So after 2.5 months the project continues.................
The reason for the hiatus was that I needed to erect my paint booth and there was 230 kgs of dormant ZX9R in the way with siezed front calipers and a flat tyre that I could not get an air line on. After a struggle I got it shifted outside the garage but could not leave the poor thing out in the then very wet weather. The Monster needed its tank sealed before it could be painted and that was along and arduous process, JB water weld along the seams and Caswell's ethanol proof inside the tank.
I tried about 5 times before I got rid of the leaks and worse the witness stains on the sides and shoulder of the tank showing where petrol vapour was escaping through the outer skin.
Not very interesting to read about and nothing worth photographing.
Aside from de-rusting the inside of the tank the ZX9R should be ready for an MOT next week.
Back to the Monster, I have started the painting. I bought the paint a long time ago from RS motorbike paints. It consists of :
2 pack etch primer
water based base coat
water based colour coat (red - because it will make the bike faster)
2 pack lacquer.
I was very sceptical when I got the parcel, mixing 2 pack and water based paints did not "feel" right. However this is the best paint I have ever used; the etch primer (2 pack) went on so flat and covered a lot of very slight imperfections, the sort you can just see but are not worth breaking out the filler for. This was flatted down with 800 W&D
The grey base coat was also brilliant, going on smoothly and drying to a beautiful flat mat finish.
Tomorrow the red, also water based, probably 5 light coats, hope it works as well as the preparatory coats.
you are my world poem