New Harley - New Paint

[TopKat111]

Have a 2010 HD FXDC. Black. First thing i did was hand wash all painted surfaces with nxt car wash. I probably should have but didnt clay it. Next i used gold class liquid to finnish. Awesome! Now i'm using ultimate quick wax for clean up after each ride. I'm considering switching from gold class to either deep crystal system carnauba or hitech yellow #26. My question is: Can i apply either one, say the next day, over the ultimate quick wax or do i have to strip off every thing and start over?

Thanks,
TK

[Murr1525]

Re: New Harley - New Paint

Ultimate Quick Wax is not for removing dust, you want Ultimate Quick Detailer for that. UQW has no lubricating properties to safely remove the dust.

As to waxing after , yes you could, and save your full detail for a bit later.

[TopKat111]

Re: New Harley - New Paint

Sorry bout that, I meant to type. Ultimate Quick Detailer. Sounds like I'm on the right track. Thanks.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: New Harley - New Paint

You have a good plan of attack.

Enjoy your new Harley.

[TLMitchell]

Re: New Harley - New Paint

Have a 2010 HD FXDC. Black. First thing i did was hand wash all painted surfaces with nxt car wash. I probably should have but didnt clay it. Next i used gold class liquid to finnish. Awesome! Now i'm using ultimate quick wax for clean up after each ride. I'm considering switching from gold class to either deep crystal system carnauba or hitech yellow #26. My question is: Can i apply either one, say the next day, over the ultimate quick wax or do i have to strip off every thing and start over?

Thanks,
TK

A word of caution, I'm on my 3rd Vivid Black Harley in the last 10 years. It's the softest, most miserable-to-finish paint I've ever corrected and attempted to keep swirl free. Using the softest, plushest microfiber, UQD, ONR, FK125 or any other QD I've tried will result in swirls. An ONR wash, blow dry and light wipe with UQD and my softwest WW leaves marks. Try to saturate and wipe off a bug or two and you're asking for trouble. I've concluded you can leave swirls if you walk by it too fast.... The paint on the fiberglass isn't as bad, the tin is a pain! And you've got ALL tin!

If you're going to try and wipe off road grime and dust with a QD after each ride you better get used to swirls or plan on polishing regularly. IMO, a better regimen is to let it get dirty and do a wet wash with a high lubricity soap when needed. The less you touch the paint the better.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Ride safe... TL

[TopKat111]

Re: New Harley - New Paint

Well, not sure I should say thanks for the bad news but.......
My buddy has an 09 Ultra with red flake and he not as careful as I am about wipping dust off. His fairing is especially not holding out well. I like black bikes too. My first Harley was a '75 FXE, another was a '97 1200S, then '02 FXDWG and now the '10. Looking back now the paint seems to have gotten a bit softer & thinner each time. Bummer. I have to say I've gotten a lot more insight into paint care here and thank God there aint as much tin to cover. LOL! Any more input out there? Bring it on.

[TLMitchell]

Re: New Harley - New Paint

Well, not sure I should say thanks for the bad news but.......

Any more input out there? Bring it on.

I've been trying a series of test spots on my tank trying different products. Best results I've gotten is with M105 with an orange LC pad, about as close to LSP ready as you can get without actually using a finishing polish. I'm still having a tough time getting 205, 85RD or Ultrafina to finish mar-free. Oddly enough, a finishing polish comes out better on this paint with a harder polishing pad than it does with finishing pads. Go figure!

Another little discovery, no sun in NE Ohio today, I had to use halogens and a Brinkmann Xenon to look things over. When trying a finishing polish by hand using new, clean Meg's foam pads the resultant marks are in the same direction I rub. Taking out some and putting some back in. Sheesh. Unbelieveable.

I'm starting to think a can of rattle can black bedliner might be a viable solution.

TL

[Murr1525]

Re: New Harley - New Paint

May need to work with a cleaner/wax if the paint is that soft. Maybe ColorX or D151.

[Shawn T.]

Re: New Harley - New Paint

Don't forget about M66.

[TopKat111]

Re: New Harley - New Paint

Thanks guys for all your suggestions. Now all I have to do is figure out all the part numbers/abbreviations stand for.

[Murr1525]

Re: New Harley - New Paint

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1293

[TLMitchell]

Re: New Harley - New Paint

SUCCESS!

It looks like I've finally stumbled on the right combination of products and techniques to correct the dreaded super-soft Harley Vivid Black clearcoat. In addition to gleaning pointers for working with soft clear on every detailing Forum under the sun I'd been spending some time on a few Harley-related Forums. Most of these guys don't have a clue how to even wash anything properly but I ran across one guy that I see on detailing Forums as well. He offered the usual hints and tips that we all know and use, however, he pointed me to a product I'd never heard of called Glare Pro Polish. Says he doesn't use it on everything but it has a special place in his detailing cabinet for problem finishes. He said the product description sounds like snake oil but he was skeptical when he tried it and was amazed how well it works.

http://www.glare.com/ecart/proddetail.asp?prod=37411%2Dglr%2D001%3A%3A01&cat=41

I've been doing some test spots by hand with Glare and having mixed results. The stuff works as a diminishing abrasive compound on moderate swirls but I was putting some marring back in with the pad. I was using new, lightly QD misted Meg's yellow foam applicators. And under the Brinkmann I could see I was leaving marring in the direction I was rubbing. Then I was seeing more slight marring when I wiped with my softest, plushest microfiber. Man, if you can't wipe it down with microfiber without leaving marks what are ya gonna do?!?

