Norton Tank / Paint Quality

YUP . Good looking for sure in my book. And the tank is Alu I think ? Even if it were optional and could charge more , they would sell . I still say an optional large interstate tank in Aluminum on the price sheet. Love those JPS stripes,.

Hi , I know now what its missing ! It needs the JPS on the Airbox. In gold of course. Would that be a copyright issue ? Is John Player still in business ?
 
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Hi , I know now what its missing ! It needs the JPS on the Airbox. In gold of course. Would that be a copyright issue ? Is John Player still in business ?
John Player were consumed by the Imperial Tobacco group, they’re a big cheese, so may well kick up a fuss.
But actually, I think it’s more about the fact that cigarette advertising has been severely clamped down on in the U.K. and I’m quite sure that such branding would break several hundred laws here !!
 
Just to let everyone know....those are not decals, it is all painted on! Brent only used a NORTON decal as a stencil and the pin striping was all laid out by hand. Even more impressive...in my opinion.

Thank you so much for the kind words. Just for giggles, I took SgtUSAF80 's original bubbled 961 tank as he was kind enough to let me keep it, stripped off the paint, which peeled off in sheets like a sunburn and do it up in my own "semi-custom" look. I went with a bright candy blue. Following the original shape of the single 1'8" gold pinstripe, I instead used a twin gold 1/16" for a slightly more detailed look. I used the standard logo as a stencil and stenciled my stripes too as I do and added the "850" on there as well to complete the look. so it's all paint under 3 coats of urethane clear, then wetsanded and buffed.
Let me know what you think -
Brent
www.vintage-vendor.com


Norton Tank / Paint Quality

Norton Tank / Paint Quality

Norton Tank / Paint Quality
 
Thank you so much for the kind words. Just for giggles, I took SgtUSAF80 's original bubbled 961 tank as he was kind enough to let me keep it, stripped off the paint, which peeled off in sheets like a sunburn and do it up in my own "semi-custom" look. I went with a bright candy blue. Following the original shape of the single 1'8" gold pinstripe, I instead used a twin gold 1/16" for a slightly more detailed look. I used the standard logo as a stencil and stenciled my stripes too as I do and added the "850" on there as well to complete the look. so it's all paint under 3 coats of urethane clear, then wetsanded and buffed.
Let me know what you think -
Brent
www.vintage-vendor.com

Brent,

It's beautiful.

Be careful it's a real tease.
Suppose someone from the classic forum sees it with 850 painted on the side, and wants to buy it for their classic Commando.
 
That color just got me nostalgic for my "electric blue" Suzuki TS100. First bike. Spectacular, Brent.
 
Thank you so much for the kind words. Just for giggles, I took SgtUSAF80 's original bubbled 961 tank as he was kind enough to let me keep it, stripped off the paint, which peeled off in sheets like a sunburn and do it up in my own "semi-custom" look. I went with a bright candy blue. Following the original shape of the single 1'8" gold pinstripe, I instead used a twin gold 1/16" for a slightly more detailed look. I used the standard logo as a stencil and stenciled my stripes too as I do and added the "850" on there as well to complete the look. so it's all paint under 3 coats of urethane clear, then wetsanded and buffed.
Let me know what you think -
Brent
www.vintage-vendor.com
Fantastic Brent,
I would definitely have a 961 in that colour - great workmanship again.
 
Brent,

It's beautiful.

Be careful it's a real tease.
Suppose someone from the classic forum sees it with 850 painted on the side, and wants to buy it for their classic Commando.
Actually that's something I've been wondering, would it fit?
 
Brent,

It's beautiful.

Be careful it's a real tease.
Suppose someone from the classic forum sees it with 850 painted on the side, and wants to buy it for their classic Commando.
Well, I appreciate that. You're right, it is a tease, but not to sell, hopefully for future work. I wouldn't sell it, first because it was given to me and that just wouldn't be right and second because my guess is if it bubbled once, once it's fueled up, it will do it again before long. This way as a display only demo, it should be good to go and hopefully be a nice tool to show off my work at shows or potential customers.
Brent
 
Still trying to figure out how to post pictures as a non-VIP member with an iPad. Will break down and try a Microsoft product but that may not work either. Anyway my 2014 Sport fuel tank finish is bubbling up only along the gold pin stripe. Anybody seen that? Bought the bike a year ago with 259 miles on the clock from Jeff Nash in Dallas. Nash was a factory racer for Ducati. He was selling it for a friend. Great guy with a great collection of machines. Mostly ventage Ducatis. He did, however, have a pristine Manx behind his office desk that he was quite proud of. Bottom line between Nash and I this bike has never been rained on and kept in a climate controlled atmosphere. So the question begs, why is the tank finish bubbling.
 
