2008 Honda-Motorcycle Touch Up Paint (7 OEM Colors)

The 2008 Honda-Motorcycle Vibe

Welcome to 2008, the year the world went digital but your Honda was still making a very analog statement. This was the era of the Goldwing GL1800 and the VTX1300-machines built to swallow miles while looking like they were dipped in liquid jewels. If you look at our database, you'll notice a pattern: Honda was obsessed with red. Whether it was the deep, soulful Candy Alizarin Red Tricoat or the punchy Caliente Red Candy, 2008 was the year of the "Red Menace." It was a sophisticated palette for a time when we were all just figuring out how to use an iPhone 3G between pit stops.

Paint Health Check

Now, here's the rub. By 2008, we had firmly entered the Thin Paint Era. The factory robots in Kumamoto and Marysville had become dangerously efficient-applying the bare minimum of pigment and clear coat to save on weight and cost. The finish looked spectacular on the showroom floor, but the clear coat has about as much "meat" on it as a supermodel. If your bike has been living outside, those rich reds are likely flirting with "pinking" (fading toward a dusty rose) or, worse, the clear coat is starting to delaminate on the leading edges. Because the layers are so thin, rock chips don't just sit there-they act as a starting point for the clear coat to lift and peel away.

Restoration Tip

When you're fixing a 2008 Honda, you have to fight the urge to "blob and go." Because the factory finish is so thin, a heavy glob of touch-up paint will stick out like a sore thumb and won't level correctly. Build your layers slowly. Apply a thin whisper of color, let it tack up, and repeat until you're just below the surface of the surrounding clear. If you're working with one of those gorgeous Tricoats, like Cabernet Red, patience is your only friend. Don't rush the depth; if you try to finish the job in one pass, you'll end up with a dark spot that never quite matches the factory's robot-perfect thinness.