How to Repair Scratches on Motorcycle Fairing
Motorcycle fairings are durable and look beautiful when new, but accidents happen. Your motorcycle may fall, or someone can accidentally scratch the fairing. You can repair those scratches to keep the motorcycle fairings looking new and avoid taking them to a professional, which can be expensive. This is a job you can do on your own.
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Things You'll Need
- Warm water
- Sponges
- Liquid detergent or motorcycle soap
- Plastic polishing product
- Wet/dry sandpaper, 1,000- to 1,500-grit
- Tack cloth
- Plastic adhesion
- Paint
- Airbrush
- Clear coat
Instructions
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1
Wash the fairing with warm, soapy water and a sponge. Add some liquid detergent to the water or motorcycle soap to remove dust and other debris.
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2
Apply some plastic polishing product in a circular motion with a soft sponge over the scratched area on the fairing. You can also use an all-in-one polish product.
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3
Buff the area with a soft towel. This will remove the light surface scratches. If the scratches are deeper, continue to the next step.
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4
Remove the scratched fairing from your motorcycle.
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5
Soak a piece of wet/dry sandpaper, 1000- to 1500-grit, for two to three minutes in warm soapy water. Soaking the sandpaper before you use it will prevent clogging.
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6
Sand the scratch section lightly. Don't go too deep because the clear coat applied at the factory is thin.
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7
Wash the fairing again with the warm, soapy water. Allow to dry then wipe the area with a tack cloth to make sure you remove everything.
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8
Apply two thin coats of plastic adhesion. Follow the manufacturer's directions for drying time between each coat.
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9
Buff the area with medium polishing compound. If you find any areas that do not look perfect, repeat steps 5 through 8. Wipe the area with a tack cloth
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10
Paint the area with an airbrush applying three to four thin coats of paint. Allow the paint to dry between each coat according to manufacturer's directions. The last coat needs to dry six to 24 hours, depending the number of coats of paint. Do not touch the paint until it is completely dry.
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11
Wipe the area with a tack cloth and apply two to four thin coats of a clear coat. Allow the recommended drying time as recommended by the manufacturer.
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1
Tips & Warnings
You may want to take the fairing into the motorcycle store. This way you can get the right color.
Do not touch the wet plastic adhesive, paint or clear coat until the layers are dry. You will leave a fingerprint if you touch it while it's wet.
Do not overspray.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
