Paint on the Vulcan Vaquero

[garvulcan1700]

I have a Candy Red VV I had a small scuff on one of my bags and took some light cut polishing compound to rub it out by hand. Which worked great.
I looked at the cloth before putting it away and noticed it had a pink cast to it. Looks like there is no "clear" Clear Coat protecting this paint, It seems the top coat is a tinted clear coat with the red !?!
I dont like this at all. It should have better protection than that.
I may just take everything off and put a nice clear coat over all the paint. Till then I'm going to keep it waxed up as often as I can to give as much protection as I can.
~So if you are having issues with scuffs and plan on buffing them out I would say you better be careful with this paint because a machine would burn through in a heartbeat.
Do everything by hand and do not use a heavy cut polish.

[Old Bear]

The paint is paper thin, or even thinner, as well! I stupid butt allowed a saddlebag to fall about a foot to my garage floor. Typical polished floor, expected a couple of scratches that I would have to buff out. Instead it looks like I had taken it outside and flung it down the driveway! There are several scratches that are completely through the paint. I hope next year to get that bag repainted, then everything get a good clear coat applied.

[bouson]

The paint on all Kawasaki products is a one coat process and has no clear coat. The paint is done in a dip process and is actually several mil specs thick and can be buffed with no problem.

The cracks in your saddlebag paint may mean stress cracks in the bag itself. It could also be because the ABS bag material flexed liked the ABS bumper on a car. The paint being more rigid didn't flex and cracked just as it would on the car bumper in a low speed bump into something. It protects the high price part, but not the paint.

[sacarriker]

The paint is a candy. The clear coat will have this color in it. Found this out when my wife crashed her fender. On the candy paint jobs the clear actually has color in it.

[Monkeyman]

The paint being more rigid didn't flex and cracked just as it would on the car bumper in a low speed bump into something. It protects the high price part, but not the paint.

If that's the case, shame on Kawasaki. Not even as good as '80s technology. I've had 4 Pontiac Fieros (2 '85s and 2 '86s...all the body panels are SMC) and ran something into each one of them. The part has always flexed (it's meant to) but the paint never cracked. You can push in any part of the Fiero by an inch or better and never worry about the paint cracking.

[dmyers]

I'm not saying this is what is on the kawasaki's but
most aftermarket candy's and some pearls are Tri-coat (Base color, tinted or pearl mid coat and clear top coat)

Most Automotive manufactures use a completly different painting proses than aftermarket. some use a one step proses

[landman]

i have a candy red ford car that needed some minor paint repair and the clear coat definately had a color tint in it.

[BC RED VAQ]

I think kawasaki uses the cheepest products they can use to keep cost down and then refusr to back up their product. The fit and finish on other bike makers are a far improvment to kawasakis. Quality on other motorcycles I have looked at and owend are much better But I guess finding a dealer that stands behind their product is what were all looking for. I have found 5 problems with my vaquero from motor to paint I'v only been lucky to get them to fix the mechical ones. I will have to live with the rest wish I was a better pianter and machanic. other than that I love the vaquero great bikr to ride and proble better when the intake leak and steering head barrings are fixed will find out this week when I get it back from the shop. And by the way Wehrle Bros dealer ship in Vandalia IL are great place to work with kudos to them.

[landman]

I think kawasaki uses the cheepest products they can use to keep cost down and then refusr to back up their product. The fit and finish on other bike makers are a far improvment to kawasakis. Quality on other motorcycles I have looked at and owend are much better But I guess finding a dealer that stands behind their product is what were all looking for. I have found 5 problems with my vaquero from motor to paint I'v only been lucky to get them to fix the mechical ones. I will have to live with the rest wish I was a better pianter and machanic. other than that I love the vaquero great bikr to ride and proble better when the intake leak and steering head barrings are fixed will find out this week when I get it back from the shop. And by the way Wehrle Bros dealer ship in Vandalia IL are great place to work with kudos to them.

kawasaki has allways built there bikes to a certain price point to attract value
concious buyers like myself.they build reliable bikes that most people can
afford.i have purchased a 2003 1600 classic,a 2008 1600 nomad and a 2011
1700 vaquero.all of them have been enjoyable to own and offered good value
for thier cost.i go into each purchase well aware that paint and chrome will
not match what you find on a harley but i am not willing to pay the high
tariff harley charges for a better paint job and better selection of accessories.

