Re-coloring the fairings question.

[Weasel]

New Buell owner here. Just got a 2003 XB9S 2,500 miles on the clock. Got a killer deal on it, but I had to get a color that I don't particularly care for.

I've already tried to vinyl wrap the fairings (I figured it was a non permanent solution) but as it turns out it's very difficult to do it correctly without wrinkling and bubbling.

So, my question now is, because the fairings appear to be just molded plastic in various colors, could I dye the fairings? I want to go black, so there won't be any conflicting colors or anything.

 

[Fock347]

dye?? i dont think it will work but you can try. id say paint it is the best option

 

[xtremelow]

If you use Dye dont plan on the great look that paint brings. Vinyl is a one step process so it is easier but the overall outcome wont be compairable to the current shine of the plastics, you would need to actually prep and paint for the best overall look.

Vinyl dye works great as you dont need to prep the plastic, since it actually absorbs into the plastic. I personally would scuff the plastic base coat, clear coat it for the better overall shine.[smirk]

 

[Weasel]

Yeah, I don't really trust myself to do any paint work, which is why I'm seeking out alternatives.

And, yeah, I like the idea of dying because it changes the color of the plastic all of the way through, so even scratches would show up the same color.

Do you think that the dye would mess up the shiny surface of the panels?

 

[xtremelow]

the dye will only go so deep so it will still be able to be scratched, it wont dye all the way through.

As for the shine it all depends on the dye, you might want to look into clear coat over the dye to get the shine you want.

 

[Weasel]

Alright, sounds like a plan. I'll do some testing on the insides of the farings to see how it'll look before I commit.