Scratches
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 791
Likes: 0
From: Arizona
RE: Scratches
King,
Ok, now I can see why you're squeezing the tank. Yes, relax is the key when riding your big hog! I'm sure you'll become a twisty king in no time! It just takes a little practice. We have lots of twisties in AZ as well. Your bike will perform very nicely, with or without you squeezing your tank.
Kahuna
Ok, now I can see why you're squeezing the tank. Yes, relax is the key when riding your big hog! I'm sure you'll become a twisty king in no time! It just takes a little practice. We have lots of twisties in AZ as well. Your bike will perform very nicely, with or without you squeezing your tank.
Kahuna
ORIGINAL: KingSteve
Kahuna, of course I am a nervous rider! There's a helluva lot of money between my legs...and no offense, about the nervous part.
I have had dirt bikes growing up, and I live in Montana so lots of riding is in the curves. I am sure I was a tank squeezer on the old Hondas and now I am just doing what I have always done. I just never gave a damn if the dirt bike was scratched, who could tell.
Thanks for suggestions everyone, RELAX RELAX RELAX...got it.
Kahuna, of course I am a nervous rider! There's a helluva lot of money between my legs...and no offense, about the nervous part.
I have had dirt bikes growing up, and I live in Montana so lots of riding is in the curves. I am sure I was a tank squeezer on the old Hondas and now I am just doing what I have always done. I just never gave a damn if the dirt bike was scratched, who could tell.
Thanks for suggestions everyone, RELAX RELAX RELAX...got it.
Road Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 981
Likes: 3
From: Oklahoma
RE: Scratches
ORIGINAL: cutacroshorty
I'm not familar with all of the products that are used to make our bikes, cars and trucks look good but I do know that Liquid Glass is a product that I discovered about 25 years ago that is the best product I've used.
Liquid Glass not only give you a quality finish but after about 10 coats it actually begins to keep dust from sticking.
I've found that I have had to use Liquid Glass less frequenty and the finish lasts longer.
One of the qualities that I really like about Liquid Glass is that it can be used on chrome and glass. It also does not leave white dried powery residue in the cracks and hard to get to places.
Not that there's anything wrong with Canadian products but that is the negative side if you only use American products.
I'm not familar with all of the products that are used to make our bikes, cars and trucks look good but I do know that Liquid Glass is a product that I discovered about 25 years ago that is the best product I've used.
Liquid Glass not only give you a quality finish but after about 10 coats it actually begins to keep dust from sticking.
I've found that I have had to use Liquid Glass less frequenty and the finish lasts longer.
One of the qualities that I really like about Liquid Glass is that it can be used on chrome and glass. It also does not leave white dried powery residue in the cracks and hard to get to places.
Not that there's anything wrong with Canadian products but that is the negative side if you only use American products.
Road Captain
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 705
Likes: 3
From:
RE: Scratches
ORIGINAL: carsoni
I tend to be a tank gripper too. When I'm on a tight twisty road I find myself sitting more upright, sliding my feet to the back of the floorboards and gripping with my knees. I guess it's a throw back to crotch rocket riding years ago. My RK is vivid black, I wax ever[sm=biker.gif]y week, but hey, there are gonna be scratches, that's what happens when you ride them.
I tend to be a tank gripper too. When I'm on a tight twisty road I find myself sitting more upright, sliding my feet to the back of the floorboards and gripping with my knees. I guess it's a throw back to crotch rocket riding years ago. My RK is vivid black, I wax ever[sm=biker.gif]y week, but hey, there are gonna be scratches, that's what happens when you ride them.
Yeah, what he said.
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 418
Likes: 0
From: Leesburg, FL
RE: Scratches
Ok, I had the same issue, and being a bit of a car detailing freak, I was able to apply things I learned there to my bike. I'm not affiliated with Meguiar's, but I use their stuff and it works great for me, so I'll share what I do.
1) Get a Porter Cable DA (Meguiar's calls this a G-100)
2) Get Meguiar's 8" Light Cut YELLOW pads and backing plate
3) Get Meguiar's #80 , #83, #7 and either Gold Medallion or NXT
4) To really do it right, use a clay-bar after washing and before applying any of the above.
General rule of thumb is to always start with the least aggressive method first to see if that solves the issue, if not, get a little more aggressive until you do get the result you want.
#7 is pure polish, no abrasiveness. The oils in this polish REALLY make colors deep and reflective.
#80 is a speed glaze, less agressive than #83
#83 is a paint cleaner/polish (most agressive of the 3 mentioned here)
So for the haze in your tank, I'd start with #80 to see if that takes it out. If it does, hit it with #7, then NXT or Gold Medallian.
