| Author | Message | ||
     Jjk |
I accidentally splashed a few drops of gasoline on my blue airbox cover the other day. I washed it off with some water and a paper towel less than 30 seconds after it made contact but it seems to have 'stained' the translucent material. I have tried a number of different cleaners/waxes/polishes, but none have helped at all. Any ideas? Thanks. John | ||
| Izzinya |
warranty..... gonna get a new one for mine also. had the same problem with mine Izzinya | ||
| Emscityx |
Plexus cleaned mine up. BTW, just removed the windscreen and cleaned the inside...needs to be done regularly. | ||
| Imonabuss |
I personally would certainly not think this was warranty, as I believe the mirrors on my CityX had stickers on them saying to be extra careful. Warranty means something not to spec from the factory, not just something that doesn't hold up to everything. The replacement part is likely to have the same vulnerability. I mean, it isn't paint! What is required is some serious elbow grease with Plexus or another polishing type compound. | ||
| Cataract2 |
Have you tried Novus 2 on it? Use Novus 2 as per the directions and then use Harley Gloss and Shine. Works on mine each and every time. There's also some stuff from S100 that works really well also. XB9SX rider here also. (Message edited by cataract2 on July 31, 2005) | ||
| Madsx |
Novus 2 worked pretty well for me. Can still see a little haze in the right light when I have the cover off the bike. But its not that noticeable on the bike. Seems to get better each time i use it. Be careful cleaning it though, it scratches real easy. Good Luck. | ||
| Court |
>>>>warranty..... Like driving your car into a tree and suing the tree. This has nothing to do with warranty. Court | ||
| Eor |
Novus 2 and a generous amount of elbow grease works well for me. I discovered that being very cautious when handling the nozzle and filling up is easier than buffing the stains out, BTW.  | ||
| Madsx |
I use paper towels to cover the pump nozzle when its over the air box. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I had a huge splash, made a huge mess! The gas will etch almost instantly on a hot day, changing it into a matt finish. And at least around here, many of the pumps have a slosh of gas in the nozzle that comes out at EXACTLY the wrong time, before you even start pumping. You carefully move the nozzle over, lower it towards the filling hole making sure you are not hitting the trigger, and SPLORT... right on the airbox. I now pull the nozzle, lower it and point it at the ground to get that splort out, put one glove over it and put it over the hole, and then move the glove enough to fill up, but enough to block the splashes that also want to come out. You don't realize how much you splash when you fuel until you have an airbox that gets white dots from every gas splash. This felt pretty traumatic the first time I went through it, but it is in hindsight not that big a deal. My original was badly damaged, probably about as bad as it gets. I did novus 3, novus 2, and novus 1, and got most of it out. The only place it is a "one way ticket" is if it gets in the lettering, you cant get in there well enough to polish it back out. Since then, the smaller splorts, I use novus 2 then the Harley Sealer Glaze. Of all the products I tried, Harley stuff was the best for sealing it. It makes it more resistant, but if you get gas on it you are looking at under 2 seconds before damage. Anyway, with the novus it cleans up really well, and you can (given sufficient patience) get it back to just about a mirror finish, especially with the Harley glaze. Don't EVER use a toothbrush to try and clean it, or you will have a REAL mess on your hands to buff out. | ||
| Frausty12r |
Just Curious, I don't own a CityX, but have you guys put thought into buying some clear vinyl? it's cheap like 1$ for a 20x20" sheet. simply lay it on the tank, trace the backing sheet with a pencil as to where you'd like to have it covered... then cut it out with an exacto knife. Apply it with a little bit of water with very little soap in it.. slide it where you want it.. and squeegee the water out and allow it to stay in the sun for an hour or so.. it's protection, and if the vinyl eventually turns color (from the UV) just remove it.. and slap a new one on.. Problem solved, no elbow grease, no heartache.  | ||
| Dtx |
interesting.... | ||
| Cataract2 |
Thought about it Frausty. Just never got around to it. | ||
| Jjk |
Thanks for all the tips, guys. I guess I'm not the only one who has noticed the effect! I do find it funny that a bike marketed as a brawny tough-guy streetfighter gets messed up so easily by a few drops of gas! Don't get me wrong - I love my CityX but I've owned a lot of different bikes over the years and have never had a problem with gas staining a painted metal tank if I got to clean it soon enough. And am I the only one wondering why people like Targa or Zero Gravity don't market replacement airbox covers and fly screens in a variety of hues (like they do for windscreens on Japanese bikes)? I'd like just simple clear ones. | ||
| Madsx |
Is that like the paint protector kits that are on ebay? When I remove the pump nozzle I hold it upsidedown or nozzle pointing up until i get it over the filler hole to prevent the leftover from the last guy spilling. Then use the paper towels, from the pump dispenser, if they have any, to cover up when removing. Quite a circus act. | ||
| Brad_buell |
I do the same trick as Madsx when at the pump. I always grab paper towels before pumping so I have them after I fill up. And I definitely do the upsidedown thing.  | ||
| Frausty12r |
Madsx, yup thats just clear 3 mil vinyl, you can buy online. They've just gone through the effort of using a plotter to precision cut it to fit the airbox cover in places where it typically gets abrased. (knee indentations, belt buckle area, etc..) I'll look around and see if I still have any.. if so I'll cut em up using my airbox give on a try/test fit.. and maybe sell em .50 a piece.. plus .37 for the stamp and maybe 100$ for an envelope (you know, all that elbow grease I'm helping you use somewhere else *grin) nah.. they'd be like 1$ mailed.. for two. I'll let you know how they turn out, (if I find the 25' of vinyl I had =/ ) | ||
