The Old Suzuki

The old Suzuki has been a fun project and overall positive experience.  To go from a neglected bike to cherished and refreshed machine was no quick weekend project.    I knew  many things that had to occur.  Many parts that needed to be cleaned, refreshed, and sometimes just replaced.   Given the shabby state of the paint, one task that i had to undertake was customizing the paint.      This might be the most fun task for me.   Even though it turned out  “OK” for a first attempt , there were many things i learned and will apply when i take on a new project  (hopefully soon).   From cleaning the carbs to fixing the brakes, it was all fun.   PAINT was king for me though.

 

 

There was no doubt that the bike needed to be painted.   One of the biggest questions I had was this;   WHAT COLOR??

I settled on a unique orange that was actually a Hyundai color ,  used on their Veloster cars  Vitamin C.    I hit a home run on this paint color.  Orange , while not a very common paint scheme for motorcycles , can be found on  many custom bikes by Harley.  Something cool and old school.

 

 

What I Learned

1. PREP PREP PREP.

   While it may be simple and basic, the effort you put into the prep is what truly determines the quality of the finish 5-6  layers later.    In may case, even though it SEEMED clean and primed smooth, i rushed and some imperfections created by using the aggressive wire brush stripping method didn’t show up until after the last clear coat layer was dry and the sun had a chance to expose it.   Don’t RUSH the prep.    If you are going to use an aggressive and abrasive method to strip that paint, be prepared to baby that thing back to life .

2. Skimping on the sub layer.

   DON’T skimp on the primer and initial layer.  I was prepared to pay a premium for auto grade mixed spray base layer and high quality clear coat, I didn’t spend much on the first layer.    Again, given my impatient attitude on getting it done, its no surprise that may little flaws exist    I used NO sealer.   NO Filler.    Not that i needed it, but the very fine brush marks created from the stripping process would be non existent if i would have took just a bit more time on that first coating.

3. LET THAT SHIT DRY

   .   One of my biggest issues came in the hours following my paint job.   A hot and muggy environment caused the clear coat , which i smartly applied in 4-5 layers, to remain tacky .    Working on other projects in my garage, i draped  a plastic sheet over the rear of the bike .  Well, being still slightly tacky, the plastic STUCK to the clear coat finish leaving an ugly blemish .   What looked picture perfect was bruised by my own stupidity.     It was later corrected with some very fine wet sanding.   However it SHOULDN’T have been needed.

 

If you plan out the steps and think through the process, the end result will be something you’ll be proud of.   Having an an old /vintage bike is a head turner.  Having an old/custom bike with a custom paint job is an even bigger head turner.    Smiles to go around.

 

You can do it, just START..

 

Keep riding.  Stay safe.