Best Three Cheap Mods

[fleetingyouth]

Hi All,

Here are the three best mods that cost almost nothing that I think should have been standard from Honda. Not everyone has the same tatse but I think all three of these really improved the overall look of the bike from Stock. These are on my 2013 model but I don't think they improved them on newer models.

Blue tinted dash. It looks stock during the day but once the sun starts to set it turns blue and look killer at night.


Black plastidip-ed windscreen. Sprayed on the back so the Honda logo still shows. Also hides the gross dash bracket and toll sensor.

Last and the best in my opinion is the plastidip-ed front center cowl. Every time I see a picture of someones NC with the bland grey cowl I think Honda messed up. It shows dirt and always looks grungy. I sprayed mine over 5 years ago with plastidip and I have never needed to touch it up. It is a perfect match for color and doesnt show off dirt. It can be washed just like before.

Anyway, I always thought these little changes really helped with the looks of the bike and thought maybe others might like them too.

 

[EastTenn]

I really like the black cowl. That is going to be what mine looks like as soon as i get to it. Thanks for the idea.

 

[Samanjo]

Did you DIY the plasti-dip on the front engine cowl?

 

[a guy from the north]

I have time off at xmas, and this is like a present - because these (the plasti-dip mods) are something I can do in the garage in the down-season that solves the - dirty grey, un-cleanable cowl that has bugged me more and more over time.

Thank-you !

I'm going to try the windscreen plasti-dip as well, I'll need to see it first hand to know if it would bother me after years of a clear one.
Perhaps I might not even notice, but the great thing is its ease of reversibility .

Cheers

 

[brb]

Best 3, center stand,dear whistles,tool tubes(to hold can of fix-a-flat and chain lube for long rides)

 

[fleetingyouth]

Glad people like them.

I did all the plastidip myself. I have been using it to paint all kinds of things for years I even did my helmet flat black with a stripe for awhile.
The cowl really makes no sense grey as it is and looks so much better in black.

I dont even remember what the windscreen was like clear it has been so long.

brb, I live in the city so I don't have a center stand, deer, or need for tool tubes. But I've always wanted to get another NC and deck it out for adventure riding.

 

[Klap]

Blue tinted dash. It looks stock during the day but once the sun starts to set it turns blue and look killer at night.

How did you achieve the blue display ? Just a tiny? New LEF’s?
Enquiring minds want to know!

 

[Virgil2014]

Fleeting Youth
I like the plasti dip on the bottom cowl.
Did you paint the entire three pieces black?
Cheers

 

[fleetingyouth]

It is just a small 2-inch piece of blue Cinegel lighting filter, placed under the screen. It was very easy to install and looks great.

Any blue transparency material should work.

 

[fleetingyouth]

Fleeting Youth
I like the plasti dip on the bottom cowl.
Did you paint the entire three pieces black?
Cheers

Nope I only painted the center piece. Standard black is an almost perfect match at least for a part that is under the bike.

 

[davidc83]

I spray painted my center cowl (the whole thing) a few years ago with Krylon spray paint (not a fan of plasti dip)...hides the crud very well.

 

[jayjohnson000]

I colored my engine cowl, but i did it by dyeing it. you can use Rit synthetic dye to do it. boil water, add dye and vinegar, and soak at near boil for a few hours. picture attached, but it's doesn't have a great view of the cowl. I live on gravel, so plasti-dip would just be an uncleanable dirt magnet.

 

[JohnnyAppleTree]

I colored my engine cowl, but i did it by dyeing it. you can use Rit synthetic dye to do it. boil water, add dye and vinegar, and soak at near boil for a few hours. picture attached, but it's doesn't have a great view of the cowl. I live on gravel, so plasti-dip would just be an uncleanable dirt magnet.

This rit-dye idea is really interesting. Can you do it with all the plastics? And have you tries their synthetic color remover? Thanks for any info on this

 

[jayjohnson000]

Most plastics can be dyed, but not all. Smooth glossy plastics are most difficult in my experience. I learned this trick dyeing RC car parts. And you can only go darker, not lighter. I have never tried to use a color remover. If you can fit the part into a pot of nearly boiling dye water, you can try it. If it can't take the dye, it just won't do anything. If you google dyeing plastics, you can probably find some better writeups with more details.

 

[the Ferret]

I like the darker cowl

 

[JohnnyAppleTree]

Most plastics can be dyed, but not all. Smooth glossy plastics are most difficult in my experience. I learned this trick dyeing RC car parts. And you can only go darker, not lighter. I have never tried to use a color remover. If you can fit the part into a pot of nearly boiling dye water, you can try it. If it can't take the dye, it just won't do anything. If you google dyeing plastics, you can probably find some better writeups with more details.

Thanks for all the info. I think I’m gonna try it on my silver pieces