Top box color

[Rob L]

I think the flat silver color looks out of place.

 

 

So I spent a snowy Halloween changing it

 

 

 

First remove the shell. There are wires under the backrest for a heater and wires for a brake light under the rear trim panel

 

 

Lots of screws. Watch where each comes from, they are different lengths and have 2 kinds of washers.

 

 

 

I sanded the shell and after cleaning it I gave it a couple of coats of basecoat Quartz Blue A18. I purchased the paint from my local Carquest who stocks Dupont and Nason products. A pint of Dupont is $76. The Nason brand is $25. Any guesses which one I used?

 

 

 

I followed up with 2 coats of clear.

I brought the bike back inside after the dust settled. This is a buyback that originated in Florida. She is probably wishing that she had stayed there!

 

 

Thick or treat

 

[Tourmaster]

Certainly the original flat silver top looks out of place.

Nice job on the refinishing, but having the top match the bike kinda looks...you know...out of place.

(but preferred!)

[Jim VonBaden]

Looks great! Nice work!

 

Jim

[Rob L]

Thanks, Jim. I am looking forward to putting some miles on this bike next year. I've already replaced the windshield, the horn, and added a fender extender and side stand foot. I also added an IPod cable, a headphone outlet, and hardwired my Gerbing temp. control inside the right glove box. Been riding to work every day. Sure wish summer were back

 

[TEWKS]

Nice work!

 

 

Pat

[John in VA]

Good job! Looks great!

 

I painted the plain plastic black top of my top box Midnight Blue to match my bike. It was quite a project but it makes all the difference!

 

 

[Rob L]

Nice looking bike

[PadG]

Very nice! It cost me $100 to get mine done.

 

[TEWKS]

Nice, how about a side view of that 15! Question on the graphics, are they cleared over or just sitting on the paint?

 

 

Pat

 

 

[Rob L]

That looks great! And $100 is a bargain considering that you need basecoat paint, reducer, activator, and clearcoat, and activator. Add time and some sandpaper and $100 barely covers the cost even in a body shop that mixes their own paint

[John in VA]

That looks great! And $100 is a bargain considering that you need basecoat paint, reducer, activator, and clearcoat, and activator. Add time and some sandpaper and $100 barely covers the cost even in a body shop that mixes their own paint

 

$100 really is a bargain for pro painting. My home job cost about $140 just in materials; one can of paint, two cans clear, sandpaper, etc.. The paint is water-based and easy to use. Color matches perfectly.

The 2-part clear coat is also easy but once activated any unused portion won't keep in the can. Also best to use it standing upwind on a breezy day, since it contains cyanide! The clear coat is extremely tough. Once cured, 2000-grit sandpaper on an orbital polisher hardly makes a scratch.

[PadG]

Nice, how about a side view of that 15! Question on the graphics, are they cleared over or just sitting on the paint?

 

 

Pat

The graphics just sits on the paint, like a thick transfer. Probably like what they put on some of the camheads.

 

 

 

 

 

We do have a great body-shop/auto-painter in town! That $100 was cash!

 

[TEWKS]

Thanks for the info on the graphics, calling for a price right now!

 

Edit

Um..tomorrow..but still excited!

 

Pat

[ndrhsr]

where can I find mix formulas for '14 callisto grey?

[realshelby]

The BMW cars also use Callisto Grey but with a gloss clearcoat. The bikes use a satin or eggshell clearcoat for the matte finish. Same base coat which I believe is B64. Any auto body shop that mixes their own paint can handle this. Here is a link for do it yourselfers...

http://www.colorrite.com/product/bmw-callisto-gray-metallic-matte-2622.cfm

[AndyS]

I think the flat silver color looks out of place....

So I spent a snowy Halloween changing it....

 

Dumb question. Do you have a spray booth? Did you bake the paint....or did you use aerosols!

[Rob L]

No spray booth, just a heated garage. No need to bake the paint. The paint and clearcoat use a catalyst activator that hardens in about 4 hours. I use a gravity feed Binks gun and clean the area before I paint. Just follow the paint manufacturer's instructions on the can for mixing and re-coating.

[TEWKS]

Nice, how about a side view of that 15! Question on the graphics, are they cleared over or just sitting on the paint?

 

 

Pat

The graphics just sits on the paint, like a thick transfer. Probably like what they put on some of the camheads.

 

 

 

 

PadG, sorry for kicking a dead pony but could you check your side case graphics? Been told that they are cleared over and are not available. Now, I just had the fairing pieces in my hand but they won't do me any good if the side case graphics are not to be had. Doesn't make sense to me that they'd clear over only the side case graphics.

 

TIA

 

Pat

[gordiet]

I have the same bike and the graphics definitely have a clear coat over them. I had a professional painter look at it because I want to have a matching paint job done to the Givi top case. Gt

[TEWKS]

Thanks Gt

 

 

Pat

[PadG]

I guess that you have gotten your answer! javascript:%20void(0)

[TEWKS]

I guess that you have gotten your answer! javascript:%20void(0)

 

I'd love a confirmation if you wouldn't mind.

 

Thanks

 

 

Pat

[gordiet]

What more can I say?! Gt

[TEWKS]

Thanks Gt.

