Cleaning the Surface
Before giving your motorbike a makeover, make sure you clean it thoroughly. This step is the most crucial one and would save you time in the end. However, if you did not do the cleaning very well, you might lose all the progress and have to start again.
So, you should start by cleaning the ATV plastics’ entire surface with a paper towel. Try to be gentle as you do not want to leave pores on the plastic cover.
Next, you need to use soapy water to remove the sticky particles. Hence, a dish soap would help in cleaning the plastic parts meticulously. To properly prepare our ATV plastic surface, you need to clean the plastic parts with sprays if required. Most dirt bikes need extensive cleaning to run smoothly. Hence, you can use the plastic cleaner conveniently depending on the plastic quality.
Remove Water Soluble Contaminants
Before moving your way to paint, you need to get rid of contaminants. Contaminants can be water-soluble or insoluble. The good news is that now you have scuff pads that help take care of all the water-soluble particles. All you need is a scuff pad and start rubbing it on the ATV plastic. However, the best way is to use it across the entire surface area to clean the bits. Unless you remove contaminants thoroughly, you might encounter issues later. It could be the paint not settling on the plastic surface, or it would lose its shininess and texture. Hence, this step is crucial, and you should not ignore it.Sand Down the ATV Plastic
After you clean and remove contaminants, the next part is sanding. Sanding is vital as it helps remove tiny bits that often go unnoticed. All you need is sandpaper and a clean paper towel for this process. The sanding process will remove unnecessary exposures that damage the surface to prep your plastic for the paint job. Hence, be careful when choosing sandpaper.
The 180-grit sandpaper is recommended and works perfectly for most ATV plastics. Moreover, sandpaper is a good cleaner and takes you one step closer to the painting part. However, be gentle when doing this step as it might damage the surface if pressed hard.
Use Adhesives and Primers
Now, you are over with the most crucial steps. So, all that is left is to use solvents and sprays to prepare the plastic for painting to begin. Like every other kind of plastic, ATV plastics also need specific minerals to survive the radiation and sun’s rays. Moreover, they need a protective layer to prevent scratches on the surface.
Hence, you should take the help of adhesives and primers here. There are mineral spirits that offer good protection and prevent paint from coming off. An adhesion promoter is helpful for better adhesion of color so that it sticks properly to the surface and lasts longer.
Similarly, a primer will give your plastic a professional and brand-new look. It serves as a bonus whenever painting yourself. It is always better to apply primer to get a smooth painted look. Thus, plastic spray paint would be useless if you ignore the primer. So, please do not skip this step, as most people think they do not need a primer.
Use a Sealer
After cleaning and coating with adhesives, you are close to painting now. The painted plastic needs a bumper sealer to provide it with good stickiness. As for dirt bike plastics, the plastic surface is designed to be rough. So, a sealer works like magic to help paint stick with the base. To paint ATV plastic, you need the sealer to fill up any tiny bits of holes or pores already present beneath. However, people avoid this as a sealer can be costly, but it is worth the money and extends paint’s life.Is Cleaning the ATV Carburetor Necessary Before Painting the Plastics?
It’s vital to conduct a thorough cleaning of the ATV carburetor before undertaking the painting of the plastics. Throughout its use, dust, debris, and different kinds of contaminants gather in the carburetor, affecting its performance. Ensuring it is deeply cleaned will guarantee optimal functioning and prevent potential issues. Such a thorough cleaning is essential for achieving an impeccable paint finish on the ATV plastics.
Apply Spray Paint
After you finish with the above steps, the final one is to apply paint. One quick method is using spray paints for ATV plastics. Plastic colors are better than regular spray paint and help save time and work more efficiently. So, before you start painting, repeat the cleaning process as described earlier. This method will help our ATV surfaces get a better and fresh look.
Also, you need to be careful when applying different coats. The paint job is not as easy as it seems, and a little too much pain might reduce the effectiveness of the plastic. Even if you overspray, it might damage the surface of the ATV plastic. Similarly, applying heavy wet coats is not the right way, increasing the paint dry time.
Spray paints are the best for painting ATV plastics. Plus, all you need is a few light coats, which help the paint dry faster. The rest of the work is like plastic magic, and you do not have to worry about that. Apply two coats to the dirt bike plastic and let the coat flash. It would let you know if the layer was too heavy. If it is, stop immediately and let it dry completely.
After the first coat is dried up, the second coat would help build a protective layer on the painted plastic. After a few minutes, you need to check if you see any bubbles popping up in the basecoat. If you see bubbles, you need to use light coats of paint; otherwise, your double coat finishes here.
Some people also prefer using a topcoat to secure the paint, and however, it is not necessary. Most painted plastics work well with these two coat layers too. So, try a topcoat if you see the need.
