Thanks for taking the time to explain, Mike. I think I will give this technique a try. If I don't like it in the long run, I'll check out the bed liner. 
     On Tuesday, June 24, 2014 4:39 PM, "Mike Frey mike21b@... [DSN_KLR650]" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
    
                                                
     Ryan and Randy are both correct. If you are *really* skilled, you     can do it with a Bernz-O-Matic Torch.  I'm not that good (I get the     striped look), but I know the plastic that I am working with:     polypropylene. 
     
     Even if you keep your KLR in the garage, UV degradation from     sunlight fades the color in an alarmingly short period of time: 1-3     years if the bike is in the sun every day, 10 years if you only ride     it in the daytime for a few hours a week. 
     
     The good news is that you can paint it. Your paint has be be     suitable for painting polypropylene or polyethylene - it will say so     in the literature and/or instructions.  
     
     The bad news is that color matched paint, made for polypropylene,     costs almost as much as new fenders - maybe even more. Ask your     local auto body shop - they are often willing to help with free     advice.
     
     If you have time and no money, you can accomplish an almost "like     new" finish with progressive sanding, starting with 300 grit and     ending with 2000 grit wet sandpaper. Finish the job with plastic     polish (the stuff made for headlights works OK) or Lemon Pledge     (Bonus citrus-y smell!). It won't look like it did when it was new:     won't be as shiny, but the color will be more vibrant. 
     
     Once UV degradation to your plastic has begun, it will accelerate.     If it's still like new, or new, coatings such as Armor-All do     basically the same thing as SPF-50 sunburn spray does for your skin     - and, like it, you have to re-apply. Not every day, but a couple     times a year. 
     
     Mike
     
     P.S. - my red 2004 KLR still has good color and is NOT pink, but     that's because it lives in the garage and only has 11,000 miles on     it. 
     
     
     On 6/24/2014 4:03 PM, Desert Datsuns       datsun@... [DSN_KLR650] wrote:
          
                                                 This does work, but just beware there is a very fine                 line between getting the color back, and over-doing it                 and ruining the panel. But, if your plastics are bad                 enough to warrant trying this technique, you're at the                 point of buying plastics anyways.               Ryan               Phoenix               
                                         
             
             "'SniperOne' sniperone308@... [DSN_KLR650]"             
DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com wrote:
             
                                                           Ok Paul,                     here goes ---                                      Using a                     heat gun to recover the color in KLR plastics:                                      The                     cheap one with a high/low switch works fine, no need                     to spend $200 on the Milwaukee blaster.  I got the                     $28 Wagner in the paint section at the local                     hardware store.                                      Start                     with a smaller part and the heat gun on low until                     your get a good feel for what you are doing.  This                     will go slower but it may save you in the long run.                      When you have mastered the technique you can use the                     gun on high and go a little faster.                                      The trick with the heat gun is to                   warm a surface with a small oscillating motion until                   it just begins to gloss, this is more easily seen if                   the part is held at an angle to the light while                   working on it.  Then while working the heat gun onto                   new surface, continue to move it back on the already                   hot (glossy) surface until you have all of it the same                   level of glossy.  You will want to work a single                   section at a time, between the                   seams/creases/corners/etc of a particular part.  When                   you have a section uniformly wet looking, let it all                   cool together and that section of the surface will                   usually have a uniform color.  It will be dull as for                   surface sheen when cooled.                                      If you try to just heat it back to                   color and keep moving across the entire part as a                   whole you will wind up with a sort of tiger striped                   look as areas cool at different rates.                                      Once you have a part uniform in                   color (though dull in sheen) and cooled, you can begin                   applying several coats of a good paste wax to recover                   a sort of satin sheen (if not glossy new).
                   
