Paint a motorcycle fuel tank

Motorcycle fuel tank refinishing

Guide to painting a motorcycle fuel tank

A motorcycle fuel tank is one of the most visible painted parts on a bike, so preparation and coating order matter. Clean metal or stable old paint needs sanding, epoxy primer where required, matched basecoat and a strong 2K clearcoat finish.

What do you need to paint a motorcycle fuel tank?

Cleaning and degreasing

Mipa silicone remover removes fuel residue, polish, grease and handling marks before sanding and before coating.

Curved surface sanding

MP Hand Block Soft helps control sanding on tank curves, edges, badge recesses and filler neck areas.

Epoxy primer filler

Mipa EP primer filler with EP Hardener E 10 short and EP Thinner gives prepared metal or repair areas an epoxy primer foundation.

Aerosol epoxy primer

Mipa 2K-EP Primer Filler Spray gives a compact epoxy primer filler option for smaller tank areas.

Basecoat colour layer

Mipa BC Ready Mixed with BC Thinner VDG creates the matched two layer colour stage for the fuel tank.

Clearcoat protection

Mipa 2K-HS Clearcoat CS 90 with HS 10 hardener or Mipa 2K Clearcoat Spray gives the final 2K gloss and protection.

How to paint a motorcycle fuel tank

1
Empty, remove and clean

Work on a safe removed tank where possible, protect openings and degrease the outside surface before sanding.
2
Sand the tank surface

Use controlled sanding on curves, edges and stable old coating so primer and basecoat have a prepared surface.
3
Prime prepared areas

Apply EP primer filler or 2K EP primer filler spray where bare metal or prepared repair zones need an epoxy base.
4
Apply basecoat

Apply Mipa BC Ready Mixed with BC Thinner VDG and allow the basecoat to flash properly before clearcoat.
5
Clearcoat and cure

Finish with the chosen 2K clearcoat and allow the coating to cure before refitting the tank.

Which primer and clearcoat method fits the tank?

Spray gun system

Use liquid EP primer filler and CS 90 clearcoat when the tank is part of a controlled spray gun workflow.

Aerosol primer option

Use 2K EP Primer Filler Spray for smaller local areas where an aerosol epoxy primer format is practical.

Aerosol clearcoat option

Use 2K Clearcoat Spray high gloss for smaller tank refinishing work where a spray gun clearcoat is not being used.

Technical details

Mipa EP primer filler uses E hardener at 2 to 1 by volume and provides corrosion protection on prepared metal substrates.
Mipa BC basecoat is applied as the colour layer and should flash to a matt finish before clearcoat.
Mipa 2K-HS Clearcoat CS 90 is a scratch resistant 2K HS clearcoat for high quality vehicle paintwork.
Fuel openings, mounting points and contact areas should be masked so coating does not enter functional areas.

Practical suggestion

Check the tank curve from several angles before moving from primer into colour. A shallow wave can look acceptable until clearcoat adds gloss, so shape and sanding control matter more on a fuel tank than on many smaller hidden parts.