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Keeping your tank paint safe w a tank bag?

Started by Easterntide, March 30, 2015, 06:26:10 AM

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Millietant

I was like you for the first 25 years of my ownership of my current FJ Bryan - I always looked after it, kept it clean, tidy and maintained, but never worried about it being pristine........

But then.... I got old......and now I actually do care about the bike deeply - after my many "affairs"/"flings" with younger prettier models, I've come to appreciate the attributes of the old girl and I cherish her.......

She's definitely not "pristine", but I think of her as the Raquel Welch of the motorcycle world (or with the surgery she's had, maybe others would think of her as the Jane Fonda)  :sarcastic: :sarcastic:
Dean

'89 FJ 1200 3CV - owned from new.
'89 FJ 1200 3CV - no engine, tank, seat....parts bike for the future.
'88 FJ 1200 3CV - complete runner 2024 resto project
'88 FJ 1200 3CV - became a race bike, no longer with us.
'86 FJ 1200 1TX - sold to my boss to finance the '89 3CV I still own.

Millietant

I'm with Pat and Bryan on this - riv-nuts in the top of the petrol tank.......nope, no way, never.......not in my tank !!!!
Dean

'89 FJ 1200 3CV - owned from new.
'89 FJ 1200 3CV - no engine, tank, seat....parts bike for the future.
'88 FJ 1200 3CV - complete runner 2024 resto project
'88 FJ 1200 3CV - became a race bike, no longer with us.
'86 FJ 1200 1TX - sold to my boss to finance the '89 3CV I still own.

fj1289

Quote from: Waiex191 on July 23, 2020, 05:41:38 PM
Quote from: Pat Conlon on July 23, 2020, 05:11:13 PM
Aaaaah, Nope
^+1.  Rivnuts are evil.  I've had to take them out of aircraft before, one with the tap still stuck in it. 

Am I the only one here who was never worried about keeping the bike pristine?  Mine looks great from a couple meters away (please note good use of metric system from a US citizen) but all my bike's imperfections means I don't worry about it and I just ride.

Nope.  My street bike is painted flat black (rattle can of course!)  "Clean" it with windex, "wax" it with WD40...

krusty

Quote from: fj1289 on July 23, 2020, 08:25:05 PM
Quote from: Waiex191 on July 23, 2020, 05:41:38 PM
Quote from: Pat Conlon on July 23, 2020, 05:11:13 PM
Aaaaah, Nope
^+1.  Rivnuts are evil.  I've had to take them out of aircraft before, one with the tap still stuck in it. 

Am I the only one here who was never worried about keeping the bike pristine?  Mine looks great from a couple meters away (please note good use of metric system from a US citizen) but all my bike's imperfections means I don't worry about it and I just ride.

Nope.  My street bike is painted flat black (rattle can of course!)  "Clean" it with windex, "wax" it with WD40...

Noooo, not WD40, use Mr Sheen!
Next time SWMBO goes to the store ask her to get it for you - she'll think you will be doing the furniture. MWHahahah.
91 FJ1200
84 FJ1100 x 2
85 FJ1100
89 GL1500
76 CB750F1
72 CB350F
63 C92 x 2
59 C76
62 C100
63 C100
60 Colleda 250TA x 3
63 Suzuki MD50
77 DT125E
77 DT175E x 2
79 DT250F

Waiex191

I just cleaned off my front wheel with WD40!  Still is not pristine though. 
Bryan
1989 FJ1200
1981 Suzuki GN400
Poplar Grove, IL
 

Millietant

i used to use WD40 to clean the chain lube off my back wheel before I washed and polished it....was always worried about it getting on the tyre and brake disc, so sprayed it onto the cloth I was using rather than onto the wheel itself.

I've found the Muc Off brand of products work well on the bike and recently started to use Autoglym car polish on the bodywork (because we had a bottle that was sitting on a shelf). It's good enough for me !  :sarcastic:
Dean

'89 FJ 1200 3CV - owned from new.
'89 FJ 1200 3CV - no engine, tank, seat....parts bike for the future.
'88 FJ 1200 3CV - complete runner 2024 resto project
'88 FJ 1200 3CV - became a race bike, no longer with us.
'86 FJ 1200 1TX - sold to my boss to finance the '89 3CV I still own.

