I’ll be the first to admit it; I’ve done it a bunch of times; from the occasional 1-2 drops, to running gasoline over my paint job down to a puddle on the floor.
Panic sets in when you accidentally pour gasoline over the gas tank & the paint job; but that is not the right time for panic (you can do that later), act quickly!
Do not try to wipe the gasoline off of your paint job!
Wiping is the worst thing you could do, since it causes the gasoline to penetrate the paint surface (exactly what you are trying to avoid), damaging your paint permanently or causing the clear coat to become dull.
Waiting for the gasoline to evaporate by itself is only an option if it is hot (above 80F). At lower temperatures gasoline will not evaporate fast enough, allowing gasoline solvents to soften the paint surface.
Best solution is to rinse the affected area immediately and wash off the gasoline without rubbing or touching. If you cannot find water; any alcohol free beverage will do and is better for your paint than gasoline. If the only liquid you have is in your bladder, you will know what to do, but try not to get yourself arrested for indecent exposure. Whatever it takes, try to rinse the gasoline off of your custom paint ASAP.
Remember; the factory dry powder based stock paint job (not factory custom paint) provides better protection when exposed to gasoline than any liquid paint brand used by any automotive body shop or motorcycle painter.
No automotive paint manufacturer offers a fuel resistant paint; they are all fuel repellant to some degree, but not fuel resistant.

If your paint job becomes matte due to gasoline exposure; your painter should be able to polish the affected area and restore the original gloss.

Have you poured gasoline on your bike?

 

im so guilty

 

I did it once and was so pissed it's not even funny. Thanks for the tips though. I just have to remember not to rinse it off with beer or a mixed drink, got it. LOL

 

More times than I care to admit, & as recent as yesterday. The first thing I do is wet a paper towel at the pump with the diluted windshield cleaner & rinse it off & then wipe it off. I guess in the future I'll just do the rinsing.

 

Guilty as charged. Got to remember to rinse I stead of wipe. But I actually do more of a dabbing motion then wiping motion.

 

Another question then to the Colormania Pros: Since Harley Factory sheet metal is now using a powder clear which is more resistant to a fuel spill, I would assume that the same would not hold true for Harley fairings, bags etc? These obviously cannot withstand the heat of powder curing. So why do these parts also resist a gasoline spill so much better than a custom after market paint job? I watched as my buddy splilled gas on his custom paint and as he grabbed for the nozzel sprayed my bikes fairing. I have stock paint, his is a real nice looking well cured custom job. I rinsed mine off with a jug of windshield washer fluid and waited till I got home to wash the whole bike down well. No damage at all except on the edge of my windshield. It did not like the gasoline. He rinsed his immediately with bottled water and his custom paint was almost instantly damaged. Whats the difference here on the plastics? I would assume Harley paints these items like any after market shop would?

 

We have heard from many Colormania customers who spilled gasoline on their custom paint job and rinsed it off within a few minutes without any damage at all. If the slightest exposure to gasoline would result in paint damage; no Auto Body shop would stay in business.
Due to confidentiality agreements with the Motor Co. I cannot give you any specific information, but when we talk about powder clear, we are not referring to what is commonly known as Powder Coating which requires very high temperatures to dry! Many manufacturers use powder based (not liquid) paints for coating their composite parts and they provide additional protection against Fuel exposure.
Stock factory paint is like a great looking and rugged truck, custom paint is more like a Ferrari. A show quality custom paint done properly with PPG, HOK or Dupont, looks much deeper and nicer than the stock paint, but it has some limitations. we can't expect from a $250.000 Ferrari to handle everything a $30.000 truck can. Take a factory stock paint job to the next bike show and see how it will perform there

 

Questions mean I don't know and they also bring me just a little more knowlege! Thanks for the response. By the way, I am a fan of Colormania paint jobs and also I didn't think Harley made much of a secret that they now use powders if you tour the factory or had a chance to watch the Discovery special on the Assembly plant....No Specifics though obviously.

 

You had a very good question and we are honored to have you as a fan of Colormania custom paint. May I show our appreciation by sending you a bottle of our special Colormania polish & micro fiber towels? It is yours 100% free of charge ($27.00 value), we even pay for the shipping. To accept this gift, simply PM or email your shipping address to tom@colormaniapaint.com

Thank you,
Tom