2001 Suzuki-Motorcycle Touch Up Paint (3 OEM Colors)

The 2001 Suzuki-Motorcycle Vibe

Welcome to 2001-the year the Hayabusa was busy redefining "fast" and the GSX-R was the undisputed king of the track day. Back then, Suzuki wasn't interested in being the loudest color in the parking lot; they were interested in looking like a piece of high-speed aerospace equipment. The palette was all about that Y2K "tech" aesthetic. We've focused on the survivors of this era, curated in the three shades that defined the turn of the millennium: Oort Grey Metallic, Shadow Black, and Sonic Silver. These weren't just colors; they were a statement that you were riding something built for velocity, not for show.

Paint Health Check

We are deep in The Peeling Era here. By 2001, Suzuki had moved fully into the basecoat-and-clearcoat system. It looked a mile deep when it left the showroom, but twenty-plus years of sun and road grit have a way of testing that bond. The biggest threat to a 2001 frame or fairing is "Delamination." This is where the clear coat decides it's had enough of the base coat and starts to lift. On these bikes, you'll usually see it first on the top of the fuel tank where a few drops of spilled gas have weakened the edge, or on the leading edges of the fairings where tiny rock chips give the wind a place to start peeling the clear back like a sunburn.

Restoration Tip

The secret to keeping a 2001 finish alive is early intervention. Because this era of paint relies on that clear coat "shell" for protection, a single rock chip is an invitation for moisture and air to get underneath the layers. Once that clear starts to lift, there's no "polishing" it back to life-you're looking at a full respray. My advice? Seal your chips immediately. Don't let a tiny nick in your Sonic Silver fairing turn into a palm-sized flake. Clean the area, dab your touch-up precisely, and level it off. You're not just fixing a spot; you're anchoring the rest of the paint to the bike.