Hydro-Dipped Dirt Bike

Want a wild, cool new look for your dirt bike? We did - and produced this great looking finish that is unique and unlike any other dirt bike plastics!

I know, this is a little Baja 70cc - not the Apollo 125 - but hey, it is me washing a dirt bike - so that works! Paint does not stick to dirt, so the parts have to be thoroughly cleaned. A good dish soap (like Dawn dish soap) is good - because it cuts grease!

We picked up paint from ACE Hardware. We decided on neons yellow, pink and a bright blue.

Once the plastics are removed, peel off all the stickers. THEY ARE TOUGH! We found that using a putty knife to remove the stickers works well. Be careful... digging the stickers off with your fingernails - can be painful if you are not very careful. Wipe everything down really well to make sure ALL the dirt has been removed - thoroughly.

The Apollo 125 plastics are black. While that CAN work - it tends to be too dark. So, we discovered that painting the base the brightest of the selected colors works REALLY well. We chose neon yellow as our base.

Be sure and allow the pieces to thoroughly dry before beginning to dip. We painted our pieces the day before the dip.

• Acrylic paints
• Long rubber gloves
• A large waterproof container (we used a large white kitchen trash can with a trash bag as a liner.)
• A garden hose
• Cardboard or paper to lay the painted pieces on after dipping

Fill up the trash can with water - about 6-inches from the top.

Spray the paint in sequence into the trash can. When the paint hits the water - it spreads out in a ring. We alternated between Pink and Blue. You will continue to spray for several minutes... alternating.

Grab hold securely to some part of the plastic on the back - and dip it s-l-o-w-l-y into the water. The paint will adhere to the surface in COOL swirly pattern. Be sure an lay the plastic down on its back so it can dry.

You will need to scoop out the used paint between each piece done - then start the entire process over again.

You will want to put 2 coats of clear gloss on top of the plastics. Once it completely dries, put the plastics back onto the bike. enjoy your NEWLY hydro-dipped dirt bike!!!

You can wash as good as you can - but the spray paint really sticks to skin! Use fingernail polish remover to take off the paint you can't easily get off. Trish helped Mat scrub the paint off of his arms (up to his elbows).