F3 Black Painted Plastic Scratches - any fixes?

[MrSchaefer]

Hey all,

Started doing a few thing with my F3T and noticing that the black painted plastics on the spine and around the instruments seem to scratch immediately if you even look at them. I don't know if this is a condition of the paint that they used or lack of a good top coat or what, but my Spyder has 2k miles on it from the previous owner and most of the gloss black surfaces are swirled and scratched and I added more scratches wiping some dust off of one of the access covers.

Has anybody found a fix for this short of taking the thing apart and having it professionally repainted or vinyl wrapped?

 

[SportsterDoc]

There are many different products, such as Turtle Wax Scratch Repair and Renew.
Whatever you select, maintaining a waxed finish will help prevent/reduce future scratches.

I use Johnson's Pledge on flyscreen and headlamp for protection and easier bug removal.
When so doing, I got overspray on the front fender of my Triumph and continued to use Johnson's Pledge on the front fender.

Otherwise, the standard green bottle of Turtle wax on the fuel tank, which would be fine for flyscreen and headlamp, but Johnson's Pledge does not require detailing with a soft toothbrush to remove residue in recessed areas.

 

[Knizar]

Hey all,

Started doing a few thing with my F3T and noticing that the black painted plastics on the spine and around the instruments seem to scratch immediately if you even look at them. I don't know if this is a condition of the paint that they used or lack of a good top coat or what, but my Spyder has 2k miles on it from the previous owner and most of the gloss black surfaces are swirled and scratched and I added more scratches wiping some dust off of one of the access covers.

Has anybody found a fix for this short of taking the thing apart and having it professionally repainted or vinyl wrapped?

I Hear Ya! So disappointing to have spent near $ 30,000. on a bike with a $39. paint job. Grasshoppers and honey bees
are the hardest to get off this paint without leaving a stained finish. I found using a California Duster works for getting light road dust off without rubbing it into the paint. After washing my RTL with mild soap, I apply "Bug Slide" to everything;
windshield, lights, fenders, etc. and lightly buff it down with high quality microfiber towels. Bug Slide goes on & off easy without a waxy build-up. (many other products work accordingly). I honestly believe there was NO Clearcoat applied after the water-base paint job. Maybe its my Marsala Red color that shows every flaw, because I don't recall my 2012 RT Metallic Silver ever looking bad. Anyway, your not the only one disappointed with the finish on these Spyders.:gaah:...Bill

 

[carsong]

Hey all,

Started doing a few thing with my F3T and noticing that the black painted plastics on the spine and around the instruments seem to scratch immediately if you even look at them. I don't know if this is a condition of the paint that they used or lack of a good top coat or what, but my Spyder has 2k miles on it from the previous owner and most of the gloss black surfaces are swirled and scratched and I added more scratches wiping some dust off of one of the access covers.

Has anybody found a fix for this short of taking the thing apart and having it professionally repainted or vinyl wrapped?

I got my F3t after owning a Black Mustang Gt for many years and being fanatical about keeping it scratch-free and beautiful. I couldn't believe the swirls and scratches on the black gloss surfaces, I figured it was some garage prep person using a dirty rag to wipe it down. I have tried everything to get rid of the scratches, and nothing seems to work. I don't think a lot of it is even paint. I think the plastic is just black colored, with no clearcoat.

 

[MrSchaefer]

Glad to hear I'm not the only one.. I guess? haha

My F3T is pearl white and the white seems to either hide the scratches or not be as easily impacted but the gloss black bits are showing a ton of scratches and the bike is less than a year old. I'm thinking about pulling the black plastics and wet-sanding and repainting them in my garage... or vinyl-wrapping them. I figure I can probably do at least as good a job as they did.. and if I paint it I will include a few coats of Clear in the process.

 

[happyspyder2039]

I used 3M 05996 Machine Polish for the black nose piece on my RT that the auto body place recommended

 

[dusty1300]

I used 3M 05996 Machine Polish for the black nose piece on my RT that the auto body place recommended

And how did that work?

Tom

 

[Yabbadabbadoo]

I haven't done this to mine (yet), but the process would be as in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiWMi80O0TM

 

[Plarimer]

There are a lot of products out there that remove scratches from plastic. I don’t use wax or compounds on my panels but rather plastic cleaner and scratch remover. It’s just the nature of the beast.

 

[cptjam]

Ships are safe in port; that’s not what ships are for!
They get used, they get blemishes. Scratches, bugs, dirt, rain, hail…..
Ride it, wash it, repeat. You can’t rack up miles without racking up scars. Bugs die. It happens. As long as it runs, is properly maintained, and is clean…..it’s a winner! YMMV

 

[MrSchaefer]

Ships are safe in port; that’s not what ships are for!
They get used, they get blemishes. Scratches, bugs, dirt, rain, hail…..
Ride it, wash it, repeat. You can’t rack up miles without racking up scars. Bugs die. It happens. As long as it runs, is properly maintained, and is clean…..it’s a winner! YMMV

I'm not looking for perfection, and I've never been one to prioritize show over go, but I do take a lot of pride of ownership in my toys and the black paint on these things is incredibly soft - more so than any other car/motorcycle/jet ski/quad I have owned (I scratched it with the pad of my thumb rubbing a little something off it). Even compared to my Spyder ST the black paint on the F3T seems very "sensitive"

 

[happyspyder2039]

Works great. Looks brand new. Get on Amazon