If you are on this website, you obviously love automobiles. Your dedication and passion toward your vehicle has raised many an eyebrow among your peers, but frankly, you couldn’t care less, for the machine comes before everything else, and every once in a while, you feel it deserves some pampering.
Nine months of ownership later, I was at such a juncture. Struck by the proverbial itch to do something even though you know very well it needs absolutely nothing. If you read my previous post, you’ll know there is next to nothing wrong with the Street Twin, hence it had to be something cosmetic. It all started I went riding with a friend who had a 3-year-old bike which looked fresher than mine. Turns out he had put what is referred to as a ‘Ceramic Coating’. Shiny and glossy, his Z1000 had me sold.
The next day, I went over to the very cheekily named Pimp My Pride, over in Kandivali, Mumbai, to get the same done to my bike. Store manager Milind showed me around the workshop, and briefly explained the process, which is divided into two main phases. Phase one consists of getting rid of all the dirt and muck, and making the surface suitable to apply the coat. And phase two is carefully coating the surface and letting it cure.
As you can see in the following few images, my bike wasn’t in the best condition when it arrived — it had swirl marks, dust and dirt all over it.
Phase 1:
It started off with a process called ‘Claying’, which removes contamination and oxidation related flaws in the paint. This is followed by the ‘De-greasing’ process, which did wonders in removing tar and mud that had been caked for ages, and in hard to reach areas such as the underbody. These two things alone made the bike look five months younger. Then came out a motorised wool pad and a rubbing compound (Menzerna FZ400), which did away with all the swirl marks that had accumulated over the months and left a nice glossy finish. This was followed by a deep wash to remove any remaining dirt and grime, followed by a glazing process by a motorized foam pad to give it a smooth finish, restoring it to showroom condition.
All this could be considered as a preparatory step for the final ceramic coat.
Phase 2:
A final oil and grease removal solution is now applied, which removes all the previous compounding and makes the paint surface suitable for bonding of the ceramic coat. This is then applied using a special cloth and duster, and allowed to cure overnight. And then you end up with this.
But what is the point you ask? Well, besides looking spanking new, the 0.3mm coating is water repellent and self cleaning, besides protecting against scratches. And when I say spanking new, I mean if I could reset the odometer, I could very easily sell this off as a brand new bike. Hell, it looks even newer than when I bought it!
Monetarily, this will set you back Rs 4500-6500, depending on the current state of your paint, and surface area to be covered. And if you are in the Mumbai area, you can get it done at Pimp My Ride (+91-9819375536) like I did.
Is it worth it? Absolutely! It will transform what your vehicle looks like, or has ever looked like. This really is the best New Year’s gift for your bike.
You know it deserves it.
