Respray or new fairings?

[Ckennedy]

I have been looking at my bike since I have had it and it is 3 different shades of red. The top half of the bike is all the same but the belly pan and front mudguard are different shades from the top half and each other. I had spoken to a couple of spray shops today and for a full respray it would cost me between 350-450quid. Now I remember seeing on ebay a while back that you could get a new set of fairings for less than that from china. Respol colours or what ever, typically I can not find them now though and with the bikes ages there are plenty of stone chips and a few scratches on it so she is looking a bit tired now.

My question is, which is my better option. The respray could take 3days to which I will need to find a different way of getting to work or buy a new fairing kit from the other side of the world and then I can bolt it on in a day and transform the way the bike looks completely. This is all thinking in the long run as I can not afford either just yet but I wanted your ideas on what you thought would be the best route to take. Or are there any other options I have in tidying her up? she has been resprayed at some point but not the same as she was out the factory so a paint code is out of the question otherwise I would have just bought some correct code paint and respray the front mud guard and the belly pan myself.

Thoughts on the topic please

[Image]

I'd go with new but used fairing parts, for the following reasons.

1/ Easier and less messy.
2/ Bike will be off the road less time.
3/ You'll have a spare fairing should anything bad happen in the future like bike topples in wind or prang etc.

[lloydie]

If you get the fairings from Hong Kong you will still need to get your tank spray painted as they don't supply a tank so you will still be of the road for a week .

3 days and £400 Is good price and fast turnaround .
If you were to get them painted plan a week (7 days) as the paint will take a few days to harden .

[Ckennedy]

I had seen a faring set on ebay, well sides and front on ebay, look pretty tidy but at 300quid I thought it was a bit steep. Would be nice if I could find the right shade of red. Tried 8 already and there either slightly to dark or slightly orange. Even if it is not the same but very close I do not mind to much, as long as you need to look at it twice to notice. Even if it cost me 50quid in paint and it was the right shade I would not mind. Would leave spare cash for a new rear shock and front springs ect. I could attempt painting it myself at work but I do not think I trust myself enough to do so. Painting my own pride and joy or a customers truck are very different things.

[Wicky]

Doing a respray yourself even with rattle cans can be done - if you've got the time, materials (prep, placcy primer, finsh, decals lacquer, polish for finish etc) and a nice warm dust & moisture free place to do it.)

Alternatively offset the cost of the Hong Kong jobbies by flogging your original panels on fleabay.

[Ckennedy]

That is a good point wicky but as I say it is used on a daily basis so I would like to keep the amount of time it is off the road. I had also wondered about getting carbon wrap and doing the front mud guard but I am not sure if I like the idea or not Then it still leave the belly pan in the wrong shade, but I could also wrap that or even but a carbon one. Worst case is always sell it and buy another one in better nick

[leevtr]

You can be pretty certain the Chinese stuff will be crap. I know someone who bought some for a gixer and they were shite.

Just keep your eye out on the bay for a set of secondhand originals. Even if you have to buy in stages, better than spending your hard earned on rubbish that you cant send back ( well you could try but good luck ).

[Wicky]

If its only the mudguard and bellypan - then you should be able to spray them yourself in a weekend - the colour code should be for a red un R157 (sticker on subframe under the seat) available from a automotive factors suppliers. However if the bulk of the bike hasn't been previously sprayed with that colour code then why not spray them black - that way you'll avoid any unsightly mismatches.

If you go that route just flatten the existing paint, fill any holes with something like flexible bumper filler, prime with a flexible plastic primer, before applying coats of finish & lacquer.

[AMCQ46]

I was thinking the same as Wicky.........do the odd bits black then you have fixed the problem.

Seb has a set of the china plastics and he rates them for fit and finish..........as with all things in China you can get the cheap copy or the premium copy, but you have to ask

[Ckennedy]

If I could find the bloke who had it re sprayed it would be a life saver as it has all been sprayed but the front mud guard has either faded or was not sprayed as it is a different shade of red and the belly pan was added by the previous owner who just painted it the closest red he could find but it is to dark and the paint work has now all cracked on the belly pan. I like how is has the castrol green on half of the belly pan and red the rest of it, it is just the wrong shade. Not sure black with castrol green would look to nice or there is changing the belly pan to all black as you say

Would have also liked to find a very close shade to be able to cover up a few nasty stone chips that have appeared in the past few weeks. They are a little to deep for autosol or what ever it is called that is used for small surface scratches. Can not remember the name of it now I have to think of it

[Rob]

You'll probably never get a perfect match on a bike that old unless you respray.

After the AA wrecked my fairing when my battery died 3 years or so ago I got them to pay for a new RH side faring and seat cowl.

Bought new Honda parts via David Silver and there is a slight difference in colour between the new and original panels. No idea if it's due to age or just different batches of paint.

I'm not that bothered and no one else has ever noticed....

[Rob]

T-Cut?

Autosol is a metal polish

[VTRDark]

Given that you use your bike and it can't be off the road for too long yuo best bet a full re-spray at £350 which is well cheap. Chinese fairings would work out the same price if not slightly more after postage and then a tank either replaced or sprayed.

If you want to go down the rattle can route it will take you a lot longer than a weekend to do properly. I'm just coming to the end of re-spraying my Fazer bodywork and let me tell you, it is no easy task. Rub down, fill, rub down, fill again, Rub down, prime, rub down, prime again, Rub down, Spray colour, Rub down, Spray colour, Rub down, Spray colour, Lacquer, Rub Down, Apply any decals, Lacquer, Rub down, Lacquer, Rub down de-nib any orange peel, buff to get shine with rubbing compound, apply a glaze, polish and wax. And that's if you don't make any mistakes with the spraying, otherwise you will be rubbing down again and re-applying a coat.










And it's cost me over £100 for materials, then time. If I could have got a full re-spray for £350 I would have gone for that knowing what I know now. And the paint a professional bodyshop will use is far superior.



(:-})

[Rob]

Looks good though Carl, you must be pleased how it's turned out after all the effort

[Rob]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fairing-for-H ... 3a6739307d