Just had the bodywork repainted on my old 851 and when I collected it I was warned to let it harden and be careful not to spill petrol on the tank. I was a bit surprised by this as I assumed that petrol-proof lacquer would be used but when I mentioned this I was met with a blank look - I know I should have asked more questions before getting the job done but thought that any bike paintwork specialist could be relied on to know what was needed. The painwork finish is good but I am now wondering whether I should get a further protective coat applied to the petrol tank before reassembly? Any words of wisdom?
It is quite common for newly painted items to be affected by petrol, most harden in due course but will\may not stand a lot of petrol washing over them. Others remain liable to be damaged by any reasonable amount of spillage which will then wash the paint out at any time in their life post painting. It depends on what paint manufacturer produced the paint and the exact type of paint used. If they have given you this information it is best to be as careful as you can initially and for some time after. I have actually stripped the odd tank for repainting just by cleaning off the paint with a petrol soaked rag. The worst paints are the cheap aerosols you get from pound shops and the like as the paint composition is poor and very thin.
