Learn how to paint dirt bike plastics

You have your dirt bike for a certain period of time and you have decided that you need to do a certain change to its appearance. Painting the plastic components is a pretty easy way to achieve this – you can change the appearance or give it a like-new look to worn or damaged parts. Maybe it is not as easy like dirt bike games, but it definitely something that can be done in your yard.

Painting plastics requires preparation so the surface is adequate for the paint to bond. You need to prepare a clean, contaminant free surface and to use paint marked for plastic. This way the paint can last even for the life of the plastic part. Not having the proper preparation and materials could cause peeling of the paint in very short period of time.

Preparation of the plastics starts with its cleaning. For cleaning the plastic you should mix in a plastic bucket two tablespoons of degreasing detergent and a half gallon of water. Clean the plastics with a soaked rag, using this detergent solution. When the plastic becomes clean and free from grease and oil, rinse it with clean water.

Next step is to remove corrosion and sun damage from the plastic's surface. For that you should attach a 180-grit sanding disc to the DA sander and sand the surface of the plastic. Sanded surface should be scrubbed with rubbing compound and a scouring pad, and after that remove the dried rubbing compound with a clean dry rag.

After that clean the surface of the plastic with an aerosol plastic cleaner and a clean rag.

Use the instructions of the manufacturer while mixing the plastic adhesion for making the primary colour and pour into the cup of a paint gun. The hose form from the paint gun should be hooked to an air compressor.

First spray on the plastics one heavy coat of the primary colour and leave it to dry for 20 to 30 minutes. Then spray the second coat of primary colour and leave it to dry for 12 to 24 hours.

Sand the applied primary colour with 400-grit sandpaper until it becomes smooth and after that wipe the sanded surface with a clean rag or tack cloth. This way you will remove the sanding dust from the plastic.

Now when the surface is prepared, spray a coat of flexible paint onto it, using a spray gun, until it is evenly coated. Paint should dry for 24 hours and then you are able to install the painted part on the dirt bike.