Motofun

I bought some of that new nano ceramic "wax" stuff to try out.  I tested in on my '95 Chevy plow truck...just in case.  Holy Cow, it really works!  After a month of using the truck as it was meant to be used (ie abused), I hosed it off and aside from some tar it looks fine.  Going to try it out on my track bikes that get lots of bugs and hot rubber stuck to them...hoping for the best.
'69 Honda Trail 90
'75 Honda CB400F
'85 Yamaha RZ350
'85 Yamaha FJ1100
'89 Yamaha FJ1200
'09 Yamaha 125 Zuma
'09 Kawasaki KZ110 (grand kids)
'13 Suzuki GSXR 750 (track)
'14 Yamaha FZ-09
'18 Suzuki GSXR 1000R (track)
'23 Yamaha Tenere 7
SOLD: CBX,RZ500,Ninja 650,CB400F,V45 Sabre,CB700SC,R1

fj1289

Quote from: krusty on July 23, 2020, 09:27:51 PM
Quote from: fj1289 on July 23, 2020, 08:25:05 PM
Quote from: Waiex191 on July 23, 2020, 05:41:38 PM
Quote from: Pat Conlon on July 23, 2020, 05:11:13 PM
Aaaaah, Nope
^+1.  Rivnuts are evil.  I've had to take them out of aircraft before, one with the tap still stuck in it. 

Am I the only one here who was never worried about keeping the bike pristine?  Mine looks great from a couple meters away (please note good use of metric system from a US citizen) but all my bike's imperfections means I don't worry about it and I just ride.

Nope.  My street bike is painted flat black (rattle can of course!)  "Clean" it with windex, "wax" it with WD40...

Noooo, not WD40, use Mr Sheen!
Next time SWMBO goes to the store ask her to get it for you - she'll think you will be doing the furniture. MWHahahah.

Don't forget - I'm talking FLAT black paint - the awD40 just keeps it from looking "chalky" after a while.   

Made the mistake once of thinking some wax would give it a satin sheen - made it very splotchy and nasty looking - had to stop it off and start over!

ribbert

Quote from: Waiex191 on July 23, 2020, 05:41:38 PM

^+1.  Rivnuts are evil.  I've had to take them out of aircraft before, one with the tap still stuck in it. 


You may have had a bad experience with them, but Rivnuts are great (if used within their limitations ). I've found them not very suitable for thin metal (or trying to run a tap through one when it's unloaded), "Plusnuts" work much better. In fact, if only using in small quantities, thin sheet or one off applications they are always better (IMO) but they are comparatively expensive in small quantities.

However, if you need a blind nut, you need a blind nut.

If anyone has a better solution, please post about it.

Noel
"Tell a wise man something he doesn't know and he'll thank you, tell a fool something he doesn't know and he'll abuse you"

Waiex191

I use aviation style nutplates. In this picture you can see the nutplates in the reflection.


Also the missing paint was from when I had them installed on the wrong part.  It is a handy demonstration of that the nutplate legs look like.
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/categories/aircraft_parts/ap/menus/ha/nut_anchor.html

Granted this type of blind nut would be very hard to install in the tank.  You need access to both sides to set the solid rivets that hold it. You could used pulled rivets but they are not as strong.
Bryan
1989 FJ1200
1981 Suzuki GN400
Poplar Grove, IL
 

ribbert

Quote from: Waiex191 on July 25, 2020, 09:19:25 AM

I use aviation style nutplates.......Granted this type of blind nut would be very hard to install in the tank.  You need access to both sides to set the solid rivets that hold it.


What ever section of riveted metal shown in the photo not only looks beautiful, but appears too clean to have flown? (I'm a sucker for beautiful metal work - riveted, welded, formed, worked, polished, whatever)

But as you say, with nut plates you still need access to the back to fit them and in a non aviation application, that means you could just use a conventional fasteners. The issue is using a proper blind nut with sufficient strength for the job.

