If you have a dirt bike and don’t like the color of its plastics or you want to make the bike more eye-catching, the first thing you can do is paint the plastics. But many riders wonder if you actually can paint dirt bike plastics, and if it’s easy to do.
You can paint dirt bike plastics. However, you must pay a lot of attention and be very careful as you won’t be able to change it back if you don’t like how the bike looks after painting. The cost of painting your dirt bike plastics depends on the paint you use.
Painting a dirt bike allows you to significantly change and improve its appearance. But there are things you need to keep in mind before you even start painting the bike as the plastics are very sensitive. Let’s take a look at how to paint your dirt bike plastics in more detail.
Table of Contents
5 Steps To Properly Paint The Plastics On Your Dirt Bike
1. Find The Materials
First things first, before you even start removing the plastics from your bike, you must get the right materials. Aside from the color of paint itself, you will also need water, oil remover, a sander, a rubbing compound, 400 grade sandpaper, plastic cleaner, and plastic primer.
2. Take Off The Plastics
One of the biggest and most common mistakes people make is painting the plastics while they are still on the bike. We highly recommend you remove the plastics from the bike before painting. If you paint the plastics without removing them, you can accidentally paint other parts, such as the engine, so you want to remove that risk altogether.
3. Cleaning And Sanding
This is a very important step of the process. After you remove the plastics from your dirt bike, clean them thoroughly. Once you are done cleaning them, sand the plastics down with sandpaper. This will help your new paint stick to the plastics of your dirt bike.
4. Priming
After you are done cleaning and sanding the plastics, it’s time to start priming them. But, before you start the process, make sure to mix the primer properly in a container. Now, you can put the primer in the paint gun and hook it up to the compressor.
Once you connect it to the compressor, start spraying the plastics of your dirt bike. Make sure to spray all the plastic parts thoroughly and wait for the primer to cure. After about 30 minutes, you can apply another coat of primer and wait for about 24 hours.
5. Painting
Before you paint the plastics of your dirt bike, make sure to get some cardboard or something similar and place all the plastics on it. This way you can easily paint the plastics without painting the floor too!
You should aim to do 2 to 3 coats of paint. Plus, make sure to paint the plastics evenly as you won’t be able to change them once you are done. Once you are done painting the plastics, give them at least 24 hours to dry. You should then have some nice painted plastics to stick back on your dirt bike.
Tips For Painting Your Dirt Bike Plastics
If you’ve never painted a dirt bike all by yourself and you are not sure whether you can do it alone or not, we recommend you hire a professional. Still, if you think you are ready to paint the plastics yourself, it is essential that you go through every step very carefully. But below are a few other tips to bear in mind when painting your dirt bike’s plastics.
Avoid Using Cheap Paint
One of the worst things you can do when it comes to painting a dirt bike is using cheap spray paint. Not only will it not look good, but it most likely won’t adhere to the plastics very well. This will only make the bike look worse!
Wash After Painting
After the paint has completely dried, you can wash the plastics. Washing the plastics will not only make the paint stick better, but it will also make your dirt bike look much cleaner and just better overall. But it is essential that you let the plastics dry first, otherwise you’ll end up ruining all your hard work!
Seek Help From A Professional
If you have some friends or know a professional who already has experience with painting a dirt bike, we recommend you ask for their help. This is especially important if you are a beginner and have never painted a dirt bike before.
Be Patient
Last but certainly not least, you also need to be patient. People who haven’t had any experience with painting often make the mistake of not waiting long enough for the primer or the paint to dry. Not only that, but people very often start applying the paint without sanding, washing or priming at all.
No matter what kind of paint you are using, if you haven’t washed, sanded and primed the plastics before painting, the paint won’t stick properly. Therefore, if you are not patient enough and if you try to speed up the process, you will be stuck with peeling plastic.
How Much Does Painting Dirt Bike Plastics Cost?
The amount of money you need to spend on painting your dirt bike plastics depends on a lot of factors. The first thing to consider is the type of paint. High-quality paints are always going to cost more than poor-quality ones. Plus, if you don’t already have primer or sandpaper, or any of the other materials noted above, these are obviously additional costs to consider.
If you don’t want to do it yourself and would rather hire a professional, then this is obviously going to come at a cost as well. The cost of professional painting will vary a lot depending on your location, the amount of painting you want them to do and the professional’s own rates. If you’re going this route, it’s best to try and find a reputable, local painter.
Final Thoughts
You can certainly paint your dirt bike on your own. Although it may not be the easiest job if you don’t have any experience, if you follow all the steps above you shouldn’t have any problems. Remember, priming, washing and sanding the plastics is just as important as painting!