De-Stickered

[molypod]

Rain, Rain, Rain,

I finally had a day off and it had been torrentially raining all day.
Gave me time to go over the whole bike bolt by bolt.
I did find a missing bolt on the front Fender Hmm.
Anyways,
I got ambitious and De-stickered the whole bike. The "5" came off with no trouble as did the '"Cool Boy" ( I know, I'm prepared for the Flak :) The "GY" came off well except for one side where it peeled off a small 2" square section of the Red Paint. Off to the hardware store to get some matching Paint for plastics.
Maybe I'll change to a different colour ( canadian Sp.) eh?
My only choices of bike were Red/Black or Blue/Black. I'd like to go possibly Green.
Ideas?

Molypod

[John22j]

Green Green Green!!!! make sure it's Flo/Lime Green. :D Maybe a splash of purple here and there and you'll be all set.

[molypod]

Re-painted Red now, I was concerned about not able to match colour. I might change the whole bike colour later since the reds are a bit off but unless you know it’s been re-painted you can't tell that easily.
the Krylon® Fusion for Plastic® paint worked great and I highly recommend it.
Pictures can be found here
http://www.ultrawashlaundry.com/GY200-5.htm



Molypod

[blimpman]

Rain, Rain, Rain,

I finally had a day off and it had been torrentially raining all day.
Gave me time to go over the whole bike bolt by bolt.
I did find a missing bolt on the front Fender Hmm.
Anyways,
I got ambitious and De-stickered the whole bike. The "5" came off with no trouble as did the '"Cool Boy" ( I know, I'm prepared for the Flak :) The "GY" came off well except for one side where it peeled off a small 2" square section of the Red Paint. Off to the hardware store to get some matching Paint for plastics.
Maybe I'll change to a different colour ( canadian Sp.) eh?
My only choices of bike were Red/Black or Blue/Black. I'd like to go possibly Green.
Ideas?

Molypod

My stickers came off pretty easy... Sorry you had a problem.

[sheadouglas]

I 2nd the Krylon fusion. Works really great. Put several coats on it.

[ob1]

Ok, guys, I'm having a hard time understanding the need for paint.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but arent the plastics on these chinabikes colored through and through, a decal applied, then clear coated?

If so, all you need to do is remove any residual glue, then replace the thickness of the decal + clear with clear coat, in the area where the sticker was.

Being an auto painter, I know how to do this...

Mask off the formerly stickered area, larger by 1/8in. Throw a few coats of clear on, and remove the masking. Wet sand the whole panel with 1000 grit, paying close attention to feathering the new clear into the old. Then throw a few coats of clear over the whole panel.

It wont be perfect, but then again it wont be perfect after the first time you drop it anyways. But it will be close enough.

Any painter will tell you, the illusion of perfection is both.

[molypod]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but arent the plastics on these chinabikes colored through and through, a decal applied, then clear coated?

When I peeled off the GY's from the Red Tank farings(sp?) one pulled up red paint leaving a small 2" section the default white plastic.



Molypod

[ob1]

Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle! Painted at the factory!

Here is a tip. Look for a paint that matches well, whether it is for plastic or not. If you see an automotive color that matches {or just looks nice}, professional automotive paint suppliers can make a "rattle can" of it. You may be able to buy direct, or may have to find a car painter to order it for you. Not cheap, but most people dont have the equipment or ability to shoot auto paints.

Rustoleum has a plastic primer that allows you to use any paint on the plastic. Also, check out a product called Bulldog Adhesion Promoter, made specifically to help paints stick to plastics.

The tip to mask the area slightly larger, wet sand and feather, then overcoat the whole panel will still work fine.

Try a heat gun {set on low} or a blow dryer {start on low, high if needed} when removing stickers.

[molypod]

Dumped the bike earlier today and scraped/slightly cracked the left side panel covering the airbox ect and damaged the handlebar end ( could be a good thing as the welded plug is now all pushed in and I might be able to attach the barkbusters easier now)

Anyways I decided to repair/re-paint the panel and because I had left over red paint from re-painting the GY and Headlight panel I decided why spend the $$ on white paint.
Pics of the finished job and of the handlegrip end.

http://www.ultrawashlaundry.com/images/red4.jpg
http://www.ultrawashlaundry.com/images/red2.jpg
http://www.ultrawashlaundry.com/images/end1.jpg

[Jim]

Now it looks like the one on the manual... You should look at the barkbusters dave has, I think they will be good, im going to try and get em on mine eventually...

So that cap on the end, it is welded in there? Could just be drilled out maybe?

[molypod]

Now it looks like the one on the manual... You should look at the barkbusters dave has...
How much were they?
So that cap on the end, it is welded in there? Could just be drilled out maybe?
looks like the caps are just tack-welded and could be punched or drilled out.

[Jim]

I just dont want to punch them into the bottom and have them rattling around.... I guess I could take the bars off... The other thing is if I uncap it then water can get in and rust the bars maybe?

I don't know exactly how much they were, but I got the barkbusters and some new handlegrips for I think $93 (cdn).

You will have to modify things a bit, he says he put spacers on the outside of the bars to attach them too... That could do the trick.. He actually said if I didn't want to bother, he would fit them on there, not sure what that would cost me though...

[molypod]

I just dont want to punch them into the bottom

If you punch them in you could just tip the bike over to dump them out..

[blimpman]

Emgo or Acerbis are the best handuards.. IMHO that is... I have them on all my bikes. I have dropped all of them at one time or another and they always saved me...

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e158/blimpman/camera1111003.jpg

[shammash55]

looks nice been thinkig of getting a set myself and maybe some soft grips and renthal bar.

[Jim]

Emgo or Acerbis are the best handuards.. IMHO that is...

Yeah, Emgo, thats the brand he stocks