Clearcoat on Fairings?

Hi RPM

Hi RPM

Well-known member
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Lately ive been thinking to get my fairings clearcoated on my tl1000r, reason behind is i want the bike to have a nice shine, i wash and wax the bike often, so it doesnt really get dirty, but every time i wax the bike, it seems like the only shiny parts are the coated/painted areas and not any of the vinyl or stickers

HOWEVER... the question that got into my head, why arent the fairings clearcoated from the factory? is there a reason?
my thought is that because the fairings get removed often (oil change, w.e other reason) the clearcoat can crack?
aka because of the flex? but then again car bumpers are clearcoated and they're perfectly fine..

some input would be helpfull :)
 
The stock base paint job probably is clearcoated. (That the surface has been abraded slightly and lost its shine, is quite another matter.) Graphics and alternate colours (in cases where the panel has two or more colours on it) are generally done with stickers on top of the base/clear of the main panel.

Factory does it that way because it's the least expensive way to do it. It is possible to apply clearcoat on top of the stickers - gas tanks are usually that way to avoid issues in case someone spills a bit of fuel on it. Elsewhere on the bike, if something goes wrong, it's easier to remove and re-apply a sticker that does not have clearcoat on top of it.
 
Its easy to shoot the clear. You can also use a buffing compound with a buffer (be careful if you have never done it as its easy to burn through) likely wont help with decals though. Clear would brighten it up but many times the decals will fade due to UV and there is no fix short of replacing them.
 
Just curious if anyone can recommend a gas-resistant rattlecan clearcoat. Stuff I found at crappy tire didn't fit the bill, so I had to be extra careful when gassing up.
 
FiReSTaRT said:
Just curious if anyone can recommend a gas-resistant rattlecan clearcoat. Stuff I found at crappy tire didn't fit the bill, so I had to be extra careful when gassing up.
Click to expand...

Keep away from rattle can clear. You need a proper urethane clear shot by a gun.

Fairings are typically clearcoated at the factory, but decals may or may not be under the clear. This is because some bikes are branded differently for different markets.

If you are going to clearcoat, you should likely invest in new 9-year vinyl decals and wet sand the base to remove any orange peel.
 
FiReSTaRT said:
Just curious if anyone can recommend a gas-resistant rattlecan clearcoat. Stuff I found at crappy tire didn't fit the bill, so I had to be extra careful when gassing up.
Click to expand...

You can get 2k rattle can clear with a catalyst. Once that catalyst is activated you have about 4 hours working time Works really well for small touch ups and is hard and is gas resistant
 
Thanks for the heads up guys
 
oh i wont be doing it myself, ill be giving my fairings to a body shop and have them clear coat it professionally, i wont lay a nice layer myself :S
thanks for the input guys!
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