2014 Yamaha Touch Up Paint (2 OEM Colors)

The 2014 Yamaha Vibe

Welcome to 2014, the year Yamaha decided to wake up and remind everyone why they're the heavy hitters of the street. This was the era of the "Dark Side of Japan." You had the raw, three-cylinder hooliganism of the FZ-09 and the stripped-back, garage-built attitude of the Bolt. It was a year for colors that looked like they belonged in a back alley at midnight. While we've cataloged the survivors, the two that really defined the line were Raven and Black Cherry. Raven was that deep, aggressive black that made everything look fast standing still, and Black Cherry had a pearl depth that only came out when the streetlights hit it just right.

Paint Health Check

By 2014, we were deep into the Thin Paint Era. Those factory robots in Japan were getting a little too good at their jobs-they figured out exactly how many microns they could shave off a coat to save a yen without it looking like primer. The result? These bikes looked stunning on the showroom floor, but the clear coat is notoriously soft. If you've been riding your FZ-09 since day one, you've probably noticed that the fuel tank picks up scratches if you even look at it with a zipper on your jacket. It's "wafer-thin" protection, and once a rock chip hits, it doesn't just sit there-it tends to crater because there's no meat to the paint.

Restoration Tip

When you're touching up a 2014 Yamaha, forget everything you know about "one and done" fixes. Because the factory finish is so thin, a big, thick blob of touch-up will stand out like a sore thumb. You need to build your layers slowly. Apply a thin coat, let the solvents flash off completely, and then come back for more. Think of it like a professional spray job-multiple thin passes are always better than one heavy mess. Since our formula is solvent-based, it's going to bite into that factory clear and flow out smooth, but you've got to give it the time to level. Don't rush it; your Raven deserves better than a lumpy tank.