1986 Suzuki-Motorcycle Touch Up Paint (3 OEM Colors)

The 1986 Suzuki-Motorcycle Vibe

1986 was the year Suzuki decided that "fast" wasn't enough; they wanted "technical." While the GSX-R1100 was busy scaring the pants off anyone with a license, the rest of the lineup was leaning hard into that high-tech, industrial aesthetic. We've focused our database on the survivors of this era-the ones that didn't just end up as a pile of parts in a shed. We're talking about the iconic "stealth" palette: Oort Grey Metallic, Shadow Black, and Sonic Silver. These weren't just colors; they were the uniform for a generation of riders who thought fairings should look like fighter jets.

Paint Health Check

Welcome to the Peeling Era. In 1986, the industry was moving away from the "thick as a brick" single-stage paints of the 70s and experimenting with this new-fangled thing called clear coat, especially on these metallic finishes. It looked great in the showroom, but here's the rub: 1986-era clear coat has the structural integrity of a bad secret. If your Suzuki has been living outside, you're likely seeing "delamination"-that's a fancy word for your clear coat deciding it no longer wants to be friends with the base color. It starts as a weird, milky haze and ends with flakes of plastic-looking skin peeling off your tank.

Restoration Tip

If you've still got the original shine, don't let a single rock chip go untreated. In this era of paint, a tiny chip isn't just a cosmetic blemish; it's an entry point. Once moisture and air get under that early clear coat at the edge of a chip, the "lift" begins, and it'll march across your fairing like a slow-motion wave. Use a precision touch-up pen to seal those edges immediately. If the clear is already flaking, you can't buff your way out of it-you're sanding back to the base and starting over. Catch it early, or you'll be repainting the whole bike by next season.