If #80 doesn't take it out, hit it with #83 to see if that does it. 95% of all defects I've seen in my clearcoat that I couldn't feel by dragging a fingernail over have been taken out with #83. You'll notice that #83 will leave micro marring in the paint, don't worry, #80 takes care of this.
After #83, hit it with #80, then #7, then NXT or GM.
Black is referred to as the detailers final exam. If you can make black flawless, you can handle any other color. I am seriously picky about the condition of my paint and am not satisfied until I get every spider, swirl and hazed area out of the clear....and yes, I ride the hell out of my bikes.
Good luck. Check out meguiarsonline.com for more info.
J
1) Get a Porter Cable DA (Meguiar's calls this a G-100)
2) Get Meguiar's 8" Light Cut YELLOW pads and backing plate
3) Get Meguiar's #80 , #83, #7 and either Gold Medallion or NXT
4) To really do it right, use a clay-bar after washing and before applying any of the above.
General rule of thumb is to always start with the least aggressive method first to see if that solves the issue, if not, get a little more aggressive until you do get the result you want.
#7 is pure polish, no abrasiveness. The oils in this polish REALLY make colors deep and reflective.
#80 is a speed glaze, less agressive than #83
#83 is a paint cleaner/polish (most agressive of the 3 mentioned here)
So for the haze in your tank, I'd start with #80 to see if that takes it out. If it does, hit it with #7, then NXT or Gold Medallian.
If #80 doesn't take it out, hit it with #83 to see if that does it. 95% of all defects I've seen in my clearcoat that I couldn't feel by dragging a fingernail over have been taken out with #83. You'll notice that #83 will leave micro marring in the paint, don't worry, #80 takes care of this.
After #83, hit it with #80, then #7, then NXT or GM.
Black is referred to as the detailers final exam. If you can make black flawless, you can handle any other color. I am seriously picky about the condition of my paint and am not satisfied until I get every spider, swirl and hazed area out of the clear....and yes, I ride the hell out of my bikes.
Good luck. Check out meguiarsonline.com for more info.
J
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 418
Likes: 0
From: Leesburg, FL
RE: Scratches
PS There are easier ways to make the paint 'look' good, ie Zaino, but, the non-abrasive methods only mask the problem, they don't make it go away. The way to make hazing, swirls, spiders go away is to bring the rest of the clear around the problem down to the level of the imperfection.
So you don't have to go to the level that I mentioned, you can mask the issue with other products, but...it's still there, and for me, that's not good enough, I want the imperfections gone.
J
So you don't have to go to the level that I mentioned, you can mask the issue with other products, but...it's still there, and for me, that's not good enough, I want the imperfections gone.
J
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
From: South Central,IL
RE: Scratches
I totally agree, I have a vivid black FLHRI and I used my Porter Cable with no#80 Meguires and then a coat of NXT and the tank looks new again and swirl and scratch free. I bought the Porter Cable polisher for use on my '69 Mach 1 that I show and it works nicely on the black bike also. If anyone is interested,you can pick up the Porter Cable polisher at Lowes for around 100 bucks.
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 418
Likes: 0
From: Leesburg, FL
RE: Scratches
Segarfan,
If you haven't tried it yet, get a bottle of #7 Show Car Glaze. It's an AMAZING step between #80 and NXT. It makes the paint look wet. On and off by hand, real easy. You'll dig that with black paint.
J
If you haven't tried it yet, get a bottle of #7 Show Car Glaze. It's an AMAZING step between #80 and NXT. It makes the paint look wet. On and off by hand, real easy. You'll dig that with black paint.
J
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
From: South Central,IL
RE: Scratches
I'll have to give that a try. I have used no#26 pure carnauba on top of the NXT and it makes it pop too. I know I sound like a detailing geek, but since I show cars, I like to try the same methods once in a while on my bike too. It is amazing how good you can make your paint look on your bike with the proper polishes and waxes. The clearcoat on the Harleys is really easy to work with compared to some of the very hard coats on some models of cars.
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Advanced
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 80
Likes: 1
From: Upstate New York
RE: Scratches
No offense guys but I think Y'all are taking this too serious. I have about twenty five hundred miles on my FLHXI and have waxed it once. It looks like new. I just don't understand how somebody could wax more than this?
Ride it. . .
Al
Ride it. . .
Al
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 418
Likes: 0
From: Leesburg, FL
RE: Scratches
ORIGINAL: Al
No offense guys but I think Y'all are taking this too serious. I have about twenty five hundred miles on my FLHXI and have waxed it once. It looks like new. I just don't understand how somebody could wax more than this?
Ride it. . .
Al
No offense guys but I think Y'all are taking this too serious. I have about twenty five hundred miles on my FLHXI and have waxed it once. It looks like new. I just don't understand how somebody could wax more than this?
Ride it. . .
Al
No offense taken, but I like my stuff to look as good as I can make it look.