm sure. Not that I'm a pro at this but I promise you it can get it's finish back.

 

[Lesley]

Plastics painted gloss black.

oh9bolt's painted plastics look fantastic. IMO.

Not that I'm a pro at this but I promise you it can get it's finish back.

Molded plastic never fades? Okie dokie if you say so.

Did I mention how bad ass oh9bolts bike is?

 

[BurningExample]

Oh9bolt that bike is sick!!

Snrusnak - I had a scuff on my tank and used the Novus system and it's a faded spot now. Looks like ****. Everytime I polish it, it looks worse and worse

 

[oh9bolt]

Lol it isnt very "sick" it is pretty stock. Thanks though!

I will say that the shine it had when it was brand new doesnt shine as much as it does now.

 

[snrusnak]

It does look great indeed. IMO though you could buy a whole set of brand new black plastics for less than what a paint job cost. I just bought a set for my bike.

I'll also agree that a clear coated paint job will out shine the molded plastics.

And for the scuffs in the molded plastics you can definitely get the shine back, you'd just probably have to wet sand several times with finer and finer grit and then rub it out.

Molded plastic never fades? Okie dokie if you say so.

I didn't say that, re read it. I said it can be brought back to a shine. Paint will do the same thing as well, you will eventually need to rub it out again as the sun fades it.

 

[Lesley]

I didn't say that, re read it.

Touche' I am guilty as charged. I put words into your post. Please forgive me.

and for the record you said:

you will eventually need to rub it out.

I got that under control j/k

 

[snrusnak]

hahaha [up]

me too, how do you think I know so much about it.....? lol

 

[oh9bolt]

It does look great indeed.  IMO though you could buy a whole set of brand new black plastics for less than what a paint job cost.  I just bought a set for my bike.

This is probably true, but I got my plastics painted for $200. How much were all your plastics new?

 

[snrusnak]

^yeah if you find a deal then it's understandable. But if the average person went into a shop to get a paint job it would probably be more like $1,000 I'd guess.

I don't remember exactly and didn't really keep track but I think I paid like $650 give or take $50 for the whole set and then sold my old set for $390. Every piece I bought was brand new, except the chin fairing I got used in good shape. For whatever reason the chin fairing is crazy expensive new, I saved like $150 buying it used.

 

[jstav]

What's the best stuff to rub it out with? Gee, that sounds dirty.

 

[snrusnak]

Everyone on here for the most part uses novus, I've never used it though. You need to start coarse enough to remove whatever blemish is there, then continually work to a finer and finer grit then use a polish. Same concept as with paint, there are a ton of videos of how to do it on youtube. I will say I've never done it on color molded plastic, but like I said I'm sure it is doable. I've read about others doing it on the forums as well.

 

[oh9bolt]

I don't remember exactly and didn't really keep track but I think I paid like $650 give or take $50 for the whole set and then sold my old set for $390.  Every piece I bought was brand new, except the chin fairing I got used in good shape.  For whatever reason the chin fairing is crazy expensive new, I saved like $150 buying it used.

That is a good deal! If my plastics werent rashed and all fcuked up I would have probably went that route. I would have got probably $100 for all of my plastics.

[up]

 

[snrusnak]

Yeah I almost didn't even price it up and was going to wait until I found some one to trade with or consider painting, glad I priced it up though lol. My theory is that HD hates Buell so is selling the parts off cheap haha.

I know my father in law priced a front fairing that he broke for his sv1000 when he dropped the bike at low speed and it was like $1,000 and that was primed, not painted.

 

[pur pony]

painting plastics is no big deal- just make sure there is a flex agent in the paint!

I have painted 2 bikes myself already and they came out great-

this is my old R1- was silver when i bought it, I custom painted it corvette electron blue

and my buell-
Was black when i bought it-

all the decals on both bikes are under the clear

 

[snrusnak]

Damn that's a nice tuber [up]

 

[Miami78]

It's really hard not to comment every time I see pics of pur's tuber...but damn that is just an amazing bike!

Sorry to thread jack OP, with all the bikes out there with plastics fairings and such that get repainted I don't think it would be anything unusual to show up with the plastics from a Buell for painting.

 

[Lesley]

you will eventually need to rub it out

I got that under control

me too

Gee....that sounds dirty. What's the best stuff to rub it out with?

You need to start coarse

I will say I've never done it, but I'm sure it is doable

I've read about others doing it.

It's really hard every time I see tuber

I am sorry

 

[Junkbone]

So the answer is..if you've rubbed it and rubbed it and still not getting that "finish" you like, you can go pay lots of money and shoot it.? I had to, I get to move up in rank now