Maier Plastics Input

[SandNut777]

Hey guys whats up?


Ok I'm looking into buying some new plastics for my 400. I like the white but I'm not sure how it will clean up. If anyone has or have had white, let me know please. Next I like the black. I'm wondering if it shows every scatch like my Mustang does. Thank you to everyone whos replies.


SandNut777

[nevadanotch]

A black surface reflects almost all of the light that shines on it so it will tend to show every little scratch that is in the plastic. Just think of a nice black paint job that is clean but you can see every swirl and defect in the paint. My guess is your Mustang is black and the plastic on your quad will wind up looking worse than your Mustang (your plastic will wind up getting sand and dirt ground into it by your legs rubbing the sides of your quad and also by debris kicked up by other quads). The side panels on my 400EX are black and show a lot of wear from my legs rubbing them.

White on the other hand does not have the reflective properties that the black does. It will take quite a bit of abuse and all you really see is a loss of gloss (shine). Just ask anyone who owns a white vehicle. A white paint job will hide a lot of defects.

[Rip_Tear]

The only problem I have with Maier plastics is if you get the "stock" style plastics, there are those bolts or whatever that go though the plastics by the fenders. Black is one of the worst for showing wear etc. White will look good, but it also shows the dirt marks and such it in.

[Barrymaxx]

White can look really good if you maintain it well. It can get stained easily. As long as you wash it after every ride you should be ok.

[wsucougfan]

Ive had the Black Maier plastics on for a little under a year now and they show EVERY little scratch and scuff. A little buffing and waxing helps a little. But who really cares what it looks like when its covered in dirt, or flying past all those broke down yamahas. If you really want black, go for it, if you want to make it shine, wipe it down with some tire foam, or some WD-40 and it will shine like new (till you ride it again).

[SandNut777]

Originally posted by wsucougfan
Ive had the Black Maier plastics on for a little under a year now and they show EVERY little scratch and scuff. A little buffing and waxing helps a little. But who really cares what it looks like when its covered in dirt, or flying past all those broke down yamahas. If you really want black, go for it, if you want to make it shine, wipe it down with some tire foam, or some WD-40 and it will shine like new (till you ride it again).

Hey guys thanks for the input i thought the white plastics would be the better choice of the 2 . wsucougfan sounds like we have alot of the same parts do you have pics of your quad. 450r shocks HMF slip-on ect... You need to get a header for that HMF pipe the ProCurcuit header is really nice. THANKS AGAIN GUYS.

SandNut777

[<DRS>GPF]

i was going to go with white plastic, on a white frame, with safari stripes..:blah: it wouldve definitely stood out in the crowd..
my other option was orange plastic and a black frame with similar striping.. a few associated accessories..

but then i threw all that out and decided to match the color scheme of my truck, which was silver with checker flag logos..

i will say this about maier plastics..(please.. someone tell me that they are naturally this frustrating to assemble..)

what a pain in the arse..
i bought the set with many pieces (separate side panels..) and nothing seemed to line up..
i wanted to be sure to have full fenders and i thought it might be easier if i ever wanted to take the plastic off for whatever(trying to think ahead..)

-the front fender material was thin on the lower left portion closest to the tank, that is overlapped by the front area of the left lower side panel..
-the tank cover piece wasnt formed to the curvature of the front fender portion that covers the tank..
-the side panels left gaps when fully seated and i needed to open up one of the slots because it wasnt cut out in the correct position..
-the front fenders were warped and roll downward slightly on the right side..
-drilling some holes in the plastic is necessary.. it wouldve been nice if the factory drilled this for consistancy..

other than that, it was a joy..!!

bottom line.. i would recommend getting the set that has the 1 piece front..

here's a couple of pics.. it still turned out good.. the graphics hide the discrepancies..

[<DRS>GPF]

..

[wsucougfan]

Originally posted by SandNut777
Hey guys thanks for the input i thought the white plastics would be the better choice of the 2 . wsucougfan sounds like we have alot of the same parts do you have pics of your quad. 450r shocks HMF slip-on ect... You need to get a header for that HMF pipe the ProCurcuit header is really nice. THANKS AGAIN GUYS.

SandNut777
Hey here are some pics of my quad. These first two pics are right after I put the new plastics on. I dont have the 450 shocks or the handlebars on in these pics.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y45/WsuCougFan/quad/black001.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y45/WsuCougFan/quad/black004.jpg

This pic is from last month down at the sand dunes.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y45/WsuCougFan/quad/dunes008.jpg

If i did it again I would probably go with fullbores, the Maier were a pain to put on and you have to drill your own holes. I heard the fullbore come pre-drilled and are much easier to put on.