Rubbing down plastics

[Mezo]

Awesome! I'm happy I joined this forum! Feeling a little more at ease about jumping into fixing up this bike now!

Thanks Richard, yep the thread you read (my old rebuild) spurned this whole forum, we needed a place to do our thing & thanks to founding members who bunged in the cash to start the forum here we are.

It seems to be a magnet for guys who want to rebuild there Tenere`s (amongst other bikes) but yep were all pretty chuffed we are now the number one site on the net for fixing up your old worn out Tenere.

My first ever ride on a Tenere was in Cairns on a 1VJ, i remember prepping a pair of them for two German guys to ride to Cape York.

Mezo.

[richardlw]

I'm lucky, it's not that warn out. I have a stack of receipts that came with the bike for engine work that's as thick as the manual, It's practically a new engine! And also swing arm bushes etc. So it's just the aesthetics to go really! We'll ignore the 1000$ worth of work I just did to fix electrics (Coils rewound)...

Means I can customise it for bag racks, lights guards etc etc instead of getting it to run!

[xtrider]

For the colored plastics I have a three part plastic scratch remover. It's a course paste that used first with a DA sander or by hand, then a medium to lessen the scratches, and a fine to finish off the rest. It does have a polish also that puts a high luster shine on the plastics to make it look "new" works good , lots of work though. I don't care for painted plastics.

[richardlw]

SO, had a go at the front fender.



Took a blade and started scraping away the "decayed plastic/fur"



Then I sanded it with 320grit wet & dry, then 400 grit wet & dry.



Then hot air gunned it. The result...




Not 100% happy, but a hell of a lot better than it was. It's pretty smooth, just dull. How shiny were the plastics from factory, or are they slightly dull?
So what is this polish that was mentioned by you xtrider? Maybe that would do the trick...

[richardlw]

PS, crappy lighting and camera, looks a bit better in real life!

[Mezo]

Originally it would be a bit more 'glossy' but thats not bad at all, the dings & gouges were there before right?

Mezo.

[richardlw]

Haha, yes. I have been known to be a cowboy on the odd occasion, but not that bad!

Cheers Mezo, good to know.

[ActionManMelb]

If you want a really pro job, then you need to keep going with finer grades.
400, 600, 800, 1200.
When you use 800 and 1200 it should be done with running water to prevent the grit clogging.

If you perservere, you will get a near mirror gloss.

[xtrider]

This is the stuff I use , it works good. Your fender has some deep scratches, I've never tackled something quite that bad.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOVUS-1-2-3-Pla ... 23294212d7




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[richardlw]

This is the stuff I use , it works good. Your fender has some deep scratches, I've never tackled something quite that bad.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOVUS-1-2-3-Pla ... 23294212d7




.

Just bought the NOVUS cleaning kit! 90$ worth for more than I will use in my life time!

Now, second question, what do you guys use as a heat shield for under the side cover? Getting all the ducks in a row before attacking the side covers.