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Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: HVMoto on April 20, 2022, 07:53:28 AM
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Hi all, I've read a few older posts on restoring the plastics on older model zeros. Seems the consensus was to buy new plastics or sand/paint the old ones. My two 2013 auction DS bikes had sticker and spray paint residue (plus dirt, grime, oil, scratches, etc.) on the commuter screens and plastics. Before I ordered new plastics (or sanded and painted) I figured I'd try some auto related cleaners/polishers I had in the garage to see if they'd damage the plastics more or have any benefit.
I attached a before and after photo of a section of black plastic I experimented on. Used a popular auto color restorer and buffed by hand, then wiped with a lint free cloth. Someone took a Dremel to my plastics to get the stickers off so there's likely no fixing that. I'll be testing some more aggressive cleaners/scratch removers and will update.
The commuter screens were pretty bad too. Both had sun damage and with stickers removed one could clearly see outlines that read POLICE. I broke one screen early on so I used the broken sections to test some fairly aggressive cleaners (like industrial strength goof off). I soaked the whole thing in warm water with dish soap and removed whatever residue I could. After drying and checking that the cleaners I tested didn't damage the screen, I used sticker remover solvent on the heavy stuff and a plastics polish/wax on the light stuff. I did 3 rounds of plastics cleaner/wax on the front and back of the screen. Took about 40 minutes.
It may not show well in the photos but even after I thoroughly cleaned the screen there were visible rings of scratches (there's a detailing term for this that escapes me). But after buffing/polishing a few times it looks near new.
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Here's the screen back on a 2013 DS.
I'm not sure if the silicone band around the screen originally used adhesive, it become loose after the warm water wash but appears to fit fairly snug on the edges.
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Wow, looks amazing! Can you share the products that gave these results, without triggering a commercial break-type of warning?
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Not anything I especially went out and bought, except for a plastics polisher I used on the windshield, since what I had in the garage wasn't working as desired.
For getting the color and shine back on the plastics Meguiar's Ultimate Compound worked great, but it was the only product of its kind I had available. Hand applied with soft cloth. Goof off worked on the clear plastics to get the sticker residue off but I removed it quickly. It appeared to dull the black plastics, as did CLR. For the windshield I used Sumner Laboratories 210 Plastic Cleaner/Polish. At first it didn't appear to work well but effect was noticable after a few applications.
We'll see how everything holds up.
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Great, thanks for the info! I'll go see what I can source to polish the old DSR!
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Great polishing job! I'm impressed you still have the rubber thing on your windshield. I have the touring screen and lost the rubber thing almost immediately.
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I am surprised that you were able to get the old plastic looking good. I bought a used 2017 FXS that had been stored outdoors most of its life (covered at times but not always). The plastic was just faded chalky gray. It looked terrible. Plastic restorer didn't help. I ended up sanding and painting the all the plastic (except the fork leg guards and rear hugger) bright white with a clear coat. With new ZERO and FXS logos on the tank I get all kinds of people looking at the bike and asking questions. Zero should be comping me for advertising. ;)
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Another option is to buy plastics from AF1racing - it is not so expensive and unless you do the polishing/sandng job yourself, much cheaper than other commercial alternatives.
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OK, I tried a few different cleaners and have some more results. It was a bit overcast today so I decided to take the seat off one of my bikes and do photos start to finish. One pic is the original 2013 back seat upper plastic, washed and clean. You can see a bit of shine where the seat protected the plastics from the sun. Other than that it's dull, pitted, and mildly scratched.
The other photo shows same plastic after hand buffing with auto restoration compound, car polish, light car wax, and wiped with microfiber towel.
After testing a few different combos, a standard automotive restore/polish/wax approach works best. Took less than 30 minutes and required very little product. I did purchase another plastics scratch remover (not used in these photos) and I'll show results of that work later.