Clear coat oxidizing/white spots

My tank is in great condition other than the clear coat going south. I'm getting whitish spots etc. Is there any product out there that can remove or reduce this blotching? Phoning around gave me the consensus that you have to buff it out. Any alternatives?

old650 wrote:

My tank is in great condition other than the clear coat going south. I'm getting whitish spots etc. Is there any product out there that can remove or reduce this blotching? Phoning around gave me the consensus that you have to buff it out. Any alternatives?

Some pics of the tank would help us get a better idea of what's happening.

You also didn't mention whether this is an OEM (factory paint) or a re-paint, and if so, HOW it was painted - rattlecan, gun shot-pro job, etc.

There's any of or a combination of potential causes at work here, but the restorative answers are pretty similar.

The white spots are what are technically termed as "crazing" in the clear layer. For any number of causes, UV exposure, old impact damage to the job that didn't dent metal or even mark the clear, the mere passage of time or even just a crappy job in the first place.

Basically what's happening, for any of the above or a combination of those reasons, the clear is breaking down and losing cohesion. It's an irreversible process, and sooner or later some type of action will be required.

There may be steps that will minimize the effect in the short term, but I'd like to see some pics before typing chapter and verse sight unseen.

Sorry about the lack of info, I'm very tired today. I have an original factory paint job, untouched other than washing and waxing. I cover the bike after the engine cools down. I'll try to get a pic but I don't have a dig cam. This is straight forward clear coat break down from weather exposure by a previous owner, that is slowly getting worse. Remember the Chryslers from the mid/late eighties? It's doing that, flaking/chipping/opague spots. I couldn't repaint this winter because the bike was in a storage unit and I was on the North West Territories border, in an isolated "fly in" Aboriginal reserve.

Gotcha.

I know totally too well about Chrysler paint - trying to drive me batshit on the spot, are'ya?

The trouble with doling advice on the fly as regards paintwork is that it's perhaps the most subjective of all technical issues as regards preserving/maintaining/repairing a decent machine.

I'd *reallyreallyreally* like to see some pics - the higher the rez, the better.

The reason for that is that it'll give me a much better idea of how advanced the degradation is, what's possible and what's advisable at a mere glance - far more than a page of typed text will.

In the short term, apply a THICK layer of a natural wax - like carnuba, let it dry at least overnight and buff it gently.

Get a cam somewhere, take some pics and put 'em up.

Whatever you decide to do with your paint, DO NOT REPAINT. To get an idea what the outcome will be, go into the gallerys on the site here and look at the latest offerings there. I just looked at KZ1000, ICK oh my GOD, ICK. KZ900, there's LTDriders bike, thats nice, otherwise :sick:. Z1, now those look good???? whats up, better taste there or just luck. I'd just advise to think about it and look closely at what has happened to these other bikes. Do they look a "lot" better now that they are repainted? or do they look """A LOT WORSE"""?
:sick: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick:

RonKZ650 wrote:

Whatever you decide to do with your paint, DO NOT REPAINT. To get an idea what the outcome will be, go into the gallerys on the site here and look at the latest offerings there. I just looked at KZ1000, ICK oh my GOD, ICK. KZ900, there's LTDriders bike, thats nice, otherwise :sick:. Z1, now those look good???? whats up, better taste there or just luck. I'd just advise to think about it and look closely at what has happened to these other bikes. Do they look a "lot" better now that they are repainted? or do they look """A LOT WORSE"""?
:sick: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick:

now thats the ron we all know and love!:woohoo: like pt said we need some pictures to diagnose problem.im no professional painter by any means im a tin banger though! would it be possible to just sand though the clear coat leaving the paint underneath and just reshoot the clearcoat,or should i just go back in the cornerand entertain myself baning on model A parts?:blush: i will now hide under my desk and await the wrathe of pt:whistle:

Post edited by: wireman, at: 2007/04/20 23:57

wireman wrote:

RonKZ650 wrote:

Whatever you decide to do with your paint, DO NOT REPAINT. To get an idea what the outcome will be, go into the gallerys on the site here and look at the latest offerings there. I just looked at KZ1000, ICK oh my GOD, ICK. KZ900, there's LTDriders bike, thats nice, otherwise :sick:. Z1, now those look good???? whats up, better taste there or just luck. I'd just advise to think about it and look closely at what has happened to these other bikes. Do they look a "lot" better now that they are repainted? or do they look """A LOT WORSE"""?
:sick: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick:

now thats the ron we all know and love!:woohoo: like pt said we need some pictures to diagnose problem.im no professional painter by any means im a tin banger though! would it be possible to just sand though the clear coat leaving the paint underneath and just reshoot the clearcoat,or should i just go back in the cornerand entertain myself baning on model A parts?:blush: i will now hide under my desk and await the wrathe of pt:whistle:

Yep - that's our Ron....

Glad to see he's feeling better.....

Well, that's why I said I wanted to get a look at it.

While Ron's got a talent for making a featherduster on the elbow feel like a sledgehammer on the nuts, he actually does have a bit of a point - if the original paint is salvageable, it's always a good idea to see if it can be saved.

Post edited by: wireman, at: 2007/04/21 00:10

Thanks for the feed back guys. I'll check into all this when I have some down time. I straightened out my brake pad situation as I can't abide a squeal. Ya, Ron may be a little rough around the edges but he has sure been a great help to me when I need it. Long may you ride Ron.

oh yeah rons ok,hes part of what makes this twisted bunch of misfits so entertaining!

RonKZ650 wrote:

Whatever you decide to do with your paint, DO NOT REPAINT. To get an idea what the outcome will be, go into the gallerys on the site here and look at the latest offerings there. I just looked at KZ1000, ICK oh my GOD, ICK. KZ900, there's LTDriders bike, thats nice, otherwise :sick:. Z1, now those look good???? whats up, better taste there or just luck. I'd just advise to think about it and look closely at what has happened to these other bikes. Do they look a "lot" better now that they are repainted? or do they look """A LOT WORSE"""?
:sick: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick:

so tell us how you really feel:P :whistle: :whistle: