KX Riders
Maintenance & Technical => KX500 Original => Topic started by: mazstro on April 10, 2007, 04:22:18 PM
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hey i really want to run all black plastic which i have but i still have the green tank. i need to know where to buy one or if i should try the old Krylon paint job on it. i was wondering if anyone on here has had luck with the Krylon and i know i can prep it properly just not sure if its going to work or not.
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The last bike I restored I used Krylon? Fusion for Plastic? paint and it worked great. :-D
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I'm suprised that anyone has had luck with painting the tank! My experience is that gas tanks emit powerful fuel vapors through the plastic and NOTHING will stick to the tank for any length of time. Graphics are small compared to overall tank size and even they won't stay good for long. I'd go for a new black tank if its in your budget, although money's tight for all of us. :-( may try an inexpensive black vinyl sticker material from your local graphics shop. It stretchs nicely with a little heat and is very cheap to replace if it bubbles up. Blah, blah blah! I know, but hope the info helps. Sorry, tend to ramble on and on. Oh, by the way..... Just kiddn'. :-D Marty aka maddoggy
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I did not paint the tank, because I was able to find a new 1987 YZ490 tank. I used it on the side panels and number plate. If you do try it on the tank it would be interesting to see if it would work. I would like to do some green flames one my natural desert tank.
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I've never seen a succesfull paintjob on a plastic tank.
So look for an aluminum tank and paint it black.
:wink:
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When I first got my KX it had a weird steel tank cover that I can only assume was to get round the laws requiring metal tanks on roadbikes over here at the time (my KX is road registered by the way).
Those laws are no longer in place (thanks to cars now having plastic tanks and fords sway over the laws is far bigger than a few loons putting motocrossers on the roads) so I took it off.
Although it must have taken someone hours to make and a bit of filler to smooth the shape a bit, it looked the right shape but was painted the most god awfull colour known to mankind.
I kept it for a while then binned it.
Good riddance.
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I have to agree that painting a tank won't work well. The fumes permeate the plastic. I think that may be one reason why new bikes use a shroud that fully covers the tank - then the graphics stay on easily with cheaper glue. That being said, I once saw a website where the fellow was resoring old Can-Am's. They had plastic tanks when most were still using metal. He was sanding and painting the plastic to look new, however these were display resorations and I doubt ridden. I used the Krylon plastic paint to paint my upper fork guards (made from PVC pipe). I am very pleased at how well it has held up. Three years of deflecting rock roost and there are only a few minor chips in the paint. Far better than I expected. Cam.
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so i painted it and it held up wicked to trees scuffs dropping it in the sand ans gravel and then my gas cap being loose spilled some gas on it and it was a toxic sludge mess. so next question who sells black tanks? and will have them in stock?
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you can get a stock capacity tank from Clarke. they come in a rainbow of colors including black. http://www.clarkemfg.com
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IMHO - paint always sucks on plastic. It just never works. I have found a really awesome product that works amazingly well of plastic of all kinds. Its called vinyl dye. You can get it in an assortment of colors and it acts more like a stain then a paint (actually soaking into the plastic a bit) Stumbled across the stuff while doing computer case mods, have used it in my ongoing jeep restoration, and just got done shooting all the plastics for my KX500 with it. Just scuff anything with a really high gloss and wipe down with xylene to prep.
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here ya go... they have it in the stock form, or 3.4 gal, or 3.9 gal
black
green
natural
white
http://www.clarkemfg.com/cgi-bin/miva?Merchant2/merchant.mv+Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CM&Product_Code=11412&Category_Code=kawasaki
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If I was buying a new tank I would get the neutral. That way you can tell how much gas you have left.
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If I was buying a new tank I would get the neutral. That way you can tell how much gas you have left.
I love the way mine looks... im looking into a stock tank but i think im gonna buy another natural (clear) one... if not then black
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If I was buying a new tank I would get the neutral. That way you can tell how much gas you have left.
The only thing I don't like about the neutral/clear, they all ways look dirty/dingy or they don't hold up to UV light well.