Phantom Blue Matte Paint encounter

[RBEmerson]

Went there, looked at it, even the sales manager said the finish was a problem waiting to happen. Most of the knocks i mentioned are what he told me. Personally, I think the color is pretty lame, too. But, as my late C10 shows, I can get around some rather heinous colors. Just not heinous finishes.

 

[ThwartedEfforts]

Diff'rent colours for diff'rent folks, though I can't deny it seems an odd decision to offer every colour in nothing but a nonstandard finish.

 

[Warchild]

Well... it does seem like a reasonable position that, if one doesn't care for matte finishes, then this paint scheme is probably not for you.

Okay, then.

But for those who haven't seen the matte finish anywhere but under showroom floor florescent lighting, I wouldn't short-change myself until you see it in natural sunlight - where it takes on a completely different character:

You get about 1001 different hues of blue in natural sunlight:

It may not be for everyone - I wasn't sure I would like it when I ordered one back in October 2017, sight-unseen.

But... it has certainly grown on me:

 

[RBEmerson]

I'll concede the color does work better outdoors. What might be really cool is a two-tone paint. Look at it one way and the color is red, look along a panel crease, and it turns green. Or something like that. Not just dark blue here, light blue there. But I suspect a two-tone paint would add more than a couple of pennies to the final cost.

NTL the finish would drive me wild. Wax the tupperware? Not a chance. Scuff it getting on or off? That mark's not going away. It's, for a bike, so wrong. If I were buying, for example, a Lambo and it came with a matte finish - if I can afford a Lambo, I can afford to maintain the finish. But a bike? Nah.

 

[dcumpian]

I have a 2018 and, so far anyway, I'm not seeing any scuffing. It is a lot easier to clean and no waxing is a plus, IMO.

Dan

 

[RBEmerson]

I give you joy of your new ride.

But... One of the nice things about wax is stuff is less likely to stick to a waxed surface. Warm humid evening heading, on Rt 30, down to West Point... time to get out the pressure washer, I guess.

Seriously, what does Yamaha say regarding maintaining the finish? I don't think they just put out the paint and said, "here, you deal with it." Are there any recommendations about maintenance?

 

[Uncle Hud]

RBEmerson posted, in part: Seriously, what does Yamaha say regarding maintaining the finish? I don't think they just put out the paint and said, "here, you deal with it." Are there any recommendations about maintenance?

Don't know. Washed my bike once in 62,000 miles. Should have been riding it somewhere instead of getting it soapy.

 

[Canadian FJR]

"Seriously, what does Yamaha say regarding maintaining the finish? I don't think they just put out the paint and said, "here, you deal with it." Are there any recommendations about maintenance?"

I had numerous conversations with Yamaha Canada reps and they came back with Yamaha Cleaner, the spray bottle not the aerosol

because it contains wax.

So far it works awesome on both the matte and the gloss. I also use another wax based cleaner just on the black.

Canadian FJR

 

[Bounce]

Well... it does seem like a reasonable position that, if one doesn't care for matte finishes, then this paint scheme is probably not for you.

Okay, then.

But for those who haven't seen the matte finish anywhere but under showroom floor florescent lighting, I wouldn't short-change myself until you see it in natural sunlight - where it takes on a completely different character:

You get about 1001 different hues of blue in natural sunlight:

It may not be for everyone - I wasn't sure I would like it when I ordered one back in October 2017, sight-unseen.

But... it has certainly grown on me:

Looks nice. Very BMW-ish.

Re: 2 tone paint
Look at it one way and the color is red, look along a panel crease, and it turns green.

Are you looking for a Christmas theme or a Red/Green Hulk theme?

 

[RossKean]

Looks absolutely gorgeous in the full sunlight. I wonder how it will look plastered with a patina of bugs and after riding through rain over a gravel road?

I think my next bike will be "dirt" colored!

