painting the gas tank

[KTMNewbie]

I am changing the color of my KTM from orange to gray. I have an MX/C so that milky tank will have to be changed. With the gray plastic, I want a black tank, but my tank is perfect right now so I just want to paint it and not buy a new one (plus I would leave a little strip milky so I know how much gas there is). Is there any special paint I should use so that the occasional gas splash won't affect it or will just regular spray paint work?

 

[JWW]

No spray paint.......... The fumes or something like that goes through the plastic causing the paint to bubble

 

[BigBore]

I wouldn't even bother. Good luck getting the paint to even stick to the tank, and if you did it would look trashed after one ride. And like Jeff said, the gas would make short work of the paint, too.

 

[canucklehead]

If you want the 'handyman' look, just cover the tank in duct tape. :) Hey, it's grey isn't it?

Painting won't work due to the gas actually permiating the plastic and causing the paint to bubble and fall off. Same reason that tank stickers don't usually stay put.

Dave

 

[KTMNewbie]

thanks

thanks guys, oh well, I guess that milky tank will just have to do.

 

[wayneg]

But then you can't see how much gas you've got left!!! After riding a KLX for some years with a impossible to see into petrol tank - it is a positive thing to have.

 

[Patman]

If you want to give it a shot try some automotive interior dye. Comes in a spray can and is said to work on all automotive interior surfaces (much of which are various kinds of plastic). I used it on the panels in my MG to make it from a nasty tan color to a black interior and it worked AWESOME. You MUST clean the surface with Prep-Solv, let it dry then use very light coats and don't let it build up! When you see that the material has absorbed all that it can hold your done, any more will just make runs.

 

[Zoomer]

I had the tanks on my 74 KX450 painted 4 years ago (they are also plastic)
If you want a "show" piece, its ok, if you want to actually ride the bike plan on the paint peeling off sooner or later. Dupont made a product that the local paint shop used (remember the Monte Carlo, El Camino SS's, had a plastic front end on them, same product). My tanks now are half peeled off from falling over in the trailer, to the occasional "race induced" :confused:
scratches. My 2c worth.

 

[rollingp]

KTMnewbie

What year is your ktm?
I have a brand new 98-99 black sx tank that I will sell you cheap.
If your bike is an 01-02 you can buy shrouds and fenders from KTM almost as
cheap as ufo and they even have the KTM logo on them.
You can get them in black,silver and a couple of other colors as well.
You can get ufo plastic in different colors also.
I paid $60.00 for black KTM shrouds from the dealer with the silk screened
logo(01-02). The tank I have is for the 2 stroke models. and will work on exc and mxc.

 

[KTMNewbie]

will you still sell

I have thought about it, and was wondering if you still are willing to sell your tank? If what you say is true, then it will fit a 01 if I buy the matching SX shrouds. How much can you let it go for?

 

[rollingp]

sold the tank