Paint

[OZ1400]

Hi from Oz people's. Long time reader, first time poster. I purchased a 2010 model in metallic magnesium grey and took it to my painter for a little tidy up. It turns out the water based paint on this particular model is horrendously expensive due to the pearl coat. To the tune of about $1000 a litre! This colour is also used on the Versys in some countries. Does anyone have any experience with it?

[Vixer]

I can't help you with the painting, sorry, but if its just a case of micro marring/haze/holograms, these can be sorted cheaply with various cutting compounds and a dual action machine polisher. My other hang out, Detailing World, has all the info you could ever need. 

Enjoy your new ride, it looks ace in the photo.

[OZ1400]

Thanks. Oh yeah I've spent some time there. Love my DAS6 polisher!

[O.C.]

Welcome along OZ1400.

You will find lots of good advice on here and plenty piss taking too

Having said that......Sorry I cant help you with your paint question      

[OZ1400]

Thanks very much. I'm just a bit surprised that Kawasaki spec the 1400 with some nice but fairly run if the mill colours, and then they add this expensive magnesium grey with pearl coat. My painter is fairly experienced and works at a sizeable restoration shop. And he's told me he's got the PPG rep coming up to give him some advice!

[O.C.]

keep us posted please     

[wildybeast]

I have this colour and had my tank resprayed by two different body shops. One couldn't match it panel to panel which with most metallic paints you cant. It has to be blended into the next panel then all laquered.Second body shop tried numerous test cards and came very close to a match but not 100%.Ime happy with it. If you have a few bits to do then go for a full respray .Its a three part paint as in pearl coat. Then the colour. then the laquer.You wont match it panel to panel. Cheers

[Rusty]

   I too have got "into" a little bit of Detailed Cleaning (.co.uk ) and there is plenty of stuff to keep me busy ! Not purchased a DAS6 yet as a friend at work has one so looking at his results soon ! Plenty of Meguiare's and Auto Finesse !!

[OZ1400]

The DAS6 is a great piece of equipment that has minimal risk of doing damage to your paint. I love it. I'd highly recommend it and there are a stack of instructional vids online.
Yeah the paint and pearl is not uncommon. I had a red Mazda 6 with gold pearl and I think 8 coats of clear from the factory. It was the victim of a major fail to stop collision and you'd never have known once it was repaired The blending isn't always so bad but it can be a bit of work matching the plastics to the steel tank. Having said that I'm pretty fussy and if anyone will notice it'll be me.

[Stolichnaya]

why not do some Pinstriping !!!

[OZ1400]

I've done some powder coating before and I do like the look of yours. But this is the first stock bike I've ever had and I'm actually keen to keep it that way. Weird I know!

[Stolichnaya]

It's a really nice colour. It's a bit chalk n cheese as some like it some don't but it's yours and as long as you do....

Mine was in need of a little freshen up. I'm still not 100% sure in the hangars. I may get them back to black yet. The pinstripes on the fairing really do settings off. As do gold wheels against the brown.
I've not done it for bling, the bits I've done were looking very tired.

[OZ1400]

For what it's worth I collected the bike today and the paint is sweet. There was a major delay in sourcing some paint and the first job was done by the PPG rep who apparently brought up his own water based paint guns. It was woeful. Second job was done by the shops gun painter and he did very well.
Bottom line is you can match it but you need to be a competent painter it seems.