                   Warning, if you get the heat gun too close to the                   surface of the plastic it will bubble and you ll have                   to sand it down with a variety of papers and                   polishes.  This is easy to have happen with things                   like bends and creases on parts where you are                   intending to blow hot air straight down onto a part                   but an angled surface is redirecting the hot air onto                   a closer/alternate surface.  Think about this like                   applying spray paint where you angle the can so it                   sprays flat onto a surface but have to be careful that                   you don t get too much paint on an adjacent surface.                                      I have used this on plastic fenders                   that were powdery white from the sun baking and they                   returned to their original color, though the finished                   surface was a little ruff in the end.                                      The last suggestion is once                   complete and assembled; go over your bike about once                   every other month with 303 Aerospace Protectant                   (available off Amazon).  This stuff does a good job of                   reducing deterioration from the UV on many types of                   surfaces. 
                   
                   Randy                                                         SniperOne                                                                                               [b]From:[/b]                         
DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com                         [
DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com] 
                         [b]Sent:[/b] Tuesday, June 24, 2014 6:31 AM
                         [b]To:[/b] 
DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com; SniperOne
                         [b]Subject:[/b] Re: [DSN_KLR650] Dip your bike?                                                                                                                                                                                      Yes Randy I for one would                           be interested.                                                                         Thanks                                                                                                                                                  Paul                                                                        
                           
                           Sent from my iPhone                                                                        
                           On Jun 23, 2014, at 9:28 PM, "SniperOne sniperone308@...                           [DSN_KLR650]" DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com>                           wrote:                                               [quote]                                                                                                                                              If you've got faded                                 red plastics use a heat gun and a few                                 coats of turtle wax.  I've done it to                                 several, it works good, its cheap, and                                 is repeatable a few years later.                                                                                                                                                                                      If you are really                                 interested in the technique I will                                 hammer it out again in an email.  If                                 you're not just say so and I will save                                 my tired old fingers the work.                                                                                                                                                                                      Randy                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Sent                                     from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE                                     smartphone                                                                                                                                                         -------- Original                                 message --------                                                                                          From: "pwhatfourever@...                                 [DSN_KLR650]"                                                                                           Date:06/23/2014 5:18                                 PM (GMT-07:00)                                                                                           To: 
DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com                                                                                                                           Subject: [DSN_KLR650]                                 Dip your bike?                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Has anyone tried plasti dip on their                                 KLR plastics?                                                                   I was thinking I might try this instead                                 of trying to refinish my faded red                                 plastics. These two sites have quite a                                 bit of info on the spray can variety.                                                                   The first website shows a variety of                                 cars with the treatment, The second                                 website shows how it worked for someone                                 on a Suzuki DR650.                                                                  
https://www.dipyourcar.com/examples.html                                                                  Plasti Dip Your Bike |                                   Product Review - Always Broke | Moto                                   Vlogger                                                                 
                                       
                                                                                [img]https://ec.yimg.com/ec?url=http%3A%2F%2Falwaysbroke.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F05%2FPlasti-Dip-Your-Bike.jpg&t=1571809605&sig=UvCqStkjaLk8Rr_KwkaBjQ--~E[/img]                                        
                                                                                                                                                                        Plasti Dip                                                     Your Bike | Product                                                     Review - Always                                                     Broke | M...                                                                                              Want to Plasti Dip Your Bike?                                                   I've got all the info                                                   you need right now.                                                   Well, at least my                                                   first hand experience                                                   as a first time user                                                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                           
View on [b]alwaysbroke.net[/b]                                                                                                                                                                             Preview by Yahoo                                         
                                       
                                       
                                       
                                       
                                       
