How To Paint A Motorcycle Fairing – 6 Correct Steps

Whether you’re painting a motorcycle fairing yourself or hiring someone else to do it, you need to know all of the steps to get the job done successfully.

We all love motorcycles. When someone admires your bike and inquires about its history, it gives you a sense of pride and self-confidence. But sometimes you’re faced with a problem: a bad paint job. The paint job looks like a toddler did it with a Sharpie.

It’s a big problem for any bike owner who cares about its overall appearance. Then, what are your options? This article will show you how to give your motorcycle’s paint job the attention and care it deserves.

How do you paint a motorcycle fairing? 

Motorcycle fairings give the bike a unique look. They’re mounted on top of the bike’s frame and serve primarily to reduce air resistance. So, if you’re wondering about the steps to paint your motorcycle‘s fairing, don’t worry. We got you covered.

Step One. Get rid of oil and grease

First, you must thoroughly clean the motorcycle fairings of dirt, grease, and grime. Then you can start sanding them to remove as much of the surface roughness so you can smooth out the rough spots and finish the job correctly.

Step Two. Unscrew the fairings and separate them from the bike’s body.

Place them in an open space. The open space ensures that the fumes coming from the spray paint isn’t too concentrated. Before you start painting, cover the bike with a tarp to protect it from the elements. 

Step Three. Cleaning the Fairing

Clean the dirt and oil off the fairing with a damp sponge, and then work the fairing in a circular scrubbing motion until it’s nice and clean. Make sure to put extra effort into the places that have accumulated black engine gunk.

Make sure you use clean water to wash off the soapy water from your fairings. If you have decals or stickers on them and wonder how to get them off, here is a neat trick.

If you have a hairdryer, use it to warm the stickers and then peel them off. The glue loosens up, making it easy to peel the stickers off.

Step Four. Sanding the fairing

Hardware stores and other places that sell home improvement supplies likely carry 400-grit sandpaper, so if you don’t already have any, pick some up.

When sanding with 400-grit sandpaper, follow the same circular motion as when using a cleaning sponge.

Use this method to finish the fairings. Take your time and avoid being rough or pressing hard on the sandpaper. Moderate pressure should do the job.

The smoothness of the fairing surfaces is key to making them easy to work with.

Step Five. Rinse the Fairings

After sanding the fairings to remove all rough edges, clean them again. Clean the fairings thoroughly before starting the painting process. Wipe down the fairings using a damp microfiber towel.

After you rinse your fairings, let them air-dry for an hour, then come back and do the rest of the work. This will be easier on your hands.

Step Six. Applying primer and Painting the Fairings

1. When using spray-on primer, make sure it’s spray-on for plastic primer. The goal of the primer is to ensure a consistently smooth final coat. To accomplish this, apply it in even strokes, and don’t let the gun stop mid-spray. You don’t want the primer to leave any patches. You want the entire coat to be uniform. After you apply the primer, wait for it to dry. It should take about 6 hours.

2. Paint the base color onto the surface of the fairing. Don’t miss any spots, and cover the entire surface. Make sure you paint the primer over completely. This is just a thin coat, though.

Take time to remove the paint from your skin, wear safety goggles and breathe through a mask when applying spray paint. It’s best to stay away from it because of the toxic fumes it produces.

Breathing in the fumes of that paint product could make you ill. They may include nausea, throat irritation, headaches, or nose irritation.

3. The third step is wet sanding. Start by spraying the fairing’s surface with some water and then sand the surface with 1000-grit paper. Use the cloth to remove any grit from the surface of the fairing. Then proceed to apply your base coat.

4. Apply a second coat of base color. Use even strokes while applying the second coat of the base color. Before moving on, let it dry for 3 to 4 hours.

5. If you want to ensure that you are getting a rich and thick look, it’s important to apply three to four more coats. After applying the final coat of paint, let it dry for at least 6 hours before starting to use it. 

6. It is essential to protect the painted surface of the fairing with a coat of clear lacquer before applying the last layer of basecoat. The clear lacquer is an inexpensive, easy-to-use product that protects the fairing from moisture and other elements.

Spray the first coat of lacquer after applying the primer, sand it down to make it smooth, and spray the basecoat. Before using the topcoat, allow it to dry for at least one hour.

7. Let the fairing dry for 24 hours, then re-attach them with the bolts.

Conclusion.

When painting a motorcycle fairing, patience and time are essential. In most cases, you spend the most time allowing the paint to dry, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to get a fast finish.  

There are so many parts of the motorcycle that need to be protected. One of those parts is the fairing. Painting the fairings protects the surface from the weather and, if done correctly, will last for a long time.

The aesthetic part of the paint job is as important as the protection and utility aspects of the fairing. The ultimate evaluation of the paint job is how it looks to you and if it’s able to reflect your personality and riding style. 

On the other hand, you can also leave the paint job and not worry about it. It will last for a long time.

There you have it, the basic steps on how to paint the fairings of your motorcycle. Do you have any experience in repainting your fairing? Share them in the comment section. Thanks for visiting bikepics.com.