| Nedwreck |
I tried polishing mine but no joy. So I took the cover off and doused it with gas so now it has a matte finish all over. Kidding, just. I ruined mine straight away at my first fill-up. The gas nozzle was full of fuel when I pulled it off the pump. So when I tipped it over to fill my tank I got gas all over the front of the cover. Mind you, I hadn't touched the trigger at all when I did this. Oh, well. I've been lusting for a carbon fibre replacement for some time now. Just ain't had the money. Bob | ||
| Reepicheep |
Bob... been there, done that. Mine polished out pretty well though... does yours have any secondary damage from repair attempts? You can't easily clean it out from between the raised logo letters, but everywhere else it should go back to almost perfect. | ||
| Cdallen |
Is this a danger with all the airbox covers or just the translucent ones? | ||
| Drift |
Blue magic metal polish. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I think just the translucid ones, it is different stuff then the colored Surlyn. | ||
| Tbs_stunta |
I dont agree with this being a warranty issue. Every kid who built model planes knows that gas and clear plastic don't mix. If you want a more permanent solution take your airbox cover to a painter and have them do the same kind of clear-coating that they do if the part were painted. I think its kind of funny that all you tough streetfigfhter types are worried about a few drops of gas. Aren't you supposed to be able to ride after the pockylips just like Mad Max? (Message edited by tbs_stunta on August 01, 2005) | ||
| Madsx |
Yeah but they had to catch gas in helmets and pails and such. None of this exploding nozzle crap  | ||
| Tbs_stunta |
>>Yeah but they had to catch gas in helmets and pails and such. Think about all the stains they would get when filling their City-Xs that way. >>None of this exploding nozzle crap Nope, just exploding bodies and vehicles.  If it bugs you that much carry a rag with you...Lord Humungus did. (Message edited by tbs_stunta on August 01, 2005) | ||
| Dagwood |
Plastic and gas = more problems. If you are talking about the stuff I put on my blackberry to protect the screen, that stuff would not work to protect the airbox cover. Gasoline and heat would melt that stuff right to the cover and it would be murder trying to get it off. | ||
| Frausty12r |
No I'm talking about 3 mil vinyl, sign grade vinyl. Designed to be in the Sun all day everyday.. (brother used to work at Sign Line, a local custom sign builder, I meant to ask him today where they bought the stuff in bulk, but its supposed to be solvent/chemical resistant and if Xylene won't eat it, I don't think gasoline could touch it. But, before I do anymore talking, I'm gonna find some of it.. and do some gasoline testing with some Sunoco 100 octane race fuel (avgas) we just bought (and no I'm not putting it in the buell, *was a wonderful thought tho..MMmm*) | ||
| Dagwood |
Let us know if this works. "I think its kind of funny that all you tough streetfigfhter types are worried about a few drops of gas. Aren't you supposed to be able to ride after the pockylips just like Mad Max?" You should come to Phoenix. 120 in the shade is as apocalyptic as it gets...that don't mean I like my bike to look like crap. | ||
| Joele |
Paint protection film isn't vinyl! It's is a polyurethane film. I'm afraid vinyl isn't up to the challenge - will yellow and eventually crack from being exposed to the sun. Major paint protection film makers include Llumar, 3M, and Venturetape - quality in that order. | ||
| Nedwreck |
My bud used to work at the Harley shop. One of the things he did was to fix the scuffs and scratches applied to the bikes in the showroom by ham fisted nonbelievers. He had a kit that turned a Dremel tool into a neat little buffer. He's hard to get a hold of but when I do, I'll ask him where he got it. That's GOT to be the ticket for getting rid of my ham fisted mistakes. I'll post a how to when I do. Bob | ||
| Frausty12r |
I low sided my XB a while back got ran off the road, someone pulled out right in front of me.. scuffed up the plastic pretty bad. Got a high speed buffer, and some tripoli, polished it right out, few coats of was from an orbital buffer you couldn't tell it even left the showroom. Joele, I understand it will yellow, read my comment "it's protection, and if the vinyl eventually turns color (from the UV) just remove it.. and slap a new one on.. Problem solved, no elbow grease, no heartache." Polyurethane film is hard to find, unless you've found someone who will sell it it sheets smaller than 30" x linear yard. You can get vinyl, and again I'm pretty sure this stuff is chemical/solvent resistant. Simply put, it's a cheaper fix to a nagging problem. Not rocket science.. Also llumar is only a UV protecting film and an anti-shatter/safety glass film. Not sure how well it holds up to corrosives, or chemicals and solvents. I don't believe the problem here is breakage.. it's chemical etching... I've personally seen vinyl hold up to xylene, which is like laquer thinner on steroids... will take the chrome off a bumper if you let it sit. Again, lemme check into this, and if I can find the roll of it I bought a while back.. I'll be glad to chop some up and send em out. | ||
| Blake |
S100 detail and wax. Will restore the shine to like new. The Novus alone will not. (Message edited by blake on August 02, 2005) | ||
| Reepicheep |
Blake, are you talking about the clear plastics for the 9sx, or the surlyn on the other XB's? I have not tried the S100, but have used the Novus, and taken an absolute mess of an etched surface (think a frosted beer mug) and returned it to a mirror finish. | ||
| Joele |
Frausty12R - Llumar released a paint protection film two years ago. http://www.llumar.com/na-eng/Automotive/auto-paint.html Many jobbers consider it superior to 3M and Venturetape. | ||
| Frausty12r |
Thats pretty nifty stuff, just wonder how well it holds up to chemicals.. and how easy it is to mold with a heat gun, and if that heat gun will cause wrinkles.. I take it you work with this stuff? Any info you can share on it? other than the information on the website. Peace! |