[Jared]

Wow....If Kawi didn't put a clear coat over the candy, that is just one more reason for me to just repaint every Kawi that I own. As Dmyers said, most quality candy paint jobs would have a clear over them.
PRIMER
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gYQC0wqNF8o/Szlsl2v3AxI/AAAAAAAAAxg/ne04Q2qKGnM/s400/104_3808.JPG
2 coats BASE
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_gYQC0wqNF8o/SzrQEOaeLVI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/k4b_r8GBGLE/s400/104_3813.JPG
4 coats CANDY
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gYQC0wqNF8o/SzrQXp59t3I/AAAAAAAAAyg/4Xw7IQyp6g0/s400/104_3815.JPG
3 coats CLEAR
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gYQC0wqNF8o/SzrQX0XqU2I/AAAAAAAAAyo/fAl6F2LH0mY/s400/104_3817.JPG

[Jared]

The paint on all Kawasaki products is a one coat process and has no clear coat. The paint is done in a dip process and is actually several mil specs thick and can be buffed with no problem.


I think you've been misinformed. Some of the Vulcans have a single stage (the solid blacks perhaps), but definitely not all.

[garvulcan1700]

This thread was intended as a warning.
It appears to me, as I stated at the beginning of the thread. There is a Metallic flake coat and then a candy red clear. There is no, "clear coat" over the red candy clear and I would also believe the same for candy blue or green . I wouldn't be as concerned is they took the extra step with another coat of clear, then you have a lot more to work with when buffing and if you did start to see color on your wheel or rag you will know its time to stop.
Yes, u can buff the tinted clear coat but you must use caution and care. Do not go overboard. I wouldn't use a buffer machine or heavy cut polishing compounds if your trying to buff out a heavy scuff or scratch there is a good chance you could burn through in no time if u don't know what your doing. This would give u lighter spots in the red or the other candy colors. Worst case take it right down to the metallic or primer if your really not careful. A solid color like the black Vaquero would be a lot safer.

[bouson]

I think you've been misinformed. Some of the Vulcans have a single stage (the solid blacks perhaps), but definitely not all.
One of my jobs in the US Navy was as a painter and I also worked at Boeing, Cessna and E-Systems as a painter when I was younger. So when I decided to paint some parts two years ago, I looked the color for my bike. The ColorRite company (http://colorrite.com/) that makes the paint for Kawasaki had mine (Diablo Black) listed as a single coat process. The flake and the candy and the clear were all included in one can.
As for the paint bending on the old Fieros that had a special paint additive. If you don't add the correct additive to rubberize the paint, it is rigid like the paint on an old house.
You can do a paint job in as many coats as you want. The more candy coats the deeper the reflective color. The more clear the more scratch resistant and easier to buff out.
The paint Kawasaki uses is a simple one or two coat process depending on the color, that uses chemical reaction to achieve the look they want. The real problem with the paint jobs the paint rigidity and the poor preparation of the surface. Which causes the paint not to adhere to the surface being painted and allows the paint to flake off, when interacting with vehicle vibration and flexing of painted surfaces.

[garvulcan1700]

Wow....If Kawi didn't put a clear coat over the candy, that is just one more reason for me to just repaint every Kawi that I own. As Dmyers said, most quality candy paint jobs would have a clear over them.


Yep, I'm a painter myself and thats the right way to do it.

Gar

[jhawkins]

I have had a light pink on my rag when waxing my bike. The last time I waxed my bike I noticed a chip in the paint. This is not what got me mad though. The chip was right there on the finder. I put it in a bag and took it to the dealer. They went to bat for me and Kawasaki did nothing. The painter here in town that paints all the EBR bikes and does some custom paint jobs for Harley said it is from a paint bubble. Now I am mad. He did say that the paint is a 3 step paint job. I live out side Milwaukee Wi so I see a lot of Harley's with custom paint on them. I think I might be getting a little paint work at some point.

[dmyers]

I had to repaint a front fender for a 2011 voyager last year for the local dealership. If I recall correctly there was a very thin layer of clear before i got into the blue. (it was blue and silver). The kid they had uncrating the bikes dropped the fender and scratched the hell out of it. so the owner ordered a new one and the kid dropped it to.:ohno::lmao:
The owner couldn't afford to keep him around anymore after that. :lol: