[Phoenix]

Hello!
My new bike is a mess and I'm hoping to clean her up with your wise advice, going to have to resell thanks to California's new Corona lockdown; I'm broke.
Bike has been dropped by previous owner on a track at least twice. Fairings have been replaced, all that's left are some deep battle scars on the metal parts of the bike.

Part 1: Left Handlebars (Specifically Clutch Lever)

I will have to take off the whole lever system (anything I should be worried about? Never disassembled the clutch lever before) and sand down the scratched areas (200, to 600 grit?) and repaint.
What kind of spray paint do I use for this part? I was thinking of using:
Rust-Oleum 7798830 Semi Gloss Black Protective Enamel Spray Paint
It would have to match or at least not be noticeably different from the other handlebar. I will also have to paint that scratched metal bolt the same to mask the rash, I did find the replacement bolt online (Kawasaki BOLT, CLUTCH LEVER 92154-0066) but with shipping it'd cost $12 to replace. Also, the empty bolt hole, is there supposed to be a bolt there? It rides fine without it, just not sure what its for, maybe the stock clutch lever needed it?

Part 2: Left Engine Cover

I'll take off the fairing, sand the exterior (200 to 600 grit?), mask the adjacent surfaces and repaint the cover.
What paint do I use for the engine cover? I was looking at:
Rust-Oleum 248903 12-ounce 2000 Degree, Flat Black Automotive High Heat Spray Paint
However, it is FLAT Black, and the engine covers look more Satin, if I were to paint this left cover with Flat Black, would the other side look funky?

Part 3: Exhaust Muffler

Yeah this one is pretty bad. The heat shield is completely gone, and the end cap has a bad disfigurement. The muffler itself has some dents on the lower end.
I'll detach the muffler and sand down all the scratched areas (200-600 grit?) and paint it. I'm going to use the paint that I mentioned for the engine cover (unless you have another suggestion):
Rust-Oleum 248903 12-ounce 2000 Degree, Flat Black Automotive High Heat Spray Paint
I'll have to coat the entire muffler, debating if I should cover the metal end cap, too. It won't look perfect, but it'll cover up the eyesore at least. I see replacement OEM mufflers on eBay for ~$100 but if I plan on reselling this bike wouldn't it be a waste to drop $100 on a muffler that a new owner is probably going to replace for an aftermarket anyway?

Part 4: Left Foot Peg Area

There's a little bit of rust developing by the foot peg bolts, should I be worried? Should I take off the whole mechanism and clean up the rust and paint it over? Is the gear shift lever difficult to detach/reattach?

Finally, Part 5: Swingarm

I'm not how to clean this area up because of the 'Chain Information' sticker plastered on the side, I would like to just sand a little bit of the scratches down and paint with the spray paint from Part 1: Left Clutch Lever, but I'm afraid it would still leave the sticker apparently scratched. Also, if the paint doesn't match the rest of the swingarm it'll look catastrophic.


If you've gotten this far, thank you so much for giving your time to read over my dilemma. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you, and Happy Holidays!

 

[MAL]

Hello, and welcome to the forum!

Presumably you want the most money when selling it, want to spend the least amount in fixing it, and want a fast sale, yes?
Out of those three things, I reckon you can only pick two!

My concern is, that you are just patching up some decently serious cosmetic damage on the cheap, and this won't really help much in the sale, unless you can find someone who is 'fooled' by the cheap repair, in which case I find it a bit deceitful.
A cheap sand-and-paint repair is acceptable if you are keeping the bike for yourself.

In my opinion you might be simply better off selling it exactly like it is now, with all its flaws. It may very well be that you won't get less than if you spend all time and effort cleaning it up first. Take pictures of all the issues, and describe them like you did here, and then potential buyers will know exactly what they're buying.
The alternative would be to spend the money and fix it up PROPERLY, still document it in the sale, but REPLACE parts, not just repaint.
I'd go with selling as is though...

BUT: according to the other thread of yours, there is also a mechanical issue with the bike misbehaving during cruise speed: THAT I would try and fix before the sale, if possible.

Also, the hole in your pic, next to the lever is simply covered with a rubber grommet/plug:

 

[Phoenix]

Thank you, I value your insight, you have very good points.
I definitely don't want to deceive anyone, especially with purchasing a motorcycle as dangerous as they can be. The previous owner masked some of the problems and I don't want to be a repeat of that.
I'm going to replace the clutch perch mount ($15) with a new one and use the 602 / H8 Ebony ColorRite touchup pen ($25) on all the scrapes on the engine block and swingarm just so they're not obvious to any bystander. Debating if I should replace the exhaust with a $60 aftermarket, $100 OEM replacement or keep it as is. Didn't bother me while I rode it but I struggle seeing it go looking like that...
I'm working on fixing the choppy throttle at steady speeds, I'm replacing the air filter to a K&N as many recommended on the forum, then I'm going to check the TPS and APS (Throttle/Accelerator Position Sensors) and do a TBS (Throttle Body Sync) once the tools come in. I'll keep this thread updated with what happens.
I fear I might be investing too much time/money in perfecting it, as you've warned, so I'll start listing it on sale as is now with all the cosmetic and throttle issue described while I slowly piece together a thorough repair.

 

[MAL]

By the way, I wonder if that paint (602) is just for the shiny parts.
Touchup paint for the more flatter blacks may be more difficult to match. Maybe KAW010? Not sure. Swingarm definitely isn't super glossy.

 

[iahawk]

I'm with MAL, don't go spending a bunch of money on this. I would replace the muffler with something..that looks bad. You can find cheap slip ons readily avaiable. Does that chain look dry and kinked? Hard to tell from the pics.

Do you have any full bike pics so we can get an idea of the overall look of the bike? (and apologize if you've already posted full bike pics)

 

[MAL]

Does that chain look dry and kinked? Hard to tell from the pics.

I noticed that too. It is probably kinked, as it looks like it's bone dry and starting to rust.
That would definitely be a red flag for a savvy buyer, as this may indicate neglect in other areas as well.

 

[Rogue]

1. ColorRite 602/H8 Ebony is indeed only for the body panels. It will not match the flat paint on the metal parts of the frame. I can attest to this first hand since I used that same color in a touchup kit from ColorRite to touch up a rock chip on one of my fairings.

2. That chain is trash - it doesn't look like it's been lubed in years. Cosmetic issues aside, a savvy buyer is going to take one look at it and assume that you've done no maintenance on this bike.

3. No amount of cheap spit & shine is going to make this bike bring top dollar. Just looking at the extent of the 'cosmetic' damage and your other post about it not running correctly makes me assume it has some internal issues as well. At the very least, I am going to assume based on the location of the damages that this poor thing has been high-sided and has a tweaked frame.

My advice is to not try to present it as something that it's not because prospective buyers are going to walk away when they see it in person. List it for sale as-is with the bare minimum price you can take.

 

[DavZ]

Here is a slightly different opinion. People often don't want to buy something to have to invest in it to make it look pretty. Pretty it up a bit but direct would be buyers to this very forum to be able to see pre-restoration photos. Then you can paint and polish and get it a little better looking while admitting that the machine has had a rough life and likely will need some extra TLC over time as a result. You will never get "top dollar" but you would get more than if you left it in a state of full neglect.