Alright guys... I've been scarce around here for a while (and judging by my post count, i'm still a newb anyway, i suppose). But i'm asking... no, make that BEGGING for help. here's my situation: my f150 is fine. a little dirty from the crappy weather we've been having, but fine. but its my bike i'm worried about. I just bought an absolutely gorgeous ducati that had perfect paint. UNTIL i let my dad ride it. for those of you that dont ride, you have to be very careful what you wear or you'll scratch the paint. well, he wore a jacket with an exposed zipper (plastic) the whole time he rode it. i almost cried when saw the tank. it almost looks like someone took sandpaper to it where the zipper rubbed. the scratches dont go into the paint, but the clearcoat is BAD. they're not deep scratches at all, just a ton of really light scratches that hazed the finish to the point that theres absolutely no depth to the paint at all. I've seen some of you guys do amazing work around here, so someone PLEASE tell me what I can do to get rid of this! I havent mentioned it to my dad because he'd feel terrible about it and probably insist on having the whole thing repainted, which costs around $500 because of a couple intricate logos that would have to be painted (they're not decals)... so please, any help is very much appreciated. i don't have an electrical buffer of any kind, but its a pretty small surface, so i think i can do all the buffing by hand.

just for kicks, here's a picture of my new baby. no pictures of the damage, but check out the depth of the paint. she's a beauty...

 

The first thing I would try is Meguiars Scratch-X. It can be bought almost anywhere. Parts stores to Wal-Mart. Get some Megs foam applicator pads and using some elbow grease you should be able to get them out if they're not to deep. Work small areas at a time and be sure to break down the polish.

Tic

 

Try Meguiars Scratch-X and let us know how it works out.

Beautiful bike by the way.

 

Contact Rockpick, or Rolling Rock...send them pics..

 

I agree... Scratch-X...

 

X2.

I might also add to be very patient with it. Especially by hand. may take 2, 3, 6 applications before it gets it all. It'll get there, just take your time.

Since it's a european bike I'm not sure on how hard the paint might be. I know that european cars have very hard paints so it takes extra work to remove deffects.

 

thanks for the help, guys... i was under the impression that scratch-x wasnt a very good product, but i'll definitely give it a shot and let you all know how it turns out. thanks again!

 

I cant see from that pic but most ducati's come with a tank protector. If yours doesnt have one, I would buy a carbon fiber one immediately.

You will just keep scratching it over and over again until you do.

And congrats on the S....they are awesome bikes....now to save for a 1098r

 

For whatever reason, the face of the trunk lid on my new Mustang was covered with light scratches that were painfully visible to the eye. One application of Scratch-X reduced them, and the second application made the disappear! I suspect an application or two might do the same for your bike's tank.......

PS -- I'm sure you f-ed up some of your dad's stuff while you were growing up -- consider the scratches on your bike as part of his payback!

 

Invest in a tank protector! Just go to your local dealership(yamaha, honda, kawasaki, suzuki) and look at the tucker rocky or parts unlimited street catalogs. They are A TON of different cool designs for you to look at. I work at a dealership and that is the number one place I see scratches. I always recommend a tank protector to anyone with a sport bike they are well worth it!

 

Hahaha -- you are right, im sure i did (as a matter of fact, i just crashed his brand new RC heli, too! :o ). i didnt mention it to him. there was no sense in making him feel bad about it anyway... just a motorcycle i guess.

as an update, you guys rock. the scratch-x didnt get all the scratches out, but the tank looks infinitely better. it DOES have a factory tank protector on it, but he is shorter so he was practically laying on the tank. the zipper scratched it up between the gas cap and the OEM protector. anyway, thanks again for the help. I have a new love for scratch-x!

 

Thanks for the kind words... but i don't want a stinking 1098r. if i did, i'd save myself about 15k and buy an r1!

 

Another vote for Meguiars Scratch-X.

It's saved my **** several times growing up borrowing family member's vehicles...



Love the bike!