WAHHH! Duffed my paint

[robboh]

Got some duct-tape residue on the side of my bike (long story), and so decided that I needed to clean it off.

Did what I would normally do for the car, and grabbed some iso-propal alcohol, and gave it a bit of a clean.

Took the glue off fine, but unfortunately, I now also have a nice area of matt black in the middle of my nice shiny black fairing!

So, lesson 1. Obviously paint on my MC doesnt have a clearcoat.
Lesson 2. DONT use iso-propal alcohol to clean duct tape residue off

Questions:

1. Is there ANY way I can fix my stupid screwup on what was otherwise a MINT bike??

2. What SHOULD I use to clean stuff like that off??

Please help!!!!!
Coz this has really wrecked my day

[James Deuce]

1. Repaint.

2. Turtle Wax and elbow grease and a microfibre cloth. Doesn't take long either.

[pete376403]

This won't fix your paint but next time you need to remove glue residue try eucalyptus oil (the nice smelly one) get it from a chemists shop.

[avgas]

haha yep done that
- you should have used citris cleaner.......for ANY STICKY STUFF. Trust me, i used to be knee deep in industrial labellers and date coders in a previous job.......CITRUS IS BEST. (even then MEK). 3M make the best one - but i think its commercial only.

- only perfect fix now is sand and respray. If you want to "bluff it" you could try a really soft rubbing compound with a really awesome polish

[Chooky]

Hey avgas if you want to remove the glue reside, use petrol.
Wont harm the paint.
With a user name like yours you should have a good supply of it.

[robboh]

Thank you everybody.
Will certainly try a citrus cleaner or eucalyptus oil next time!!

Have managed to fix it. A couple of suggestions here reminded me that I have some paint polishing compounds for static models.

A quick rub with Tamiya Coarse, and then Tamiya Fine, Polishing Compound had it looking as good as new!!!

Well, as good as I can tell in a poorly lit garage and a torch anyways. The fine light of day will tell the full story!!

Does beg the question though. Does Honda normally clear-coat their paint??

[robboh]

haha yep done that
- you should have used citris cleaner.......for ANY STICKY STUFF. Trust me, i used to be knee deep in industrial labellers and date coders in a previous job.......CITRUS IS BEST. (even then MEK). 3M make the best one - but i think its commercial only.

Glad Im not the only one!!
Damn I felt stupid, as soon as I saw the black on the cloth I was using

MEK, as in methyl-ethyl-ketone?
Thats evil stuff, but yeah, it does work well. Can you still get it??

[MSTRS:Me]

Never use IPA for that...now you know why.
Prepsol is excellent, as is eucalyptus oil and some of the citrus cleaners. I think you will find that any product for tar removal will be good.

[robboh]

Never use IPA for that...now you know why.
Prepsol is excellent, as is eucalyptus oil and some of the citrus cleaners. I think you will find that any product for tar removal will be good.

Definitely lesson learnt on that one, thank goodnessly it was without a painful result!

Apologies for posting in the wrong forum. Can the mods move this to General BodyWork?

[Max Preload]

No such problem with white spirits. I've used it for 20 years to remove oil, adhesive and tar from any painted surface on vehicles and I've yet to have any damage done.

[Owl]

Does beg the question though. Does Honda normally clear-coat their paint??

I'd say so, but there is clearcoat and then there is clearcoat.

Glad Im not the only one!!
Damn I felt stupid, as soon as I saw the black on the cloth I was using

Don't beat yourself up! I'm picking the problem lies with your bike's paint work and not the IPA. Colour on the cloth gives a little insight. Just to prove a point, I'll go and apply IPA to my bike and report the findings later in the morning. If I fuck it (quite confident I won't), I guess I'll have to fix it.

[YellowDog]

Take the panel off and pop it down to the Plastic repair company on Archers Rd. For about $80-$100 it will be perfect and look like new.

[MSTRS:Me]

I'm picking the problem lies with your bike's paint work and not the IPA.

Not so much a problem with the paint, as the paint formulation....some paints react (badly) to the application and rubbing of IPA. Yes, it is an excellent cleaner, being alcohol, but it's tendency to soften and remove gloss surfaces is well-known. For that reason it is not recommended as the primary cleaner.
I found this out myself on a car, when I ran out of Prepsol and tried the IPA.

[HungusMaximist]

Methylated spirits O.K?

Anybody want to do list of 'DOs' and 'DON'Ts' products/cleaner for painted fairings ?

[Owl]

Well mine is mint, but I already knew that!

Not so much a problem with the paint, as the paint formulation....some paints react (badly) to the application and rubbing of IPA. Yes, it is an excellent cleaner, being alcohol, but it's tendency to soften and remove gloss surfaces is well-known. For that reason it is not recommended as the primary cleaner.
I found this out myself on a car, when I ran out of Prepsol and tried the IPA.

There are an awful lot of variables to consider MSTRS and no one answer. Even Prepsol should be used with caution around fresh paint. Especially when working with plastics and flexible additives.
On the other hand, I’ve used thinners on vehicle panels with no issue whatsoever. I think the key is being able to identify what you’re dealing with and respond accordingly.