We are sick of cleaning dirt bikes and if you really want more details see or CR and RM stories, so here we just give you details of cheap and cheerful paint application

To start with, let me make it clear that the aim here is to do the job as cheaply as possible..

	The paint work on the frame is pretty hopeless, so a full repaint is required. This looks like the original paint (which should be black) so we started by stripping it back
	With only a layer of paint and undercoat, stripping the paint is fairly straightforward. We prefer to use a chemical stripper like Nitromors...just liberally apply it and leave for fifteen minutes until the paint starts to blister. Don't leave it too long to attack the paint with a wire brush or scraper as it will start to harden again. Scoring the paint first can often help the stripper to get into the paintwork
	Usually a couple of goes with the stripper is required, and this is what you should be left with. Using a wire brush to strip the paint also helps to get rid of the surface rust. Once stripped the surface should be treated with a rust treatment like jenolite, just to take the edge off the decay. Having treated the rust a quick rub down with wet and dry will prepare the metal for painting.
	We are going to use Silver Hammerite paint, mainly because we have a very large tin of it. We used a brush, which doesn't give a brilliant finish and requires a coupe of coats. The coats must be applied within an hour of each other, otherwise the paint will bubble. Once dry the paint can't be recoated for at least 3 weeks
	Once advantage of using a brush is that you can get into the tricky areas fairly easily and get a decent amount of coverage. We did the entire frame for about £7 of paint, not bad when you'd pay around £70 for powder coating.
	With the tank, we decided to keep the original paint, which although chipped, polished up well with a paint restorer which basically removed all the discoloured lacquer - this isn't an attempt to restore the bike accurately, but just to make a useable bike.