Tank and Side Cover Emblem Restoration?

[zookey]

So I have recently recovered my husbands seat for the '79 XS11 Special..
Sealed and Painted his tank....
Stripped and Painted his side covers....

Husband is suffering XS11 withdrawal pretty bad....(This has all taken over 2 months due to uncooperative MN weather... and other family stuff)

So now that I think I am done with these things and soon will be putting it all back together..... The old emblems look pretty shabby in comparison to the nice shiny tank and covers. I am wondering if there is a good way to restore the emblems or anyone got a nice set around that they are willing to sell?

[BA80]

Expensive but nice.......

http://www.reproductiondecals.com/badges_yam.html

[bikerphil]

If you want to re-do yours...

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread...ighlight=badge

[jetmechmarty]

After they're prepped, paint them with this:



I bought this to do the same job. I got it at a hobby store.

[zookey]

Thanks for the replies guys! I will be going to town tomorrow with a gas can or two to fill up for the bikes.... will have to stop by the hardware/farm stores and see if any of these products are available. Or what my options are.....

@ BA80 ~ Thanks for the link! I would really love to buy him NEW emblems but it just isn't in the budget at the moment..... but may get some later on. Saving the link for future use!

Funny think I searched for previous topics but found nothing. I guess I need to learn the proper way to use the search feature on here. But somehow I knew if I asked and there was a way to do it there would be at least ONE member here that would be kind enough to help or point me in the right direction!

Thanks again....... Hopefully by this time next week I can post up pictures of the bike all "decked out"!

[Lbrown311]

Would love to see the pics. I am currently working on redoing a 79 right now so I am going thru the same things right now. Just got the tank stripped today. Hopefully get it filled, sanded and primed for paint tomorrow. I tried using the technique for the emblems in the link that was posted, but I think Jets idea is the way to go. Way harder to keep paint off the letters then to just paint the letters after its all black. They are so darn expensive to buy brand new. Your better off trying to buy whole new set of side covers on ebay with good emblems. Would cost about the same or a bit more. Then you got a spare set. Or sell the side covers!
Good luck on the emblems.

[zookey]

@LBrown.... Wow, you are from MN too.... I will post up pictures of his bike when I get it done. It has been a chore that is for sure, but definitely worth it! My next project will be to pull the fairing and saddle bags and get them painted the same as the tank and side covers..... that will have to wait until riding season is over though, I have tormented my husband long enough with this project.

Are you planning of cleaning/sealing the inside of your tank? If so don't bother doing any painting on the tank until the liner is finished. The stripping of old liner to install the new one is what brought on the entire "repaint" project I just finished. Otherwise his tank didn't look all that bad.

[Lbrown311]

Well I considered it, but really the inside of the tank I am repainting right now isn't bad at all. Maybe a little discoloring and oxidizing but virtually no rust at all. I don't wanna put a liner in it if I don't have to. Looks like more storms in the forcast for the MN crew so painting might have to hold off till this evening. Blast!

[zookey]

Tank and side covers painted

I know the paint did not lay on as nice as it should have, but this is really not bad for a paint job in the uncooperative Northern Minnesota weather.

I do know it looks thousand times better than the old paint did....the husband is very happy!


<<click to enlarge>>

Now to do the badges and eventually the saddlebags and fairing.

[mikubuilder]

I wished my wife would work on my bike....I could concentrate on fishing

[GLoweVA]

One option for the lettering on the side covers and emblems is to use vinyl tape over the letters. The PO on my SG used this method. At first I thought it was paint, until I looked real close and noticed that one corner started to peel.
I thought it was an ingenious way of changing the color of the letters with out all the messiness of paint.
I'll see If I can find a pic and post it up shortly.

Whew, got it up before the editor timed out.



Sorry for the crappy pic, but you can see the red lettering.

[zookey]

I wished my wife would work on my bike....I could concentrate on fishing

I get elected to do quite a bit of the work on his bike and mine... smaller hands and a perfectionist personality is a good combination for carb work, painting and tracing wiring issues.

I would love to sand his tank down some more and get the paint much smoother looking...... but my husband wants it DONE so he can ride. He fired it up this morning to go to work.... came home tonight in a very good mood! I guess riding really is his stress reliever!

Can't let him go fishing without me though.... that just would NOT be fair!

@GLoveVA...... the tape is a neat idea, but he wants his emblems black and gold. Found the stuff yesterday and got them prepped and blackened today. Now just waiting for them to dry well to Gold Leaf them tomorrow, then clear coat by Wednesday..... Should be back on before the weekend!

Then I can get my bike out of winter storage and start in on him!!

[Lbrown311]

Nice. How did you prep the gas cover opening and get all the old paint off that. I am having a hell of a time trying to get under the emblem mounts and the gas cover opening clean. I was thinking of having my brother just sand blast the darn thing. Or even glass bead blast if he can get it in his cabinet. Otherwise I might just have to soak with Aircraft paint remover again and blast with water or something. Kind of a PITA to get completely clean. Any ideas are welcome.

[zookey]

To get all the paint off the tank I went to the dollar store and bought a bag of rubber balls. The balls fit in the tank filler hole so you can keep stripper and stuff out of your tank.

I also cut metal blanks and rubber backings to cover the petcock holes and the fuel sensor (gas gauge sensor) holes. I did not want to get anything in the tank that could effect the liner I had installed.

I then sprayed the tank down with "Klean Strip" (aircraft paint stripper - http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...ver+-+stripper) which will bubble the paint off the tank. I got in the small crevices with a toothbrush bought especially for this job. After I got all the paint off, I washed it down with Acetone to wash away any remaining softened paint from the crevices.

I let the acetone evaporate for an hour or so before I primed the tank.

[EricHa]

Stinking badges...........








I used Testors model paint on some last week, the top is Testors Brass color, and the bottom is OEM.