painting an ims tank

[E.L. Green]

jokerloco9@... wrote:

>Does anyone know if the Happy Trails (or others if any) Paris Dakar nerf >bars will fit a KLR that has an IMS 6.6 gal military type black tank (the one >with the molded-in air vents)? > >

I don't think it will, but it's not necessary. A bear knocked over my KLR, and the IMS tank smacked down onto some rocks. No damage. None. Nada. If you're worried, do like kayakers do and add Kevlar reinforcement to improve the penetration resistance of your tank.

>Also, I assume the front engine guard seen in the picture sits above the >normal aluminum skid plate everyone uses? (I have a Dual Star skid plate). > >

Yep. But for me, it's mostly useful because of the highway pegs hanging off of it, which make my KLR the most comfortable bike in my stable, indeed, the most comfortable bike I own. Due to knee problems I just can't deal with sport bikes or more cramped bikes anymore, they make my knees hurt. Getting bifocals this week too. Sigh. Getting old sucks. The alternative, of course, sucks more... -E

[Jud Jones]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, jokerloco9@a... wrote:

> > Does anyone know if the Happy Trails (or others if any) Paris Dakar nerf > bars will fit a KLR that has an IMS 6.6 gal military type black tank (the one > with the molded-in air vents)? >

Would you call that gilding the lily or belt and suspenders? No, it doesn't fit.

[Crazy canuck]

I'd like to hear from any/all who have installed and used Happy Trails' PD Nerf bars with large bags. I like the look and idea of having the weight front and low (and having highway pegs) but don't want to make a mistake to the tune of about $449. tia, Gord --------------------------------- Moody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life, your story. Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[David C.]

I don't think paint is going to stick to an IMS tank. Krylon Fusion MIGHT stick to it, but I doubt it. I think the tank is nylon and if it is, probably nothing is going to stick to it. The other problem is that Krylon Fusion isn't solvent resistant. Gasoline will wash it right off. I did the bedliner thing on my '88 fairing, hand guards and side panels. It took a while to get it right. I used spray on bedliner from NAPA, and the finished product is pretty tough. The hard part is getting it to stick to the plastic. The first time I just sprayed it over the plastic, and when it dried it peeled off in big sheets. What finally worked was sanding or sandblasting the plastic to remove the gloss, then priming it with Krylon Fusion plastic paint, or Krylon plastic primer, then putting the bedliner over that. It seems to be sticking pretty well now. Dave C at 02:46 AM 6/18/2007 +0000, you wrote:

>Lister's, just my 2 cents, I think the only way to effectively "paint" an >IMS tank is to "not" paint it. BUT I did see the results of an entirely >KLR done in "Rhino Liner" I think it was on KLR.net some time ago.The >owner (from Calgary Alberta) swore by the product and you can get it in >different colours and textures too. Just think of the oils / fuels / acids >what ever etc.. you would get protection from. After seeing the process >and the guys pics Ithought it looked real sweet. I will get mine done when >the body and trim pieces are finally trashed on my A20. Anybody else see >this done before?