IQ, absolutely possible to mask off your inner fairing and paint it...like the others, I'd recommend removing it BUT can it be done! Sure...gonna be a bear accurately masking off those gauges, but take your time, use the best quality masking tape you can, if you have access to an apron taper...the device that spools tape onto masking paper, and cover the main bulk of the bike with painter's plastic, you should be fine. I'm assuming that you'll use proper spray equipment, and if you do, it's gonna be hard to avoid running the paint unless you have a very experienced touch, and you probably won't be color sanding and buffing the runs that you do come up with.


But a major word of caution...if you've EVER used a silicone product, such as Armor All, or any of the rejuvenating products contain silicone, you won't be able to paint the inner fairing. There will be 'fisheyes' in the paint, and no product known to man will be good enough to get rid of the contamination. In that case, and maybe this is your better way to go anyway, I'd buy a new inner fairing, prep and paint it, and swap it out of a weekend.


The other thing comes to mind with the inner fairing is that if it's like mine, it's developed some surface roughness on the top corners...and you've gotta sand, prime (not with thin rattle can crap, REAL polyester or epoxy primer), block sand, and primer again until that's smoothed over...you're gonna need the right equipment and materials to get that done right. If you don't, it's gonna be completely visible under the new paint. And if that's the case, what's the point in painting it.


I'd like to paint my inner fairing too, but I'm gonna take my own advice when I do. I've used Mother's 'Back to Black' on mine, and I strongly suspect I've adulterated the surface with silicone...the stuff just has that appearance that it's silicone based...plus I don't like having the bike down during a paint job. I'll guess that I'll spend at least a coupla three hundred, maybe more, on a new OEM part, but in the end, it will be done right.

 

Interesting. I've tried the Back to Black stuff too. I'll have to look at the bottle to see if there's silicone in it.

 

Back to black sucks.

I have nearly a whole kit, if you want it, come get it. Free.

While I would not paint the inner on the bike... another option is Plasti-dip.

I've used that stuff everywhere, including the bumper on my wife's Caravan she uses for work, and it flat works. Perfect? no. But I'm happy with it... it's all over my bike.

Once it fully cures, it is a very good finish... but it takes a bit to get fully cured. It's a bit soft for the first couple weeks. I've had it on my truck rims and badges, B post... for a year

As easy as it is to work with, I wouldn't be afraid to do my inner with it, without removing anything from the bike except MAYBE the windshield. Except my inner is already painted.

I'm going to talk my neighbor into letting me try it on his '08 SG though, it's faded bad, I think whoever owned it (I KNOW whoever owned it) before him parked it outside.

 

It seems to me that I checked the bottle, nothing about silicone on it, so it's still a mystery...it just handles and feels and looks like a silicone product. I know that Armor All is silicone and silicone applied to any plastic gives it sheen and shine...I put it on my inner fairing knowing that if I ever do decide to have a painted inner fairing, I'm just gonna buy another part and paint it, THEN swap it out...so no biggie...but as time goes on, painting the inner fairing is less and less important to me.

 

Yes.......I did it with one Can from Colorrite and a quality clear by gun.

 

Ya know this thread is like 2 1/2 years old right?

 

Masking and polishing were tedious, but depending on your skill......?

 

Like KNG said, it's not hard, doable with good whiskey and a great cigar.....Once it's done the look is awesome....I get a lot of compliments on the fairing and speakers set-up. Good luck.