Original Paint/Clear comming off?! **PICTURES**

[Guest]

This past month I have been watching small bubbles from the tank turn into a large areas. Does anyone know what causes this or how to remedy it? I am thinking about possibly using a heat gun on the area...

http://s135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/nicholaschase29/?action=view&current=IMG_5372.jpg

http://s135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/nicholaschase29/?action=view&current=IMG_5371.jpg

http://s135.photobucket.com/albums/q128/nicholaschase29/?action=view&current=IMG_5373.jpg

[Rocky]

Let me first say, Nick, you have a very good looking bike there. Sharp.

We have a similar problem with one of our bikes' paintwork. The KZ1300. It was in a shop getting some work done after a slight crash. However, the mechanic left it sitting in the sun and all kinds of weather without covering it. When we got it back, the paintwork was cracked and peeling off. It is a real mess. We removed the fairing, but the hard bags are still looking bad.

[gustovh]

I must be blind and couldn't tell a thing from your pictures. A possible cause of bubbling paint is corrosion under it, especially if it starts really small and gets bigger over time.
V

[Nicholaschase29]

not really bubbling, more of the clearcoat is pulling away from the paint and is making it cloudy underneath, on the 3rd picture it is just starting on the edges of the black, and you probably wont be able to tell it seems to be limited to the black stripe aswell...

[Griffin]

Every GS700E/ES I have seen eventually had the clear peel off the black decals. It just doesn't adhere to them as well as it does the paint.

To fix it, I just taped off the areas where the clear was good, then carefully sprayed about ten very light layers of duplicolor clear coat over the "dry" decals.

You have to look very closely to see the difference.

[Nicholaschase29]

sounds like that is what is happening... did you peel it off the black? or cut it with a razor blade or something? or just wait until it all came off?...

[t3rmin]

I just roughed up the old clear to get off the loose stuff and shot the whole thing with cheap Walmart clear. Looks great. Unfortunately a PO left the big decal on the side bare for too long and it weathered significantly. If only it was re-cleared years ago it'd still look fine. Get on it before they weather!

[Nicholaschase29]

Ok, here I go!

I'm going to do this tomorrow and need some advice. I have some 1500 and 2000 grit sand paper, should I "clean" the black stripe up before I clear it? There is some weird discoloring and becuase some if it was bare and i waxed the bike there is a section that has been waxed. Should I just clean it all with rubbing alchol and then spray it? You can see the weird discoloring in the pictures.... Also what should I do with this scuff across the black paint? It seems to have corrosion in/on it and goes into the white on both sides of the stripe.. sorry if this does not make a lot of sense i typed it up quick

Thanks guys,
Nick

[t3rmin]

The decals are thin and fragile; distress them as little as possible. Flake off a little more of the old clear if there's wax stuck under it.

[Nicholaschase29]

I have the tank masked off as we speak. Right now I have a small gap ~1mm between the decal and the gas tank. Should I leave the gap there or should I re-mask the decal so that I am right up to the edge of the decal. My thoughts are that it will kind of seal the decal to the tank but my worry is that there will be a small raised area from the clear and it will look/feel bad. Basically a sliver of white around the perimeter of the decal is what I was thinking of doing. How did you guys do this?

Thanks

[Nessism]

I'd leave an overlap area. Sand and polish after you shoot the clear.

[SqDancerLynn1]

Why not shoot clear over the whole tank