How to maintain matte finish paint of your motorcycle - Matte color paint myths busted
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Now that you know how to take care of the matte finish of your Royal Enfield Desert storm, you should also be aware of few matte finish myths that have been circulating for quite some time. Here we go:
MYTH #1: You can’t protect a matte paint finish
Busted. While this may have been the case when matte paint first emerged into the automotive marketplace, it certainly is not the case today. At the same time, this myth does make sense if and only if the protection product uses fillers, silicones, or any type of wax. So what’s that mean? It means the only (effective) way to protect matte paint is with a liquid matte paint sealant specifically formulated not to increase the surface’s gloss rating.
MYTH #2: It’s hard to take care of a matte painted motorcycle
The problem here is in the wording. If you consider taking care of a “regular” (non-matte) motorcycle hard, then sure, maintaining a matte motorcycle might be tough for you. Chances are if you’re on this blog you care about your motorcycle and how it looks, and with that said, chances are you understand where I’m coming from here. Taking care of a matte painted motorcycle is no more work that properly caring for a glossy motorcycle By the way, the mere fact that you’ll never be polishing your matte motorcycle makes it that much easier to care for. Matte finishes are way less susceptible to clear coat scratches and swirl marks simply because the matte finish is non-reflective. If you know about the science of scratches, you also know that when there’s no light to reflect off a scratch the human eye has a hard time really seeing it. Myth tackled.
MYTH #3: Matte paint is just regular paint without a clear coat
Absolutely not. In rare cases, maybe your aftermarket matte paint job has no clear coat, but if you get it from the factory it definitely will. In fact, it’s actually the clear coat that makes factory matte paint look flat with its microscopic imperfections and “dimples”. If you got your car or motorcycle painted matte in a booth by a third-party, I recommend making sure they put on a matte clear coat over the pigment layer of paint. Without a clear coat your messing with fire.
MYTH #4: Dish soap is safe to use on matte paint
Dish soap is formulated to do one thing (unless you use that brand that moisturizes your hands), and that thing is to strip grease and grime off of hard surfaces (ie. plates, glass, etc.). As you now know, you can most certainly protect matte paint – using dish soap to clean the motorcycle will weaken the bond of any sealant or substance on the painted surface of your motorcycle. So in a sense it may not do damage to the paint, but it’s certainly doing more than just cleaning it. Do yourself (and your matte finish) a favor and get a no-shine matte motorcycle wash soap that uses no fillers, no silicone, and won’t strip your matte paint of its layer of protection.
MYTH #5: Matte paint is super fragile and not at all durable
Ehhh, not quite. Not sure where this one started from, but I guess everybody speculates on exotic items and that they aren't built to last. Matte paint, if it’s from the manufacturer, is absolutely designed to last the entire life of the motorcycle. Going back to Myth #3, that’s why we put clear coat on our motorcycles– long term protection for the pigment layer of paint. Because most matte paint does in fact use a clear coat layer, the only thing you have to worry about is protecting that clear coat layer with a matte paint sealant.
MYTH #6: The dealership will know what to do
If only I had a dime for every instance I've heard this one. Trust me, dealerships are good for just about one thing: selling you a motorcycle and most of them are terrible at doing that. They did not manufacture your motorcycle they are not related to the development company who created the paint, and they definitely don’t read the entire manual before telling you how many miles your motorcycle should go without an oil change. Leave the paint care to professionals who understand the science behind matte paint and not those who only get paid if and when you purchase the motorcycle from them. Face it, most dealerships are trained rigorously to learn how to say say, “yes” no matter the customer’s question. Think about it… does this model have Disc brake? “Yes, for an extra Rs 3,200.” You get my point.
The bottom line is matte paint needs specific attention. There are things you should know and things you should avoid which will keep your motorcycle retain the factory matte finish.
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