Show me your custom painted tank!

actually, i LOVE it
really fantastic

of course..... i've always been a VW fan

Here's one for sale on flea bay, (no affiliation to seller):

Thats pretty nice. Personally I like that black and silver one best.

You asked: "What should I sand her down with (remember, its plastic) and what sort of paint should I use?"

Here is what I used:

View attachment 115673

I took it down to bare plastic using those 3M "Paint Remover" discs that I picked up at the local Wall Mart. They are just flexible enough to follow the curves, and agressive enough to get it done. Similar ones I saw at Home Depot and Lowes were just too stiff.

I got advice from several sources (including here), and tried various methods. These discs worked. Chemicals that aren't so strong they attack the plastic just don't work. Hand sanding would have taken months and more arm than I have. Here is what I learned doing it:
1. Use a drill motor with a power cord. This work will drain a battery drill in ten minutes. The job takes ten hours, not ten minutes.
2. Use the mask and eye protection. The stuff coming off is fine dust and just mean in the lungs.
3. The tank plastic is harder and tougher than the paint. That's why this works.
4. Keep the disc moving around. Staying too long in one spot builds up heat that softens the plastic enough to start removing it. I did this a bit on my left roundel before I realized the problem.
5. The plastic used on the beak and fender is not nearly as hard as the tank. This method won't work there.

Once I was done, I cleaned it all with acetone. Then I sprayed it with an "adhesion promoter" that I picked up from an auto paint shop. On top of that I put a flexible primer, then several coats of high-build primer, wet-sanding with 400, then 600 between coats.

I thought it important to understand why the paint bubbled, because at least one other inmate here said his just bubbled again not long after repainting it. No point in doing all this work just to see it bubble again. Two thoughts on this: (1) they didn't get all the mold-release off when first manufactured, or (2) it's caused by fuel getting through the plastic. I decided it is critical to really seal the inside of the tank. I used a 2-part epoxy tank sealer that I found here. I did all the procedures you see on that link (including the screws!). The stuff appears to have bonded well and hardened into a layer about 5 - 7 mm (1/4 inch) thick. Looks like good stuff.

For the final paint I was originally thinking rattle-can, since I think a GS is for riding, not for show. But apparently just about anything you can get in a rattle can is dissolved by fuel - not good for a fuel tank. So finally I picked up a quart of automotive urethane and worked out a deal with a paint shop to finish my prep, spray the paint, and clear-coat it. I expect to get it back later this week.

While I have the tank out I am doing three other changes:
1. Re-routing the fuel lines so the fuel filter is outside the tank where I can get at it to change it once in awhile.
2. Installing a siphon so I can use the fuel from both sides of the tank. Hard to believe but the genius designers of this machine have a fuel tank that drapes over both sides, but a pump that only draws fuel from one side.
3. Drilling a hole in the filler neck. This will stop fuel from spashing back out during fillup. And if I want to I can fill it all the way to the top. I just have to remember that the cold underground fuel will soon expand out the overflow tube if I don't immediately get on the bike and ride.
I expect these changes to increase my range by at least 500 miles.

Thanks all for this thread. Full of good paint ideas. I am interested as well in any comments about my methods. Time will tell if these were good decisions. There surely is more experience here to add to this.

Here ya go.. new paint (white, red and blue) - i had Chris Pfeiffer (BMW stunt rider http://chrispfeiffer.com ) sign my tank .... when im done with the bike ill have flug decide if its sucks or not..

if you are lloking for the inspiration behind the images on the tank - go to the late Keith Haring's website.
http://www.haring.com/
You can purchase memorabilia or better still drop by the cool Pop Shop in lower Manhattan.

here's a tank in Australia, the GS tank is steel, and is fully covered with murals.

wow...
i am VERY appreciative for that link
what an amazing guy
i'm glad i know more about those images

i'll be in NYC soon....
i'm going to stop by



thanks for the advice and info

while you were posting this reply i was having a look at the Haring website, his Palladium painting was so good I've lifted it off the web and may do a similar job on my motorcycle. Haring also did a Z1 BMW car I think in 1990.
see below a second side to Andreas' m/c, these pics were taken at the 30th Border Run 2006.

Does this count?

I bet you'd get better range out of one of those OEM "teacup" sized tanks.

Nice paint job though.

Dirty

Is the black and silver a Eurpoean stock color combo or is it a custom paint job? Anyone, anyone, anyone?

AFAIK its a custom paint.Heres a list of the colors that were available.

http://www.micapeak.com/bmw/gs/gs_color.htm#gs1150

Write to Cal-Trans for an equipment number decal to go with it.

Back to Kongo's reply. Cause of problem is important if you don't want to repeat the whole thing. May well be the ethanol in the fuel and coating the tank insides is a good idea according to some. The other solution is said to be a treatment of the inside with a fluorine product prior to putting any gas in the tank (to be done at factory in the future?). I have a Ducati in addition to a 1100GS (metal tank) and some of the local riders are having problems with this type of bubbling. The local dealer has replaced several tanks on the late models Ducs. Good Luck.

I did not see this one listed on the link.

It was a custom paint job. I've never seen it available as standard here in Europe.

oh..... that is very very cool as well

This is what a want to do but it hard to find some that can do i right....