I sat around and thought about this whole situation for a while. I eventually went all the way back to square one.

I had some unopened microfiber applicators I picked up at Autozone. I usually only use MF applicators to spread 845IW and some sealants, I usually favor the light blue ones seen various places because not only are they soft, they seem to get softer the more you wash them. These Autozone jobs were a 4-pack, 2 orange and 2 gray. What I hadn't realized when I bought 'em was that the orange ones were fully brushed producing a flannel-like surface. Think I'll give these a try.

I lightly misted the pad just enough no dry spots would ever touch paint. Then I attempted a Kevin Brown hand-job... I primed the whole surface of the pad and wiped off the excess and hit the tank with Ultimate Compound. I was going to start with M105 but that'd be overkill. I use UC by hand to remove ring and fingernail marks around door handles and like the way it finishes by hand. I rubbed my keister off with heavy pressure and when I was ready to wipe it off I was thinking to myself, "Self (that's what I call 'me' when I talk to myself)... what difference is the UC going to make if the nicest MF you have leaves marring"? Then I thought about something softer... I got a couple of Cobra waffle weave microfiber towels for Christmas. Good thing because *I* sure wouldn't pay what they want for these things! I lightly misted the tank with QD for lubrication and the waffle weave removed the polish residue without leaving a mark! Hurray! Progress!!! However, under the Brinkmann, which is almost as tough a critic as direct sun, the gloss was a bit lacking and somewhat hazy. So I broke out the M205 and primed a fresh flannel-like MF pad and rubbed the bejeezus out of it again. Once again, even better results.

I'd recently read an article on AGO by Mike Phillips where he was talking about polishing vintage cars and how different it is working with old, delicate paint. Instead of using abrasives he used multiple applications of good old Meg's #7 to restore the finish of a '73 Lincoln using the pure polish to bring it to it's potential without the risk of damage. I figured if it's excellent for delicate paint lets give it a go with the softest finish I've ever seen. I flipped over one of the super-soft, flannel-like MF applicators and hit the tank with #7 and once again wiped off the residue with the waffle weave. And I was rewarded with an even deeper, richer, marr-free finish. Eureka! I've found the magic formula!

I then used the last clean side of one of the super-soft applicators to give the tank the Glare treatment. Used as directed it imparted a great shine with no marring. The finish turned out so good I could now see defects in the finish that were part of the paint as it came from the factory. D'OH! :::shrug::: What are ya gonna do?

OK, now I know how to get this soft clearcoat perfect. From now on nothing but WW microfiber on the tank and we'll see what wiping light dust off with a QD does tomorrow. Yeah, I'm still gonna be seeing recurring marks, it's unavoidable whenever I rub my leg on the tank or splat a bug. But at least now I can correct it. Maybe I ought to quit while I'm ahead and just throw a cover over it so it'll stay perfect. Naw... I think I'll ride the wheels off it instead and clean it up when the wheels aren't turning.

It'll be interesting to see if Glare imparts any swirl resistant characteristics. We'll see what we'll see... Then it's off to Autozone to buy a truckload of those super-soft applicators. We all know that when you find something you really like it'll be discontinued or join the ranks of unobtainium!

TL

[TopKat111]

Re: New Harley - New Paint

Thanks Mur. You made my life a lot easyer.

[TopKat111]

Re: New Harley - New Paint

Thanks TL for all your research. You are one determined dude. I may try some of that Glare Pro in the near future. My next step, because the paint is still in pretty good shape with few light, barely noticeable scratches is hit it with UD (I prefer to wipe it on with a soaked 100% cotton freshly washed towel) and then the next day try #26 and keep my fingers crossed. I havent tried #26 in many years. It used to work very well.
I will look for the MFWW & MF applicators. More will be revealed.

[TLMitchell]

Re: New Harley - New Paint

Thanks TL for all your research. You are one determined dude. I may try some of that Glare Pro in the near future. My next step, because the paint is still in pretty good shape with few light, barely noticeable scratches is hit it with UD (I prefer to wipe it on with a soaked 100% cotton freshly washed towel) and then the next day try #26 and keep my fingers crossed. I havent tried #26 in many years. It used to work very well.
I will look for the MFWW & MF applicators. More will be revealed.

Autozone is the only place I've ever seen those brushed MF applicators. As for the Glare, the promo sure sounds like snake oil. We'll see. One thing it does no polish, wax or sealant has ever done is stay on the pipes. Everything burns right off. I gave the headers and mufflers a shot of this stuff and it rivals any chrome or metal polish I've ever used. When I washed the bike after a couple of hundred miles the protection still appered to be on the pipes! Never saw anything like that before!

FWIW, the same product is available under a Honda label and other auto manufacturers, or so I hear. The Honda labeled stuff on eBay is about half the price of the Glare Web site. Those that have used both say it's the exact same stuff.

TL