July 23rd, 2025
It was obvious from the outset that I would repaint Boro. This required some special cleaning, as Boro had attracted wasps seeking a home:
This is the underside of the gas tank. Additional cleaning was required for the fuel cock in the upper left. Here’s a closeup of what I found when I opened it up:
That liquid is the remains of gasoline that had been sitting inside Boro for more than 30 years. I had emptied the gas tank, but some of it remained hidden inside the fuel cock. With basic cleaning done, I went to work.
I researched motorcycle painting on the Internet and learned a few useful items. The first task was to completely clean off all the old paint. This was accomplished with a product that appeared to use the orange solvent that has been used in so many cleaning products. I smeared it all over each of pieces, then covered it in a plastic bag so that it wouldn’t dry overnight. The next morning, I had only to wipe off the still-wet orange goop and find clean, bare metal. There were a few instances where I did not get enough orange goop onto the surface, leaving small spots behind, but a second application of orange goop on those spots cleared up the problem.
With the metal cleaned and bare, my next step was to spray on the primer. This was a simple job, but I wanted to get the best results, so I laid down a number of thin coats — which of course consumed several days Then I let the primer harden for 24 of the hottest summer hours, and began laying down the main coat. Days later, I had all the parts painted with multiple thin layers.
Lastly, I applied a coat of a special transparent paint that enhanced the shine of the underlying paint and provided some protection from sunlight. This stuff is especially evil. I had to wear a heavy-duty mask and spend as little time in the shop, where I sprayed the parts, as possible. It’s a two-component paint. Just before applying it, you push a rod underneath the spray can to break the membrane separating the upper component from the lower component. Then you shake vigorously for two minutes to thoroughly mix the components before spraying. It came out very nicely.
Here’s how the new paint color compared to the old paint color:
