Vintage Dirt Bike Q & A

Looking for some tips on repairing the paint on a bike I restored. I started from bare metal and with primer and paint did the job myself and it looked great however after about 9 months the paint on the left clutch cover started peeling off in large chunks but the rest of the bike still looks great. I noticed it seems a little moist on the clutch cover like some oil is absorbing through. Is there a way to repair with some type of sealant? I wasn't prepared for this problem. As far as I know all parts on the bike are original.
Thanks.

Paint prep is everything. Need to pull off the cover and inspect it for gouges on the inside surface. That is about the only way to get seepage. Also look for a hairline crack.

Now completely strip off all of the old paint down to the raw aluminum. Wash everything in hot soapy water and rinse very well. Now wash your hands and clean the sink & dishwasher before the wife sees!

Paint - use a good quality automotive self-etching primer. This will bite into the aluminum and give you a surface to prime. Next use a good quality high build primer, this will have extra solids in the mix to allow you to sand out any minor scratches. Deeper scratches can be filled with glazing putty. Once everything is to your liking, then top coat the part. I use 1958 Buick Red in a spray bomb from my auto paint store. Dead on match to Tahitian Red. For extra protection, a satin clear coat to build additional thickness over the top coat.

Last step - use a new gasket & shifter seal. Also, be sure to seal the expansion pipe joint as it tends to blow goo on both sides of the engine. You could also wrap it with header wrap and a couple band clamps (to hold the wrap on). Things stay cleaner that way.

Oh yeah, never ever ride it again! (kidding)

Roost the wheels off it. It's only paint and can always be redone next winter!

Paint prep is everything. Need to pull off the cover and inspect it for gouges on the inside surface. That is about the only way to get seepage. Also look for a hairline crack.

Now completely strip off all of the old paint down to the raw aluminum. Wash everything in hot soapy water and rinse very well. Now wash your hands and clean the sink & dishwasher before the wife sees!

Paint - use a good quality automotive self-etching primer. This will bite into the aluminum and give you a surface to prime. Next use a good quality high build primer, this will have extra solids in the mix to allow you to sand out any minor scratches. Deeper scratches can be filled with glazing putty. Once everything is to your liking, then top coat the part. I use 1958 Buick Red in a spray bomb from my auto paint store. Dead on match to Tahitian Red. For extra protection, a satin clear coat to build additional thickness over the top coat.

Last step - use a new gasket & shifter seal. Also, be sure to seal the expansion pipe joint as it tends to blow goo on both sides of the engine. You could also wrap it with header wrap and a couple band clamps (to hold the wrap on). Things stay cleaner that way.

Oh yeah, never ever ride it again! (kidding)

Roost the wheels off it. It's only paint and can always be redone next winter!