SOHC.co.uk Forums > CB500/550

Small paint bubbles - any cure

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Itineo:
I got the tank and side panels of my 550f resprayed about 12 years ago and they turned out very well. The orignal tank had been scuffed and rusted from a tank bag and (as the previous owner explained) an unhelpful landlady who wouldn't let him wash the salt off the bike after his weekly commute up the A3 in winter to London from the south coast. Most of the paint on the top had been abraded down to and beyond the primer.  Fast forward some years and in Ireland and I got a very nice spray job done on it with new decals etc - you can get an idea from the avatar pic. But in the last few years some very small blisters are starting to appear underneath the paint here and there. Luckily not anywhere I come in contact with the tank, and just a few for now - two or three patches about the size of a thumbprint.  I suppose the rust was going to manifest itself eventually. Nothing serious just yet but in time the bubbles will crack and flake if left alone. The inside of the tank is ok and was cleaned and resealed and there's no issue with that, no pinholes or leaks - it's purely surface rust that's now reappearing. I wonder has anyone had any success in treating something like this, or slowing down the progression?  It looks almost like it is gas bubbles and not flaking rust underneath. The bubbles are quite small - 1.5mm max wide and half that amount in height. The tank still looks very pretty for now but longterm I think it's a lost cause, and will need a paint job again in the future. But I'd be interested in your thoughts on it. I'll try to take some good pictures in daylight tomorrow.
I suppose the upside is a respray takes us into 2035 and beyond. I hope I'll still be riding then.

SPR:
It could be micro blistering where moisture gets under the paint .... very difficult to get rid of as it essentially means the paint has become porus.

You could test the theory by using a hairdryer to warm the area to see if the blistering reduces ... or leave it out in the sun on a hot day

Simon

McCabe-Thiele (Ted):
TBH if your paint job has lasted over 10 years that's pretty good for a repaint on a used item imho,  my experience in the car trade where repaints would often look poor after 5 years.

Itineo:

--- Quote from: SPR on January 31, 2023, 06:43:22 AM ---It could be micro blistering where moisture gets under the paint .... very difficult to get rid of as it essentially means the paint has become porus.

You could test the theory by using a hairdryer to warm the area to see if the blistering reduces ... or leave it out in the sun on a hot day

Simon

--- End quote ---
Thanks Simon,

I'll try that with the hairdryer - could be waiting forever for a hot day around these parts.  I took a few pics that I'll post up now

Itineo:
Photos as promised. I had to drop the resolution to make the attachments fit and it makes the paint finish look like crap but it's quite good apart from the bubbles. Excuse the state of the badge.

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