Still trying to figure out how to post pictures as a non-VIP member with an iPad. Will break down and try a Microsoft product but that may not work either. Anyway my 2014 Sport fuel tank finish is bubbling up only along the gold pin stripe. Anybody seen that? Bought the bike a year ago with 259 miles on the clock from Jeff Nash in Dallas. Nash was a factory racer for Ducati. He was selling it for a friend. Great guy with a great collection of machines. Mostly ventage Ducatis. He did, however, have a pristine Manx behind his office desk that he was quite proud of. Bottom line between Nash and I this bike has never been rained on and kept in a climate controlled atmosphere. So the question begs, why is the tank finish bubbling.


See if you can send pics direct to my email, brent@vintage-vendor.com. I'm happy to take a look

Regards,
Brent
www.vintage-vendor.com
 
Still trying to figure out how to post pictures as a non-VIP member with an iPad. Will break down and try a Microsoft product but that may not work either.

Have you ever used a photo hosting site like PhotoBucket? Bad example i know, but if you use a photo hosting service, you can share the photos that you post to the site on this forum. Otherwise, you have to be a VIP member.

Anyway my 2014 Sport fuel tank finish is bubbling up only along the gold pin stripe. Anybody seen that? .... Bottom line between Nash and I this bike has never been rained on and kept in a climate controlled atmosphere. So the question begs, why is the tank finish bubbling.

I gotta think - poor surface prep below the strip, or perhaps no clear coat over the finish. If you spill fuel on painted surface that has no clear coat, and don't clear it off immediately, it can lift the paint finish.
 
Have you ever used a photo hosting site like PhotoBucket? Bad example i know, but if you use a photo hosting service, you can share the photos that you post to the site on this forum. Otherwise, you have to be a VIP member.



I gotta think - poor surface prep below the strip, or perhaps no clear coat over the finish. If you spill fuel on painted surface that has no clear coat, and don't clear it off immediately, it can lift the paint finish.
At this point it appears the clear coat is what is holding the stripe to the tank surface.
 
Update, the "N" on the left hand side of the tank is bubbling. First noticed about 30 days age. Plenty of gas through the tank during that period. Don't think it's one tank off crazy fuel doing this.
 
You can't be sure, but I would suspect improper surface prep in that area of the tank as the culprit.
If this type of problem were associated to the nylon/acetate material of the tank, a whole lot more 961 owners would be speaking up with tank paint issues.
I think the Factory paint folks do a great job overall, but it's likely that some small percentage of tanks will still have issues with their painted finishes.

The one time that I saw paint lift off a tank is when I accidentally got some drops of DOT 3 brake fluid on the surface.
I cleaned the fluid off almost immediately with contact cleaner, but a few weeks later I noticed paint bubbles in those areas.
 
Update, the "N" on the left hand side of the tank is bubbling. First noticed about 30 days age. Plenty of gas through the tank during that period. Don't think it's one tank off crazy fuel doing this.
Looks like air bubbles under the decals from the pic you sent me, poor application of the decals/stripes, now resulting in lack of adhesion. My guess.

Brent
www.vintage-vendor.com
 
Brent,

That would make sense.
Would you use a different primer for the nylon tank as opposed to a steel or aluminum tank?
 
Brent,

That would make sense.
Would you use a different primer for the nylon tank as opposed to a steel or aluminum tank?
I use a PPG Epoxy primer. It is a "direct to metal" product, but also has excellent adhesion properties to various substrates. It's what I used on the black 961 from this thread and also the original plastic tank that I painted blue if you scroll up for those pics. I don't anticipate issues on either tank. My feeling is when the decals were applied, there was some contamination, either on the tank itself or the decals. One of the reasons I use decals as stencils only, resulting in "paint on paint", don't like clearing over decals if it can be avoided.
Brent
www.vintage-vendor.com
 
I guess the decal can be a source of issues on paint overs.
Its adhesive backing can dry out and come loose after time under the clear coat.
A wet applied vinyl transfer needs the water squeegeed out from under it to get bumps out.
Also, vinyl sadly like other things, shrinks with age.
 
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