I dunno if you fellows have pulled the engine, but it isn't that-hard. Probably the toughest part was getting the stock exhaust re-installed. I made a thread about my process for that. Once I worked out the method, I was able to do it solo.
I estimate it took me three+ hours to yank the engine the first time. Now I know the procedure, it's quicker. If you take pictures and label things, you should be able to do it apart and back-together w/no hair-pulling, vexing, "where does this go?" issues. I have a factory manual and consult it before I do something. I'll go as-far as copying the pages and inserting them into plastic three-ring binder sheet covers, so the pages don't get greasy, and you can look at both sides of the page, easily. Kyle was kind-enough to give me a whole manual already copied into loose-leaf three-ring format, so I don't have to worry about splitting the spline og my factory manual I bought twenty years-ago, when I purchased my bike. That was part of the deal when I bought the bike from the dealer, a factory service manual, new, to-go w/the bike.
Sandblasting thoroughly removes nearly-all the dirt, grease, and other contaminants. Then you use a few scrapers and pointed awls & such to get the last bit of crud out of hard-to-access crevices. Then maybe another short session w/the sandblaster to target those areas. When you're done, you have great 'tooth' (ability to bind) on the engine surfaces, for the paint. A good soap & water session, maybe some narrow scrubbers to get into small areas, let it thoroughly-dry, and you're ready for paint. You don't need a spray-gun for a good engine job, just go to your local auto-body shop and get some good-quality paint cans, and take your time to 'mist' the coats, not too-heavy, you don't want to get full-color coverage in one pass. A couple of coats should make the color even and prevent puddling and runs. I am not a pro painter, but I can make it work for my uses for something not-critical like the engine surfaces. The body panels, I would leave to a pro. I have painted bikes when I was going to sell them instead of spending $$$ for a pro job, and they turned-out OK, but if it was something I was gonna hold-onto or something I was trying to get $$$ for, I'd let a pro do the body. But the engine, I would do it again, in a heartbeat. You can too, and it's not that hard to remove, blast, paint, and re-install the engine. If you were really motivated, you could take part of a day for each step, and have it done in < a week. You wouldn't even be working a full day for any part of it either. You just have to make the commitment, have the tools, equipment, supplies, and time, and then undertake it. To paraphrase one of my grandsons, "come-on Grandpa, you can do it!":biglaugh:
The last pic is what my bike looked-like when I pulled it out of storage, two & a half years-ago, and began to resurrect the thing. I've owned it twenty years, I bought it from the original dealer, barely a year-old, 1700 mi on the odometer. It still needs the frame and swingarm re-done, but we're in the midst of planning a big house remodel, "one project at-a-time!"
I estimate it took me three+ hours to yank the engine the first time. Now I know the procedure, it's quicker. If you take pictures and label things, you should be able to do it apart and back-together w/no hair-pulling, vexing, "where does this go?" issues. I have a factory manual and consult it before I do something. I'll go as-far as copying the pages and inserting them into plastic three-ring binder sheet covers, so the pages don't get greasy, and you can look at both sides of the page, easily. Kyle was kind-enough to give me a whole manual already copied into loose-leaf three-ring format, so I don't have to worry about splitting the spline og my factory manual I bought twenty years-ago, when I purchased my bike. That was part of the deal when I bought the bike from the dealer, a factory service manual, new, to-go w/the bike.
Sandblasting thoroughly removes nearly-all the dirt, grease, and other contaminants. Then you use a few scrapers and pointed awls & such to get the last bit of crud out of hard-to-access crevices. Then maybe another short session w/the sandblaster to target those areas. When you're done, you have great 'tooth' (ability to bind) on the engine surfaces, for the paint. A good soap & water session, maybe some narrow scrubbers to get into small areas, let it thoroughly-dry, and you're ready for paint. You don't need a spray-gun for a good engine job, just go to your local auto-body shop and get some good-quality paint cans, and take your time to 'mist' the coats, not too-heavy, you don't want to get full-color coverage in one pass. A couple of coats should make the color even and prevent puddling and runs. I am not a pro painter, but I can make it work for my uses for something not-critical like the engine surfaces. The body panels, I would leave to a pro. I have painted bikes when I was going to sell them instead of spending $$$ for a pro job, and they turned-out OK, but if it was something I was gonna hold-onto or something I was trying to get $$$ for, I'd let a pro do the body. But the engine, I would do it again, in a heartbeat. You can too, and it's not that hard to remove, blast, paint, and re-install the engine. If you were really motivated, you could take part of a day for each step, and have it done in < a week. You wouldn't even be working a full day for any part of it either. You just have to make the commitment, have the tools, equipment, supplies, and time, and then undertake it. To paraphrase one of my grandsons, "come-on Grandpa, you can do it!":biglaugh:
The last pic is what my bike looked-like when I pulled it out of storage, two & a half years-ago, and began to resurrect the thing. I've owned it twenty years, I bought it from the original dealer, barely a year-old, 1700 mi on the odometer. It still needs the frame and swingarm re-done, but we're in the midst of planning a big house remodel, "one project at-a-time!"
unk:
![Bike Phone Mount Holder, [Camera Friendly] Motorcycle Phone Mount for Electric Scooter, Mountain, Dirt Bike and Motorcycle - 360° Rotate Suitable for iPhone & Android Smartphones from 4.5-7.0 inches](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ZirRrsA+L._SL500_.jpg)
![JOYROOM Motorcycle Phone Mount, [1s Auto Lock][100mph Military Anti-Shake] Bike Phone Holder for Bicycle, [10s Quick Install] Handlebar Phone Mount, Compatible with iPhone, Samsung, All Cell Phone](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5113ZNM8R8L._SL500_.jpg)
![Bovemanx Motorcycle Phone Mount Holder, [150mph Wind Anti-Shake][7.2inch Big Phone Friendly] Bike Phone Holder, Motorcycle Handlebar Cell Phone Clamp, Compatible with iPhone 16 Pro Max Smartphones](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51F+1sontPL._SL500_.jpg)
