Doh!!!

I was full of the joys of motorcycling life today... had a really fun ride in . nice 2-shift wheelie past a fit burd in a leaner car ... that sort of
stuff ...

I get to the bike sheds at work and my normal space is taken up. ok, so I decide to reverse into another spot as there is a gap between a post and another bike. I am on RHS of the bike and start reversing in and I realise there isn't enough room for me, my bike and my rucksack without touching the bike I was parking next to with my rucksack. So I decide to rest the bike on its sidestand and walk round the other side where there was room ... so push the bike away from me to its stand side ... only evidently I didn't have the sidestand down!!!!

... tried to save it, but when the weight gets away from you like that, you have no chance!! So the inevitable happened ... There was a tank-post interface!!

The air was all shades of blue I can tell you!!!

Hahaha, something about pride coming before a fall? But seriously, thats unlucky mate, how badly damaged is it? If its a dented blue tank, welcome to my club!

Originally Posted by Warthog

Hahaha, something about pride coming before a fall? But seriously, thats unlucky mate, how badly damaged is it? If its a dented blue tank, welcome to my club!

Yep, hoofing great dent in the tank ... the whole weight of the bike was on the corner of a concrete post!! ... tank is gonna lose

Its taken about 3" square of paint off and everything!!

[pmapp]

Oh fudge

New tank then Blue.....

Geez sorry to hear that.... I can imagine how blue the air was!!

You could take a hammer to the other side and call an experiment in aerodynamics?

No?


Thought not.

At least it was just the tank I s'pose - would have been worse if you'd set all the bike over domino fashion.

Originally Posted by robchester

New tank then Blue.....

Yep And what are the chances of me finding a good one at a fair price?!!?

Originally Posted by Speedy Claire

Geez sorry to hear that.... I can imagine how blue the air was!!

And not the good Blue_ blue either!!

It was one of those egg card equilibrium moments!!

To be fair it obviously wasn’t in an way shape or form MY fault … … it was firstly the guy who parked in my normal spot and secondly the guy I had to squeeze my bike into spots fault … I am obviously totally absolved ….

Originally Posted by K

At least it was just the tank I s'pose - would have been worse if you'd set all the bike over domino fashion.

That did cross my mind!! .. but as it was the post was in the way and there were no (motor)bikes the other side of the post anyway ...

I feel for you, I dropped a full bike fuel tank on its top before and literally cried like a bairn.

Try one of those Dent Master / dent Devil type of guys they seem to be able to work wonders with car panels and are a lot cheaper than a body shop.

If the dent will not come out completely you may be able to fill the dent using car filler. When it comes to the top coat of paint don't worry too much about the paint colour matching exactly as the tank is a separate panel from the others and looks slightly different due to the light. You are best to work on the tank in a warm and dry environment.

You will need filler, filler primer, primer, top coat, various grades of wet and dry paper, masking tape, newspaper and paper towel and cellulous thinner for cleaning up. Keep everything spotlessly clean.

1 Roughen up the surface to be filled.
2 Use small amounts of filler in thin layers to build up the level.
3 Once you have got enough filler in the dent use plenty of water with a course 'wet and dry paper on a block to sand down to the tanks profile.
4 Use your hands to feel the area you are working in to compare with the undamaged side.
5 Use small amounts of filler to bring the surface up again and use a progressively finer wet and dry paper to smooth off.
6 Once you are happy with the shape of the repair use a filler primer.
7 Use a fine wet and dry paper to smooth off.
8 This is when you need to make the decision to add more filler or carry on with paint, if you use more filler make sure you use filler primer to re-check the results.
9 Use a primer that is suitable to match the top colour of the car.
10 Smooth the undercoat paint with wet and dry.
14 Allow the undercoat full drying time before applying the top coats of paint, use a very fine wet and dry between coats.
15 As you spray on the top coats of paint follow each spray line with the next so that you are spraying right alongside/overlapping a previoiusly wet spray line.
16 If you need to use a clear varnish over the paint again use a fine wet and dry to give it a key.
17 Once the paint is settled you can polish it gently with T cut to polish it up.

It does sound like a lot of work but patience is the key and don't be afraid to go back and refil or sand down as necessary to get a good finish. Good luck.