scratch on tank

    • 314 posts
    April 21, 2013 8:03 AM PDT
    Husbands bike fell over some how and i had a few things happen to my bike i need help with, please.
    I have 2 scratches on my tank, bike is 7 yrs old so i don't need it perfect but it will be nice for others not to notice it. I have the touch up paint and clear coat for it. Does anyone know how to do this and might be able to tell me how? here are 2 pics. The second pic is the one next to my middle finger, the one next to seat is a light scratch.
  • April 22, 2013 4:04 AM PDT
    clear coat compound for small scratch , deep on will have to be sanded and painted , or touch up paint it like it is and see it . not what you wanted to hear I know .
    • 314 posts
    April 22, 2013 9:13 AM PDT
    Thanks
    • 5419 posts
    April 22, 2013 9:55 AM PDT
    Paula, I have used the touch up paint and clear coat - the little bottles from the Harley Dealer and it looks ok. You need to be real careful an try to get the paint only in the scratch itself, otherwise it will be higher anywhere you put it on top of existing paint... it is pretty thick paint. then let it dry completely and put a VERY THIN layer of the clear coat feathering it over the existing paint. You WILL be able to tell it was touched up, but not as bad as a scratch.

    The only way to get it perfect is to sand and spray.
    • 314 posts
    April 22, 2013 10:09 AM PDT
    Thanks Lucky, I started working on it a while ago. I am going to wet sand it in morning, i have 600grit and will go from there. I can tell it has touch up on it but it is not as bad as i thought it was going to be. So far anyway
    • 1 posts
    April 22, 2013 12:47 PM PDT
    if its not too late get 1200 wet sand..takes longer but a better result.
    • 1161 posts
    April 22, 2013 2:20 PM PDT
    Yep 1000 - 1200 give the best wet sanding results from what I have seen.
    • 314 posts
    April 22, 2013 10:41 PM PDT
    thanks guys
  • April 23, 2013 3:24 AM PDT
    Paula, I have some pics at home of a touch up I did that I'll try to remember to post up later. I tried couple of different ways until I hit upon what worked for me. 1st: wet sand the area (I used 1500 grit). I took the scratch down to bare metal, then featherd out from there. My "pea size" ding was about the size of a nickel when I got done sanding, but it was feathered nicely. 2cnd: Use a very light coat and let dry. If it is pretty warm out, a couple of hours is good, if not let it dry overnight. 3rd: Wet sand very lightly. Wipe off dust with a light rub of alcohol (don't rub too hard or you will wipe off the paint. I know this for a fact!) 4th: add another light coat. Repeat steps 3 and 4 as needed, but you want to leave the paint a little lower than the surrounding area. 5th: Clear coat using the same process you did with the paint.

    I spent about 5 days working on mine. I was riding it everyday, and in the evening I would spend just a few minutes touching it up until I got it looking good. You can tell the ding is there, but you really have to be looking for it. The only way to get it perfect will be to repaint the whole tank. Most people never notice it on mine.
  • April 23, 2013 4:30 AM PDT

    Found the pics,but couldn't get the links to work. I'll figure it out.

    • 2 posts
    April 23, 2013 12:33 PM PDT
    All touch ups look like c'p IF you look closely, - Solution squint form a distance
    They do prevent rust from getting under the paint and that is enough.

    Recently discovered that "Magic Erasers" are finer than the finest sand paper. Feather things out, no need to go to the bare metal, then follow southernman67's directions. - Keep a piece of cardboard handy handy, 1st run the brush across the cardboard to feather the brush and avoid depositing gobs of paint
    • 314 posts
    April 29, 2013 11:33 AM PDT
    It is done and i am thrilled! I can still point the spots out but at this point that is ok
  • May 1, 2013 6:11 AM PDT
    Looks good!
    • 314 posts
    May 1, 2013 6:54 AM PDT
    Thank you.