As you use your dirt bike more often, the plastics will turn old and unattractive as these parts are subjected to accumulated dirt and fading. However, replacing the plastics entirely can be expensive.
If you want to revive dirt bike as if you just bought it today, look no further around you. All you need is a couple of household items and an idea on how to restore dirt bike plastics. This article will serve as your guide.
Table of Contents
Steps to Restore Dirt Bike Plastics
Step 1: What to prepare
The materials needed to make your dirt bike plastics look new are fairly accessible, which are as follows:
- Warm water
- Dish soap
- Sponge or cloth
- Knife, blade, or scraper
- Stain remover (e.g. vinegar, baking soda)
- Buffer pad
- Sandpaper
- Optional: heat gun, plastic polisher
Step 2: Wash and clean the dirt bike plastics
First, wash off your old dirt bike plastics in a warm water bath with dish soap and use a sponge to rinse off the sticking dirt, mud, and grease.
If tough stains are still present after rinsing, apply vinegar or baking soda. Scrub in a circular move until they wear off. You may also opt for applying both to double the cleaning power.
Step 3: Remove the rust and scratches
The presence of rust indicates oxidized plastic. To remove such as you refurbish, you may either use a blade or sandpaper to scrape them off.
When using a blade, do the scraping on larger portions slowly and consistenly. This is more viable on large and deep oxidation marks. On the other hand, coarse sandpaper works well on the corners.
When using the sandpaper, moisten it with water. Wet sanding prevents the plastic from getting hot or melting with repetitive rubbing. Start with a lower grit to eliminate the deeper scratches first.
Dry the plastics in between to check for scratches on the surface as you restore faded motorcycle plastics.
Proceed with wet sanding with a higher grit for polishing dirt bike plastics.
Note:
- Do sanding in long strokes to ensure the evenness of the surface of the old dirt bike plastics being polished.
- Do more than just focus sanding on a single area.
- It is also advisable to rinse the plastic in between sanding with a new grit to remove excess particles.
Step 4: Polish the plastic
To renew plastic and take back its shining glory, polishing is the key.
1. Using a heat gun
One option is to use a heat gun, where the plastic is melted slightly to give a shining effect on the surface. Do not let it stay in one spot for too long since it eventually burns the plastic.
2. Using the hair dryer
Another way of applying some shine is by using a hair dryer. This method can do a shining effect, and your dirt bike plastic is less prone to burning.
3. Using a buffer machine
Use a buffer machine or attach a wool buffer pad to the hand drill to further give the polishing effect. Keep moving across the fender to avoid burning the dirt bike plastic.
A good tip is that you can achieve an extra shine by applying a plastic polisher on the buffer pad. This method also prolongs the shine of your fenders, requiring less frequency for plastic restoration activities.
Conclusion
Dirt bike plastic restoration might be a daunting task for many, but it isn’t an impossible thing to do. There is a sense of fulfillment when you get to be a motorcycle plastic restorer.
Now that you are equipped with the idea on how to restore dirt bike plastics, you may now start working on your next project. You do not only save a couple of bucks, you also have learned a skill pretty useful for motocross enthusiasts.
