KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.
Small win today, but a win nonetheless. I've tried every short cut known to man to try and speed up the restoration process for these plastics, but none have worked. No kidding they didn't work. If they worked, someone would have posted a video on Youtube by now titled something along the lines of "Shortcut to Restoring Plastics!!!" and I'd've been all over it like white on rice. There is no shortcut. There is no Youtube video. The process is truly an almighty and monumental ball ache.
However I did find a better process - kick it down a gear and start at 220 grit rather than 320. Sure you get deeper scratches in the plastic and then have to get those scratches out with the 320 and so on and so on, but the initial sun oxidization only takes an hour to get out of a 12"x3" patch rather than three.
I know, the irony is not lost on me for one minute that I am restoring the plastics on a dual sport. A dual sport than will be treated with all the respect any dual sport deserves. But still. That's how I'm wired. If it can be done, I'll give 'er.
Here's a before. It may be hard to see any actual progress but believe me it's there. The bit I circled in blue is the top portion of the side panel until this morning covered by a large KLR sticker, where you can see the original plastic colour. I've only worked that top section so far -
but you can see how the oxidation has been removed now and the original splendour of that pea green is back in full - if not shiny - force...
Damn. There's a lot more interesting and impressive stuff going on on DTT right now, so I'm leaving you there.
Here beer here.
Edit - Shit. Maybe there is a shortcut. If there is I hope truly and very sincerely that I don’t find out as soon as I’ve finally finished this.