What, btw, is the plane?

Noel
"Tell a wise man something he doesn't know and he'll thank you, tell a fool something he doesn't know and he'll abuse you"

Dads_FJ

Quote from: Millietant on July 23, 2020, 07:34:37 PM
I'm with Pat and Bryan on this - riv-nuts in the top of the petrol tank.......nope, no way, never.......not in my tank !!!!

Yea, drilling holes in the top of ones tank is not for every bike or everyone, but some odd years later I've had zero issues with the riv-nuts on my trusty steed.  #Noregrets #FormFollowsFunction

John S.

'84 Yamaha FJ1100
'89 Yamaha FJ1200
'92 Yamaha TDM850
'80 BMW R100S/Sidecar
'81 Yamaha IT250(H)
'77 Yamaha IT175(D)
'39 BSA WM20

Waiex191

Quote from: ribbert on July 26, 2020, 07:21:31 AM
Quote from: Waiex191 on July 25, 2020, 09:19:25 AM

I use aviation style nutplates.......Granted this type of blind nut would be very hard to install in the tank.  You need access to both sides to set the solid rivets that hold it.


What ever section of riveted metal shown in the photo not only looks beautiful, but appears too clean to have flown? (I'm a sucker for beautiful metal work - riveted, welded, formed, worked, polished, whatever)

But as you say, with nut plates you still need access to the back to fit them and in a non aviation application, that means you could just use a conventional fasteners. The issue is using a proper blind nut with sufficient strength for the job.

What, btw, is the plane?

Noel

Thanks Noel!  It's a Sonex Waiex.  My oldest son and I have been building it since he was 11 and it has not flown yet. I need to stop messing around with motorcycles and sailboats so I can finish this thing.
Bryan
1989 FJ1200
1981 Suzuki GN400
Poplar Grove, IL
 

Waiex191

Quote from: Dads_FJ on July 26, 2020, 09:14:55 AM

Yea, drilling holes in the top of ones tank is not for every bike or everyone, but some odd years later I've had zero issues with the riv-nuts on my trusty steed.  #Noregrets #FormFollowsFunction
That's hard to argue with!  My bad rivnut experience was during a restoration project of a 1946 C140.  They used them to hold tank covers on a metalized wing and a few other places.
Bryan
1989 FJ1200
1981 Suzuki GN400
Poplar Grove, IL
 

ribbert

Quote from: Waiex191 on July 26, 2020, 10:38:36 AM
Quote from: ribbert on July 26, 2020, 07:21:31 AM
Quote from: Waiex191 on July 25, 2020, 09:19:25 AM

I use aviation style nutplates.......Granted this type of blind nut would be very hard to install in the tank.  You need access to both sides to set the solid rivets that hold it.


What ever section of riveted metal shown in the photo not only looks beautiful, but appears too clean to have flown? (I'm a sucker for beautiful metal work - riveted, welded, formed, worked, polished, whatever)

But as you say, with nut plates you still need access to the back to fit them and in a non aviation application, that means you could just use a conventional fasteners. The issue is using a proper blind nut with sufficient strength for the job.

What, btw, is the plane?

Noel

Thanks Noel!  It's a Sonex Waiex.  My oldest son and I have been building it since he was 11 and it has not flown yet. I need to stop messing around with motorcycles and sailboats so I can finish this thing.


It looks ready to fly, can't be too much left to do. What engine option did you choose, did your son discover girls or manage to maintain his interest and do you fly regular aircraft?

What a great project to build with your son, I love the look of the continuous line of the engine cowl and the canopy, very Bell X-1ish.
I started a less ambitious project with my son when he was 8, to build a scale car, he's now 30 and let's just say the car has a few bugs to iron out. :lol:

Love the street names!

Noel
"Tell a wise man something he doesn't know and he'll thank you, tell a fool something he doesn't know and he'll abuse you"