Cleaning a dirtbike is as easy as pointing a pressure washer at it, but what are you supposed to do about those scratched and faded fenders and numberplates? You could replace them for a couple hundred bucks, or you can renew them for just $21 with the PC Racing Plastic Renew kit.
Plastic Renew does just what its name suggests, and works on any dyed plastic parts, whether they're on a modern dirtbike or an older streetbike. The box contains several sheets of 220, 300 and 400-grit sandpaper, a ball of steel wool, a bottle of the all-important Plastic Renew chemical, and a durable paper towel for applying the stuff. The process starts with the rough 220-grit paper, which you use to sand out deep scratches and remove the crust of faded, oxidized material. From there you move up to the wetted 300- and 400-grit sheets to smooth the finish and buff out any remaining marks. It sounds like a lot of work, but we're talking about plastic here, so the job goes relatively quickly. Once the piece is sanded smooth you brush on the Plastic Renew chemical, which PC Racing describes as a flexible clear coat; it's what puts the shine back in the plastic and keeps it protected. The steel wool is then used to buff the clear coat, after which you apply a final coat or two of the Plastic Renew juice.
The instructions say you can achieve a quick fix with just the 400-grit paper and the clear coat, but I took it a step farther and supplemented the kit with some wet 600-grit paper and was really impressed with the results. The front fender on my 1982 Honda MB5 pitbike was ready for the trash bin, but I managed to return it to a lustrous shine. Now it's the nicest-looking piece on the bike!
PC Racing Plastic Renew
Price: $20.95
Contact: PC Racing
www.pcracingusa.com
**Verdict ** 4.5 out of 5 stars
An effective product that is very satisfying to use.
