RD Paint Shades and Colour Matches

[Foy(notFox)]

Hi is the r5 purple and white the same purple as fs1e popsicle , every one's idea of purple is very different some maroony some bluey?

They are a different Yamaha code. R5 (Metallic Purple) is 34 and Popsicle is R6 iirc.

They are probably very close tho as the Yamaha CS3B was 34 but in the (USA) parts list it shows the headlamp bowl superseded part number has the later code

NB I have various NOS CS3 parts in 34 and it's definitely a candy finish, despite the name. There is a tiny amount of flake in the purple but it's so small that I've never understood why they called it Metallic Purple 
 

[betty foRD]

Bought some cadbury purple mettalic off eBay the picture of the colour looks a great match, but just sprayed it on and it's just blue, it's so annoying ,my local paint shops the same b.s supplies stoke.
You spend ages preparing masking  then your heart sinks as they're bloody useless . Ever likely them rs bike paints are so expensive , no one else can get them close!
Don't know why I can't attach a photo?

Remember it’s a candy, you can get closish with a one coat if a paint shop scans it and mixes a modern peal, but if you want it to look original there no short cuts to the two coat process. silver dust base plus candy purple. With however many coats to get the density your looking for.

[pidjones]

I found RS bike pants not only accurate in color, but combined shipping (to the USA), handling, and purchase was reasonable. I bought 1/2 pint (probably twice what I needed) Geneva Green for just a bit over $50 US and it looks great! I clear coated it with SprayMax 2K Clear coat in rattle can (puncture the inner can and shake it up - you have 24 hours to use). The Geneva Green was a water-borne paint which I had no experience in using. I just sprayed it like I do Duplicolor lacquer paint with my inexpensive Harbor Freight equipment. There were only two sources that I could find for the Geneva Green, the other would have been minimum $150 US plus shipping/handling.

[splant]

Yeh I did a great candy/brandy red over silver base coat from my local paint shop , but seems they don't do any that way since modern crap come in . I just wanted a semblance of the r5 colour . They might as well have sent be pink!

[kawonda750]

I have been looking for the low gloss black here in Canada. I have heard bad reports on Colorrite mixes not being correct. The local auto paint place could not find a formula. We got a close match right off the shelf with 2K Jet Black semi gloss..

[kawonda750]

Very good colour match for 1973 RD 350 Brandy red BRR.  North American supplier

[Eugene Haymes]

I will paint tank and covers with new decals after I get out the dents. Mine is a 1976 U.S. RD400C that appears to be a blend of 90% red and 10% orange. I thought that it was called "Chappy red". Maybe not. The engine # starts with 1A1 and the frame number was covered up with powder coating. Does anybody have a universal "paint code" that will be accurate for the paint shop?

[fatboydel]

Hi Guys,

I have a US import RD350B in Portuguese Orange, any idea where I can get a colour match for some touch up paint?

[tim steele]

Chevrolet engine enamel orange is a very close match to Portuguese orange.

[pidjones]

Hi Guys,

I have a US import RD350B in Portuguese Orange, any idea where I can get a colour match for some touch up paint?

I think that requires a base, color, and clearcoat. RSBikepaint.com lists them, but I would email to make sure.

[fatboydel]

Perfect thanks for the info and link.

[rd4me]

For a 75, check Boeing orange. A guy on another board had side by side shots of original tank and a Boeing orange tank he painted and it's almost exact. He painted it with this companies' single stage enamel which activates the clear in the can when you press the tab on bottom. They also offer 2 stage paint.
https://www.66autocolor.com/collections/spraymax-orange-colors/products/boeing-orange-aerosol-spray-max?fbclid=IwAR2ZMe2L-SWb5skROQYpRvxD0JgRM9ct-ZdGQKGXwszA-ckrM40nIW3z310

[Foy(notFox)]

Hi Guys,

I have a US import RD350B in Portuguese Orange, any idea where I can get a colour match for some touch up paint?

I think that requires a base, color, and clearcoat. RSBikepaint.com lists them, but I would email to make sure.

afaik Portuguese Orange was a solid colour, not a candy so you only really need a single-stage. I have chemically stripped  the paint from 1973 & 1974 RD125 sidepanels and only the 74 had clearcoat as it was a metallic. The 73 was candy and there's no real need for clear over candy. It's only really metallics that need clear. However some 'modern' basecoats are not glossy from gun so they use clear over them too.

I'd put money on the Portuguese Orange  not having any clear on it from factory. Rub it with T-Cut on a cloth and see if you get colour

[Gr8uncleal]

Looks like all 1975 paints were clear coated - see attached paint charts. However, I think that graphics were applied after clear coat was complete.

[Foy(notFox)]

I've seen charts like that from Yamaha USA before and I don't think they are period. It looks like retrospective finishing advice printed in 80s or something.

They seem to have had their own organisation and published a lot of stuff that didn't originate in Japan.

A lot of the 75 onwards finishes would have had clear on them as all metallics of that era were clear over base. Not many (any?0 of the models were candy finishes from then on.


I still doubt that solid colours would have had clear on them. Only way to tell is rag test with polish