 

I just found it odd that BMW would clear over the side case graphics only, while the fairing graphics are on top of the clear coat. Meaning you can purchase the fairing graphics and not the side case graphics.

 

Pat

[PadG]

I guess that you have gotten your answer! javascript:%20void(0)

 

I'd love a confirmation if you wouldn't mind.

 

Thanks

 

 

Pat

Not at all! Just went out and took a very close look. One thing that is clear is that whatever finish is or is not done to those graphics, both front and case finish is identical. As far as I can tell, there are no clear coat over them! I could be wrong, but it seem to me that I can see sharp edges on the graphics, and that should be quite smooth if a clear coat have been applied!

[TEWKS]

Awesome, I really appreciate you doing that! When I ordered them, I was told the same-thing, that they do sit on top of the paint's clear coat.

 

Again, after the front graphics showed up at the dealer (happy happy )is when I was informed that the rear bag graphics are not available. (not so happy)

 

Pat

[gordiet]

I just went out and checked side cases and the other graphics on the bike. You can clearly see where the clearcoat climbs over the graphic and continues on over completing the coverage. I have been put on some paste wax to see if it would stick between the graphic and the case and it does not does not leave a line of wax. Mine clearly have clearcoat over the top of all of the graphics. GT

[TEWKS]

Thanks Gt, I'm wondering if they had a change in their graphics application after the production of the 15's began. Seems we have two different versions of how they applied the graphics. And, it looks like my little project got caught in between the change over!

 

 

Pat

[gordiet]

I just bought the bike two weeks ago and the dealer had just put on display. Gt

[mneblett]

I have a '15 with the decals, and I will be *very* surprised if they are cleared over -- they sure don't look/feel that way, as there is a notable "lip" as you drag a fingernail over the decal edge.

 

Another reason I suspect they are applied over the paint is that (i) in all of the BMW manufacturing videos, you see clear being sprayed by robots over plain colors, in what appear to be the same booth, without any decals ever present, and (ii) employees with the job of applying decals to various parts applying them over what appear to be finished (clear coated) panels.

[WBinDE]

I'm going to go with clear over graphics, both front and rear. On my San Marino Blue '15 there's definitely a change in height over the graphics, but it doesn't catch a fingernail anywhere around the perimeter therefore there's no exposed edge. IMHO the only way to accomplish that economically is to have some sort of fillet in the corner between the edge and the surface it's applied to, and the easiest way to do THAT is to clearcoat the whole thing after the graphics are applied.

 

I don't think doing it that way changes manufacturing cost much either: since they're going to clearcoat it anyway, all they have to do is change the manufacturing sequence (base, clear, graphic --> base, graphic, clear) to get maximum durability. Plus the clear provides protection against UV fade.

 

Then too there's the possibility I'm overthinking this.

[AndyS]

Why do you want them clear coated over?

They are easily replaced as they are.

[mneblett]

Why do you want them clear coated over?

They are easily replaced as they are.

Or even better, easily removed.

[TEWKS]

Or even better, easily removed.

 

If you're very careful removing them, I'll buy 'em from ya.

 

Pat

[AndyS]

Why do you want them clear coated over?

They are easily replaced as they are.

Or even better, easily removed.

 

+1 (for whatever reason).

[PadG]

I'm going to go with clear over graphics, both front and rear. On my San Marino Blue '15 there's definitely a change in height over the graphics, but it doesn't catch a fingernail anywhere around the perimeter therefore there's no exposed edge. IMHO the only way to accomplish that economically is to have some sort of fillet in the corner between the edge and the surface it's applied to, and the easiest way to do THAT is to clearcoat the whole thing after the graphics are applied.

 

I don't think doing it that way changes manufacturing cost much either: since they're going to clearcoat it anyway, all they have to do is change the manufacturing sequence (base, clear, graphic --> base, graphic, clear) to get maximum durability. Plus the clear provides protection against UV fade.

 

Then too there's the possibility I'm overthinking this.

You know, it is very possible that BMW have changed the process! My '15 was one of the very first batch of '15 that came off the boat last year. I also look at the edges of the graphics to try to determine if clear-coat had been applied over it, and the edges of the graphics on my bike is very sharp. You would feel it with the palm of your hand, if you wanted to! More important, looking very closely at the edges, the "inside" corner is sharp, and it would have been filleted in to some degree with a very thin coating applied.

 

To be clear.....I am not doubting what you saw, but more to say that BMW must have changed their process.

[mneblett]

I have a '15 with the decals, and I will be *very* surprised if they are cleared over -- they sure don't look/feel that way, as there is a notable "lip" as you drag a fingernail over the decal edge.

I'm going to change my vote. After getting the bike back together and taking the pics for my other thread, I looked *very* closely at the decal edges under the bright sunlight. I have to say it appears to me there is a *very* thin, but still notable, transition from the colored surface to the decal edge, as if there is a very thin layer of clear paint over the bag and decal.

 

It therefore appears there's no quick/easy/inexpensive way to rid my bike's saddlebags of those warts.

[TEWKS]

Decided to pick up the fairing graphics I ordered. I'll see if the local graphics guy we have can match up the color and make something for the bags.

 

With Murphy's law running rampant, i'm worried that the fairing graphics may not have a clear protective coating over the color. Meaning they were meant to be spray cleared over. If that's the case, I give.

 

Pat