Topic: A day's work: Before and after!

[Gordon]

What a difference a little paint and a set of clubmans makes.   I know the flat black thing is sort of cliche at this point, but what can I say?  I like it!  After I finished yesterday, I stepped back to look at it, and for the first time really felt like it was mine.  I have a feeling the 750 is going to be getting a well-deserved break for a while!

Now all that's left is to put on a larger rear sprocket, smaller turn signals/brake light, and maybe a 4-1 or 4-2 exhaust.   

[sparty]

Gordon,

I like the new look.  "I like it alot".

How was the paint laid on?  Did you do it yourself?  Looks good in the pictures.

That bike has some attitude now.

[Gordon]

Thanks!  That's a rattle can job, there.  Stripped the tank with aircraft paint stripper, four coats of primer, wet-sand with 400 then 800.  Three thin coats of flat black, wet-sand with 800, then one thick coat over the whole thing.  Then two thin coats of flat clear-coat, and one thick coat.  It's all in the prep work!

[sparty]

Did you have to repair any "dings", "rust", etc.?  I didn't realize you could get a rattle can paint job to look so good.  What brand of paint?  By the way, flat black is still cool.  My new paint job is going to be sick.  It will combine flat and gloss paints.  I was thinking of having it pro-painted until I saw your outcome.

[Gordon]

Did you have to repair any "dings", "rust", etc.?

Nope, luckily other than the extremely faded stock paint, the tank was in perfect condition.  I have done bodywork on tanks before, and it's pretty easy.  You just put on more filler than you need and then sand it down until it matches the contour.  The key to any kind of bodywork or painting is patience, regardless of whether you're using a rattle can or pro style spray gun.  If you try to go faster than the paint wants to, or skip any steps, it will look like crap. 

[78 k550]

Look's great Gordn,
 You riding the 750 today or the 550?See ya in about an hour.

Paul

[ProTeal55]

GORDON--->
That bikes looks mean 
Def. headed in the right direction, thats 4 sure.
One I get my bike back I plan to strip the tank and re-don my flat paintjob, def. using some sort of "flat" clear.

Exactly what products did you use for you tank (brand wise) ?

[Rushoid]

Killer look Gordon!

BTW, I think your bike is haunted now. Looks like you captured an "orb" in the second pic! 

[Tim.]

I like the bobbed front fender - how does one get such a neat cut in chromed steel and then protect the leading edge from rust?

[eldar]

just an idea for you gordon, take off the little back brace on the front fender. I did that and I was amazed at the diffence in the look. I have not had an issue of the fender rubbing the tire either.

[martini]

Looks awesome - I'd also love to hear how you cut that front fender. For what its worth, if I were you I'd leave those pipes as is. Probably just me but I've always loved the look of those 550 pipes.

[upperlake04]

Hope you had a great ride Gordon!   

Paint job looks great,  I think thats the color and gloss for my old F.  A question please  - how much time did you allow between coats?      David

[cben750f0]

well done mate you should be proud.... and flat black never goes out of fashion..peace

[KCs76Cafe]

Looks real good. A days work well done.

 I like the bobbed fender also. I've cut about 4" off of the back of mine........will probally do the front as well.

I used an old fender to mark for the cut using a Dremel with a thin cut-off wheel. Gave me the same radius as stock. Hit the edges with a buffing pad to clean the burrs and then touched it up with silver paint. You cant hardly tell it was cut.

[Gordon]

Hey!  Thanks for all the kind words!

ProTeal, I just used Rustoleum rattle can paint, primer, flat black, and flat clear.

Rushoid, that orb's been following me all my life!  This is the first time I've caught it on camera.  I'll be selling this picture to the Weekly World News, so keep an eye out for it.

Tintin, I cut the fender with a dremel cutting wheel, and I didn't do anything to protect the cut edge, but I probably should.  That was sort of a circumstacial mod.  The front edge and front fender struts were pretty messed up when I got it, so I just cut it off, and then decided I actually liked the look.

Eldar, I thought about cutting a few inches off the bottom of the fender and getting rid of the other struts, too, but didn't know if I would have problems with the speedo cable rubbing on the tire.  How did you get around that?

Upperlake, since it was about 95 deg while I was painting, I only waited about 5 minutes between coats.  The paint drys really fast at that temp and low humidity.  The last two thick coats I waited about 15 min.   

[upperlake04]

thanks Gordon -  sounds too easy

[pablo78cb550]

yes flat black is always cool.but i gotta tell ya three words.
'bar end mirrors' in black.
mmmmmmmm

[Gordon]

'bar end mirrors' in black.
mmmmmmmm

Not with the clubmans!  I had the bar ends on the clubmans when I had them on my 750 for a short while.  They were worthless way down there at that angle. 

[cben750f0]

mate havent you worked it out yet  function is nothin, appearance is everything.... ..peace