Vintage Dirt Bike Q & A

How do I get my 1980 cr250 tank to look new again, its alittle faded, looks my orange than Red. should I paint it??

my boy works in a body shop an did the tank on his 87 cr125 with a buffer. i believe he sanded it with some fine paper then buffed it very carefully. it will melt the plastic if to much pressure is used or to much wheel speed. his tank looks really good with good color. i would'nt paint it the paint will stick good but it will get bubbles after time with gas in it. jd

Badsix is right on both counts. Paint and porous plastic gas tanks don't mix and the polypropolene
plastic is easy to screw up with power tools.

The tank is cast in color so removing "a little off the top" will get you back to original virgin color.
What works for me is to first thoroughly clean the tank with an abrasive cleaner (Soft Scrub) then
dry it and check for the deepest scratches. This will determine how aggresive you need to be with
the sanding phase. Use a sanding block and whatever grit you determined from the scratches.
Sand until the scratches are gone with the first grit. The rest of the procedure is removing the
scratch marks from the first sanding.

Next, do a series of sandings using progressively finer grits until you get to 2000. All the sanding
marks should be gone now and you can start the polishing.

For this I would use a variable speed drill or a DA with a 4" flexible hook and loop pad. Numerous
manufacturers sell plastic polishes, so pick up several bottles ranging from "cutting" to final finish
and 4" pads to apply and remove the polish. Use the slow speed to apply and remove the "cutting"
polish and higher speeds for the glaze and final polish keeping the pad moving at all time. Don't
press down on the pad to prevent burning as well.

When done, your tank will look brand new in color and finish.

dogger

_________________
1973 CR250M
1979 CR250R
1993 CR250R
2008 CR500R
2009 CR250R

Could that method be used on faded plastic fenders? Thanks

Yes you can use this method for fenders. In fact it works best on the thicker, heavier plastic
used on vintage bikes. In an effort to save weight, some of the plastic used by Honda in the
last 15 years has been so thin, it's almost transluscent. This technique wouldn't work in that
case because of possible burn through.

If you want to try it, I recommend you first practice on an old fender or side cover. Once you
have a feel for it (how much pressure to use when power polishing, etc), you can tackle your
good parts.

There is a kit called Plastic Renew that contains the sandpapers and polish. It does a rudimentary
job on most plastic. It would be a good place to start before striving for perfection with a more
comprehensive array of chemicals and equipment.

dogger

_________________
1973 CR250M
1979 CR250R
1993 CR250R
2008 CR500R
2009 CR250R

Thanks dogger. I have an extra set to start out on. I had not ridden a bike since 1980 when I got rid of my 76CR125. In the last few months I have picked up a 75mr175, a 77mr175 and a75mt250. Your posts have been a great help.

Looks like you have enough to keep you busy for some time. Welcome back to dirt
bikes and welcome to vintage bike riding/restoration.

dogger

_________________
1973 CR250M
1979 CR250R
1993 CR250R
2008 CR500R
2009 CR250R