KEEP BRAKE CLEANER AWAY FROM ALL BLACK PLASTIC ON FZ-07

[mightyfz07]

Maybe I'm dumb, but all these years I've used brake cleaner to clean just about anything to do with cars, bikes, etc.
 
Well I decided I would use brake cleaner to remove the brake dust off my wheels. BIG MISTAKE! Let me tell you how the brake cleaner absolutely destroyed my front fender. That great fake carbon fiber fender turned white and basically melted the plastic.  It started off as some over spray from my towel and put spots of the fender. Not knowing any better I noticed the spots and found them odd (you know some dirt or whatever) and wiped it with my towel. Well now the fender is basically painted white.
 
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
 
I need a new fender now
 
   

[hippiebikerchick]

Welcome mightyfz07 and thanks for sharing this.

[FZRDR]

Whoaaa, anyway you can take a pic of that? 
I'd really like to see what that looks like.......

[jerryv]

Guess you can try to sand and paint it .. can't hurt at this point.

[Guru]

Happens to the best of us, sucks nevertheless. 

[qjohnson]

Plastidip

[zoopants]

Plastidip

Yeah Plastidip! I plasidiped my wifes scion xB badges and hub caps black about 8-9 months ago and they look perfect still! Try and save yourself some cash pick up a can for 7 bucks at your local home depot or lowes and give it a shot. 

[mightyfz07]

Here is the photo
 
I hope the helps others not make the same mistake.
 

[YZEtc]

Sorry to see that you learned the hard way.
Been there, done that, too.
 
Page 8-1 and 8-2 of the Owner's Manual.

[mightyfz07]

Really I can't come around to painting the bike. Painting the fender I think would be difficult because of the carbon fiber texture of the plastic. I like to keep the bike OEM at least looks wise

[Guru]

I would worry about it too much and just replace the front fender. They are around $40 I think.
 

 

[effzee07]

wow that sucks, but I agree with Plastidip. For the 7 dollars it costs, if it doesn't turn out great, you can literally peel the paint right off. I did it to my wheels on my acura TL and had it like that forever, even thru car washes and it was fine.
 
It's a "thicker" material than paint, kind of rubbery, and should "fill in" the texture of the fake carbon fiber. Worth a shot in my opinion
 
p.s. these bikes get INSANE brake dust...i can like ride for 2 miles and come back and my wheel is caked in it. It's kind of ridiculous. I usually just use glass cleaner for the wheels, or even regular wheel cleaner.

[Quixote]

Maybe I'm dumb, but all these years I've used brake cleaner to clean just about anything to do with cars, bikes, etc. 
Well I decided I would use brake cleaner to remove the brake dust off my wheels. BIG MISTAKE! ......

 
If you're dumb, then so am I because I've used it for years too, and in my experience non-chlorinated brake cleaner has always been safe to use around plastic and paint.
 
So, was the brake cleaner that you used this time non-chlorinated?

[steviede]

I too use brake cleaner for everything! it is just so easy to clean with. I also work in a warehouse (that my father-in-law owns) that sells it so I kind of have an unlimited supply... hehe
 
I would try Plasti-dip, I've done all the emblems on my truck and it worked awsome, I'm thinking of what parts I am going to do on my bike now.

[mightyfz07]

Maybe I'm dumb, but all these years I've used brake cleaner to clean just about anything to do with cars, bikes, etc. 
Well I decided I would use brake cleaner to remove the brake dust off my wheels. BIG MISTAKE! ......

If you're dumb, then so am I because I've used it for years too, and in my experience non-chlorinated brake cleaner has always been safe to use around plastic and paint.  
So, was the brake cleaner that you used this time non-chlorinated?

You hit it on the ball. I probably used chlorinated brake cleaner explaining the bleaching effect on the plastic.
 
 
Thank you all for the input. I was really upset with this. 

[motomeek]

SNAP. That definitely wiped the paint right off there. Thanks for the warning.

[ricochet08]

time for some plasti-dip!!
 
 

[mightyfz07]

Ordered the front fender $47.00 here in Canada. I thought it would have been in the hundreds of $$

[prediddy]

Yikes! Good to know this. I'd second the plastidip idea, its cheap and easy, and if you take the time can look pretty good. But for less than $50 a new one is probably a decent deal.

[adamb]

I too love brake clean, but I usually use it own oily engines.
For cleaning brake dust/dirt from wheels I suggest sonax full effect wheel cleaner. Very safe, and works really well.
I also added a paint sealant to my wheels to make cleaning easier.