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"Insect Acid" scars the paint


moshe_levy

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moshe_levy

Well, the local car wash was running a detail special, so I brought the RT in today. After the 22 states and 9,200 miles I covered last month with it, it was shall we say, a little dusty! tongue.gif

 

Anywho, I just picked it up and it looks great, but up close you can see tiny smudges in the paint. Turns out the bug holocaust that lived on the paint for the month of May had permanent results. Even after a very mild compounding, the marks remain.

 

What's stranger still is my reaction to it all - normally anally retentive about the bike's cleanliness, I see these new scars as a sort of tattoo that "I did it" - lived my dream of a cross country trip with lots of adventures to remember forever. So, my paint's a little worse for wear, but it was worth it. They will remind me of my sojourn.

 

For those of you who maintain your anal retentiveness - and face it, as BMW owners, we are quite notorious for that trait - be sure to wipe the bike down once in awhile on those long trips!

 

-MKL

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JohnBeaven

I was lazy with the washing of my old R1100RT and has the same thing happen - evne the screen was affected.

 

Nothing I found could remove the marks.

 

This is why I am more diligent in wasing my R1200RT - about once a fortnight. I also make sure it is well waxed to help protect the paint.

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moshe_levy

Yeah, I'm usually good too - but this was a month long trip averaging 300 miles a day. Lots of nice sights to see and lots of excuses to skip on the daily detailing. Ahhhh, well, lesson learned!

 

-MKL

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moshe_levy

I was going to give that 3M a shot. I still have the original bottle from a few years ago when you showed me that stuff. I'll try over the weekend....

 

-MKL

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I have used Meguires #3 machine glaze to remedy this exact problem on my Audi A4. I did not use a buffer though...just old fashoned elbow grease, clean soft towels and a lot of time. Best of luck!

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I was going to give that 3M a shot. I still have the original bottle from a few years ago when you showed me that stuff. I'll try over the weekend....

 

-MKL

 

3M will likely not work on its own.....you'll need the P21S Multi Finish Restorer as well.

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I'll be real suprised if you can get that out. The damage is done after 24 hours. It will look better but not "gone"!

 

I'm sure you have heard of the infamous LoveBug here in Florida. May and September, washing your vehicles is a daily occurance for about 3 weeks.

 

I'm about to enquire the local 3M guy about completly wraping Nubb in clear plastic. The Solstice was $600.00.

I'll bet $200.00/$300 will work for the bike.

 

 

 

ISYTHRAH

 

P.S. BTW baby shampoo and a little water is best for fresh bug splatts. If your fresh and clean, spray Silicone works great on your paint to give you a few days between washes. Splatts come off real easy.

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Well Use "Hydrogen Peroxide" The High $$ stuff.. $.97 per small bottle.. Just spray on and watch the Bug Juice turn white, get soft, and come right off, with a soft cloth.. Oh yes and not much elbow. Small spray bottle always goes with me on every trip..

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