 

[RBEmerson]

Had the blue been mixed with white(*), then you'd have the BMW look.

On the two color paint, IIRC, there was, a few years ago, a two-tone paint option for the "new" Mustang. It was an odd mix of green and muted red or orange. Obviously it didn't stay on offer very long.

- - - -

(*)The colors on the Bavarian flag are blue and white in a diamond pattern. And that's what the quartered blue and white circle is about. It's not, as is commonly thought, a spinning propeller. (As per a video interview with the official BMW historian)

 

[ThwartedEfforts]

Seriously, what does Yamaha say regarding maintaining the finish?

Well... doesn't everyone just use Vulcanet these days?

Has always worked like

on my bikes and the matte silver is no different.

 

[dcumpian]

I give you joy of your new ride.

But... One of the nice things about wax is stuff is less likely to stick to a waxed surface. Warm humid evening heading, on Rt 30, down to West Point... time to get out the pressure washer, I guess.

Seriously, what does Yamaha say regarding maintaining the finish? I don't think they just put out the paint and said, "here, you deal with it." Are there any recommendations about maintenance?

There haven't been many of those evenings yet, but I've had some run ins with bug clouds already and they literally wipe off with soap and water and a wet cotton rag. You must be from around here if you know that route

I imagine if I collected bugs for a year and *then* finally got around to cleaning it I'd have to do a pre-soak...

Dan

 

[RBEmerson]

Interesting, about bugs basically wiping off. I wonder if the finish has something "Teflon-ish" in the mix.

I lived on a boat in Gloucester - York River Yacht Basin - while I worked on a project in the area, so I have some sense of the area. Your avatar block got me thinking about seeing signs for King William, which got me thinking where is King William, and then Rt 30 dropped into place. So, been there - sorta.

 

[Warchild]

Looks absolutely gorgeous in the full sunlight. I wonder how it will look plastered with a patina of bugs and after riding through rain over a gravel road?

We shall see.... my Spousal Unit and I plan riding many thousands of miles this year on this beast, so I'm sure we'll have plenty of oppprtunity to see how the matte does under all manner of conditions.

I think my next bike will be "dirt" colored!

Find/procure a 2013 model, and you are set!

 

[RBEmerson]

Someone said matte camo paint works real good, too. [/ laugh ]

 

[Canadian FJR]

After looking at these pictures dozens of times, I just noticed the blue bling on the front rotors. Very nice.

 

[RBEmerson]

Well, dang! Gimme a good felt-tip black ink pen and a few minutes, and my black '17 ES will be blinged, too.

Or maybe it's time to stop wishing and go for subdued gold striping (a la John Player Special paint scheme) and gold rotor rivets, too.

While the striping is wider than I prefer, I think the basic concept is clear.

 

[Super08]

Explorer Edition: (as pictured above)
- Tip over guards

- Foot Protectors

- Mirror Hand Guards

- Seat

- Rear Rack

- 50L Top Box

Those little additions would run around $3,200.00 cdn

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From some European ads

Furthermore, the Explorer models are equipped with additional accessories such as:

• Luxury inner bags in the side cases

• Custom made saddle with Explorer logo and saddle heating for both the rider and the duo passenger

• Garmin Zümo 595 navigation system

• A large electronically adjustable windshield

• Cockpit and mirror extensions

• Fall blocks

• Roller protectors

• Yamaha Battery Charger YEC-09

• 12V outlet

Canadian FJR

You wouldn't happen to know what the part number is for the foot protectors in the matt blue is do you? I have been searching online and can't find them.

 

[Canadian FJR]

Looks like only in black in Canada

https://www.yamaha-motor.ca/eshop/detail.php?sectionId=AC&groupId=19&subGroupId=22&categoryId=50&itemId=5325&unitId=5007&unitName=2018%2BFJR1300ES%2BABS&unitGroup=MC&unitYear=2018&items_per_page=12&page=4

Maybe check with one of the Euro members