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Active Member
F3 Black Painted Plastic Scratches - any fixes?
Hey all,
Started doing a few thing with my F3T and noticing that the black painted plastics on the spine and around the instruments seem to scratch immediately if you even look at them. I don't know if this is a condition of the paint that they used or lack of a good top coat or what, but my Spyder has 2k miles on it from the previous owner and most of the gloss black surfaces are swirled and scratched and I added more scratches wiping some dust off of one of the access covers.
Has anybody found a fix for this short of taking the thing apart and having it professionally repainted or vinyl wrapped?
2021 Spyder F3-T - Pearl White
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Very Active Member
There are many different products, such as Turtle Wax Scratch Repair and Renew.
Whatever you select, maintaining a waxed finish will help prevent/reduce future scratches.
I use Johnson's Pledge on flyscreen and headlamp for protection and easier bug removal.
When so doing, I got overspray on the front fender of my Triumph and continued to use Johnson's Pledge on the front fender.
Otherwise, the standard green bottle of Turtle wax on the fuel tank, which would be fine for flyscreen and headlamp, but Johnson's Pledge does not require detailing with a soft toothbrush to remove residue in recessed areas.
Last edited by SportsterDoc; 02-21-2022 at 10:53 AM.
23 Moto Guzzi V7-850 SE 23 Yamaha XT250 18 Yamaha Bolt R-Spec 22 Triumph Street Twin 20 CanAM Ryker 900 14 Honda CB1100 18 Yamaha XT250 16 Moto Guzzi V7 II 17 Yamaha TW200 12 Triumph Bonneville 02 Sportster 1200 Sport 03 Sportster 883 76 Honda CB750F 75 Honda CB360 70 Yamaha CT1 72 Yamaha CT2 72 Yamaha AT2/CT2 70 Honda SL350 70 Honda CL350 67 Honda CL160 67 Honda CB160 62 Honda CA110
2020 900 , NGK 4218 iridium CR8EIX Matte black
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Originally Posted by MrSchaefer
Hey all,
Started doing a few thing with my F3T and noticing that the black painted plastics on the spine and around the instruments seem to scratch immediately if you even look at them. I don't know if this is a condition of the paint that they used or lack of a good top coat or what, but my Spyder has 2k miles on it from the previous owner and most of the gloss black surfaces are swirled and scratched and I added more scratches wiping some dust off of one of the access covers.
Has anybody found a fix for this short of taking the thing apart and having it professionally repainted or vinyl wrapped?
I Hear Ya! So disappointing to have spent near $ 30,000. on a bike with a $39. paint job. Grasshoppers and honey bees
are the hardest to get off this paint without leaving a stained finish. I found using a California Duster works for getting light road dust off without rubbing it into the paint. After washing my RTL with mild soap, I apply "Bug Slide" to everything;
windshield, lights, fenders, etc. and lightly buff it down with high quality microfiber towels. Bug Slide goes on & off easy without a waxy build-up. (many other products work accordingly). I honestly believe there was NO Clearcoat applied after the water-base paint job. Maybe its my Marsala Red color that shows every flaw, because I don't recall my 2012 RT Metallic Silver ever looking bad. Anyway, your not the only one disappointed with the finish on these Spyders....Bill
2020 RTL Chrome, Marsala Red "Non-Directional Tires, Centramatic Balancers"
Front- Kumho KH-16 175/55r15 @17psi, Rear-General Altimax RT-45 215/60r15 @20psi
BaJa Ron Ultra 3 pcs sway bar kit
7jurock 25" tinted windscreen w/flip
Frogman Dave's "Signal Button"
If in Doubt, Don't Do It!
" Pros: Excellent Bug Killer, Cons: Pizz Poor Pothole Dodger"
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Originally Posted by MrSchaefer
Hey all,
Started doing a few thing with my F3T and noticing that the black painted plastics on the spine and around the instruments seem to scratch immediately if you even look at them. I don't know if this is a condition of the paint that they used or lack of a good top coat or what, but my Spyder has 2k miles on it from the previous owner and most of the gloss black surfaces are swirled and scratched and I added more scratches wiping some dust off of one of the access covers.
Has anybody found a fix for this short of taking the thing apart and having it professionally repainted or vinyl wrapped?
I got my F3t after owning a Black Mustang Gt for many years and being fanatical about keeping it scratch-free and beautiful. I couldn't believe the swirls and scratches on the black gloss surfaces, I figured it was some garage prep person using a dirty rag to wipe it down. I have tried everything to get rid of the scratches, and nothing seems to work. I don't think a lot of it is even paint. I think the plastic is just black colored, with no clearcoat.
-Carsong
2018 F3t
2018 F3T , Position 5/ full size Matt Black
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Active Member
Glad to hear I'm not the only one.. I guess? haha
My F3T is pearl white and the white seems to either hide the scratches or not be as easily impacted but the gloss black bits are showing a ton of scratches and the bike is less than a year old. I'm thinking about pulling the black plastics and wet-sanding and repainting them in my garage... or vinyl-wrapping them. I figure I can probably do at least as good a job as they did.. and if I paint it I will include a few coats of Clear in the process.
2021 Spyder F3-T - Pearl White
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I used 3M 05996 Machine Polish for the black nose piece on my RT that the auto body place recommended
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Originally Posted by happyspyder2039
I used 3M 05996 Machine Polish for the black nose piece on my RT that the auto body place recommended
And how did that work?
Tom
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I haven't done this to mine (yet), but the process would be as in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiWMi80O0TM
My Mods:
Elka Stage 5 rear shock with spring preload adjust
Monster Stage 2 ECU
Pedal Commander
RLS cat delete
Baja Ron sway bar
Baker Air Wings upper and lower
Viking saddle bags
Third pegs
Vredestein tires front and rear
Mad Stad windshield
X-creen windshield deflector
Front and rear drive cam
Garmin Zumo XT
Heated gear wiring
Lamonster LED headlights
Lamonster LED foglights
Lamonster frame mount cupholder
BRP heated handgrips
Lamonster drivers backrest
BRP passenger backrest
Lidlock handlebar end helmet locks
Barkbusters Storm handguards
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There are a lot of products out there that remove scratches from plastic. I don’t use wax or compounds on my panels but rather plastic cleaner and scratch remover. It’s just the nature of the beast.
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SpyderLovers Sponsor
Ships are safe in port; that’s not what ships are for!
They get used, they get blemishes. Scratches, bugs, dirt, rain, hail…..
Ride it, wash it, repeat. You can’t rack up miles without racking up scars. Bugs die. It happens. As long as it runs, is properly maintained, and is clean…..it’s a winner! YMMV
Joe Meyer
Dealer for the Outlaw/ROLO laser Alignment system
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Active Member
Originally Posted by cptjam
Ships are safe in port; that’s not what ships are for!
They get used, they get blemishes. Scratches, bugs, dirt, rain, hail…..
Ride it, wash it, repeat. You can’t rack up miles without racking up scars. Bugs die. It happens. As long as it runs, is properly maintained, and is clean…..it’s a winner! YMMV
I'm not looking for perfection, and I've never been one to prioritize show over go, but I do take a lot of pride of ownership in my toys and the black paint on these things is incredibly soft - more so than any other car/motorcycle/jet ski/quad I have owned (I scratched it with the pad of my thumb rubbing a little something off it). Even compared to my Spyder ST the black paint on the F3T seems very "sensitive"
2021 Spyder F3-T - Pearl White
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Works great. Looks brand new. Get on Amazon
Last edited by happyspyder2039; 02-28-2022 at 03:12 PM.
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