                                       
                                                                                                                                       Paul                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                             
                   
                                        [img]https://ec.yimg.com/ec?url=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.avast.com%2Femails%2Favast-mail-stamp.png&t=1571809605&sig=fbj6hcBsB93Ogzn0D1YERQ--~E[/img]                                                          This email is free from viruses and malware                             because 
avast!                               Antivirus protection is active.                                             
                                                                                      [/quote]     
                                #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 --   #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-mkp { border:1px solid #d8d8d8;font-family:Arial;margin:10px 0;padding:0 10px;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-mkp hr { border:1px solid #d8d8d8;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-mkp #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182hd { color:#628c2a;font-size:85%;font-weight:700;line-height:122%;margin:10px 0;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-mkp #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ads { margin-bottom:10px;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-mkp .ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ad { padding:0 0;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-mkp .ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ad p { margin:0;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-mkp .ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ad a { color:#0000ff;text-decoration:none;} #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-sponsor #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-lc { font-family:Arial;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-sponsor #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-lc #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182hd { margin:10px 0px;font-weight:700;font-size:78%;line-height:122%;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-sponsor #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-lc .ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ad { margin-bottom:10px;padding:0 0;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182actions { font-family:Verdana;font-size:11px;padding:10px 0;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182activity { background-color:#e0ecee;float:left;font-family:Verdana;font-size:10px;padding:10px;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182activity span { font-weight:700;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182activity span:first-child { text-transform:uppercase;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182activity span a { color:#5085b6;text-decoration:none;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182activity span span { color:#ff7900;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182activity span .ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182underline { text-decoration:underline;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 .ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182attach { clear:both;display:table;font-family:Arial;font-size:12px;padding:10px 0;width:400px;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 .ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182attach div a { text-decoration:none;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 .ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182attach img { border:none;padding-right:5px;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 .ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182attach label { display:block;margin-bottom:5px;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 .ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182attach label a { text-decoration:none;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 blockquote { margin:0 0 0 4px;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 .ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182bold { font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;font-weight:700;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 .ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182bold a { text-decoration:none;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 dd.ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182last p a { font-family:Verdana;font-weight:700;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 dd.ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182last p span { margin-right:10px;font-family:Verdana;font-weight:700;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 dd.ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182last p span.ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182yshortcuts { margin-right:0;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 div.ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182attach-table div div a { text-decoration:none;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 div.ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182attach-table { width:400px;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 div.ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182file-title a, #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 div.ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182file-title a:active, #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 div.ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182file-title a:hover, #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 div.ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182file-title a:visited { text-decoration:none;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 div.ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182photo-title a, #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 div.ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182photo-title a:active, #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 div.ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182photo-title a:hover, #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 div.ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182photo-title a:visited { text-decoration:none;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 div#ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-mlmsg #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-msg p a span.ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182yshortcuts { font-family:Verdana;font-size:10px;font-weight:normal;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 .ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182green { color:#628c2a;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 .ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182MsoNormal { margin:0 0 0 0;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 o { font-size:0;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182photos div { float:left;width:72px;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182photos div div { border:1px solid #666666;height:62px;overflow:hidden;width:62px;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182photos div label { color:#666666;font-size:10px;overflow:hidden;text-align:center;white-space:nowrap;width:64px;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182reco-category { font-size:77%;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182reco-desc { font-size:77%;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 .ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182replbq { margin:4px;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-actbar div a:first-child { margin-right:2px;padding-right:5px;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-mlmsg { font-size:13px;font-family:Arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-mlmsg table { font-size:inherit;font:100%;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-mlmsg select, #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 input, #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 textarea { font:99% Arial, Helvetica, clean, sans-serif;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-mlmsg pre, #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 code { font:115% monospace;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-mlmsg * { line-height:1.22em;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-mlmsg #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182logo { padding-bottom:10px;}   #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-msg p a { font-family:Verdana;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-msg p#ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182attach-count span { color:#1E66AE;font-weight:700;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-reco #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182reco-head { color:#ff7900;font-weight:700;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-reco { margin-bottom:20px;padding:0px;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-sponsor #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ov li a { font-size:130%;text-decoration:none;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-sponsor #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ov li { font-size:77%;list-style-type:square;padding:6px 0;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-sponsor #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ov ul { margin:0;padding:0 0 0 8px;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-text { font-family:Georgia;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-text p { margin:0 0 1em 0;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-text tt { font-size:120%;}  #ygrps-yiv-1114486725 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182 #ygrps-yiv-1114486725yiv3900550182ygrp-vital ul li:last-child { border-right:none !important;} #ygrps-yiv-1114486725