Motorcycles can be both one of the easiest and most difficult vehicles to get body repair work done on. If you simply don't have the time or resources, bring your bike into the dealership, because DIY motorcycle body repair work takes a good amount of time and patience. However, if you think you can replace your damaged paint job, here is a do it yourself guide on how to make this job a bit easier:

Clean Up Work

The first step you will need to complete, on any body work damage, is to clean the damaged area very well. Acetone and a wet wash cloth work best for this type of clean up. Next, take a piece of sandpaper to the damaged piece of your bodywork until the area is completely smoothed out.

Paint Job

You will need to go to your local bike dealership to determine what paint type will work best on your motorcycle. Once you have chosen your paint color, carefully apply the paint to the damaged area. There will be some overlap of new and old color, but work slowly to diminish the overlap. Finally, let the paint dry for at least 24 hours before moving on to the next step.

Sandpaper 

After 24 hours, you will need to take your sandpaper and go over the area once more, to get rid of any globs of paint that standout from the bike. Clean the area once every few minutes to ensure you are not rubbing the paint job too hard and taking away the work you just did. 

Re-Paint

After you have gotten rid of any excess paint, you will find that you have low spots on your paint job, or areas that are not completely covered in the new paint. You will need to continue the above two steps two or three times until you find your paint job is looking up to par.

Clear Coat

The reason your motorcycle's body is shiny is because there is always a clear coat of paint on top of your colored paint. You will need to purchase any standard, clear coat from your local dealer, then apply this on top of your paint job, after you have waited 24 hours to ensure the paint will not smear. If you are looking for the quickest option, many clear coats come in the form of a spray paint, which also enables the new paint job to blend more smoothly with the old.

To learn more, contact a company like Thunderbird Harley-Davidson with any questions or concerns you have.