Painting Dirt bike plastics

[curtnrod19]

OK, so here is the deal. i have this sponsor thats want my plastics to all be red. i called a buddy i know and he saide he would do it for about $600 bones! little more than my sponsor is giving me.... its only for one race, dont care about the plastics that are on there right now.... was wondering if there is any way i can rattle can them, clear and all that? it only has to last one race! is there anything i can do? cant buy new plastics b/c everywhere i look is out of them for my KTM, :(....... so i just want to paint the ones i got ya know... any help at all would be awesome! thanks alot guys for any info you can give me!!

Curtis Beard

[ChuckH]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-us&q=krylon+plastic+paint&btnG=Search

[curtnrod19]

thanks ChuckH for the response!!

Curtis Beard

[FABRICATOR]

I'm doing my son's bike now in red. Places like Orchards Supply Hardware (OSH) sell spray paint for plastic now. It works pretty good and seems about as tough as the plastic itself. Fenders, side panels, number plates are usually all the same. Tanks are a different kind of plastic and most any kind of paint will fall off or wrinkle up. Pehaps stickers or other graphics will work on that.

[curtnrod19]

yeah i am going to try that spray paint here soon.... any tips on getting it prepped before i spray it? and i would cover them in vinyl but the front fender of a KTM is a biatch to do... i already covered my number plates in yellow vinyl but still need soem red in there...

Curtis Beard

[curtnrod19]

Im going to refraze what i said earlier...... should i primer it? sand it? clean it with lacquer thinner? any help at all pryer to prepping it. thanks again guys for all the help!

CB*

[FABRICATOR]

I have found 2 ways that work. One is to wet sand with 400 then paint. Color sand again wet with 400, and paint again.

But what also seems to work just as well is to sand then use Krylon metal primer (brown), sand that and paint. This seems to stick just as well and achieves smoothness a little easier. But this also raises the question of why use "plastic" paint?

Either way ends up smooth and somewhat shiny. I have not tried clear at all.

[curtnrod19]

i should know about the sponsor thing today hopefully and will start painting it this weekend... i got an old fender that i will test first... ill use your first method and see what happens... thanks alot..

CB*

[therail]

when i painted my golf cart the paint store directed me to a flexible surface primer, they said it was ideal for plastic. so far its held up to 4 years of abuse at the lake with no flaking off and it has been very chip resistant. I spent about $100 for color, hardener, primer, and other basic supplies. the only downfall is you need a paintgun to shoot it with.

[curtnrod19]

uummm. i have one of those. but trying to spend the least amount of money. poor boy racing ya know, lol... thanks

CB*

[Young&Fast]

I'm painting the plastics on my bike and so far I got the rear fender done as a test, I also painted another plastic piece. I think they both came out really well. Cleaned the pieces really well then sanded and sprayed a thick coat of Krylon gray primer and sanded the rough spots out then used 3 coats of Krylon Black. I'm happy and would recommend that anyone else would try it.

[formerly known as]

You can buy a set of red plastics and have custom graphics made for less than that.

[Young&Fast]

??? For for less than $10? Thats the most I spent and that will get me about half way through he bike.

[creynolds]

I've painted a few sets of platics for quads and had pretty good success. I'll usually sand with 400, spray on a flex agent/plastic primer then base coat and clear coat. You can usually do it for about $150 in materials depending on base coat paint. But if it only needs to last for one race it would definately be much cheaper to go with what others have suggested. As long as you sand the plastic first and clean it well with H.E.T. or similar you should be fine.

[Bulldozer]

I used to use a bath of "RIT" fabric dye to color R/C car parts, that'd be something to look into. I think it'd work great, and only cost a few bucks, the only thing is you have to go to a darker color than you have now.

[sik_kreations_custpaint]

I've painted a few sets of platics for quads and had pretty good success. I'll usually sand with 400, spray on a flex agent/plastic primer then base coat and clear coat. You can usually do it for about $150 in materials depending on base coat paint. But if it only needs to last for one race it would definately be much cheaper to go with what others have suggested. As long as you sand the plastic first and clean it well with H.E.T. or similar you should be fine.

"flex agents" are useless for what people think they are for. they only keep the paint soft for a couple days to reinstall bumpers and plastic parts on autos. after a few days, its starts to cure like normal and after a few weeks its like a normal paintjob.