Modern technology has brought great advances to minor auto body repairs, particularly those repairs involving dents and scratches.
Paintless dent removal (PDR) has emerged in recent years as a great alternative to the traditional body shop options.
Paintless dent removal is often used to remove minor dents from cars. However, PDR is not only for cars -- PDR can be a great benefit to motorcycle owners. Beyond just the paint job, there can be some very practical applications to PDR for motorcycles, particularly when repairing the gas tank.
For minor dent problems, PDR is the perfect solution. With the right tools and experience in the maintenance of motorcycles, or by using a PDR-trained technician, repairing your motorcycle gas tank can be a quick, painless, and much less expensive option.
What is PDR?
Paintless dent removal removes dents from cars and motorcycle gas tanks by working both from the inside and the outside. With motorcycle gas tanks in particular, PDR involves going back and forth between using tools on the exterior and interior of the tank and patiently working until the dent is removed. Having the proper tools is absolutely crucial to the success of PDR.
Benefits of PDR
There are a number of benefits to the PDR technique that make it a much better option than going to a traditional body shop.
Cheaper
First of all, PDR is much more affordable than a body shop. Body shops can be extremely expensive since the mechanics’ time is billed at a higher rate. A trained PDR technician will charge a much lower rate than an auto body shop, and doing the repairs on your own saves a great deal of money as well. However, it is advised not to attempt PDR unless you have the correct tools and knowledge of motorcycle maintenance.
Saves Time
Oftentimes, body shops will take days to repair your motorcycle, leaving you without your bike for a while. However, by either performing PDR on your own or having a PDR technician do it for you, you save a great deal of time. The typical paintless dent
removal of a motorcycle gas tank takes about an hour. Your bike will be ready to ride in no time.
Able to DIY
The other great thing about PDR is that it is possible to do on your own, given you have the correct tools and knowledge about the workings of your motorcycle. It does take a great deal of patience as well, but can certainly be done on your own.
While many car dents are repaired due to cosmetic reasons, dents in your motorcycle gas tank are far more than just a cosmetic repair. The gas tank on your motorcycle requires being in tip-top shape in order to properly function. The gas tank needs to be restored to what it looked like in the factory, and PDR is able to do just that.
Long gone are the days of having to remove the gas tank from the motorcycles, remove the paint, apply filler, and then re-paint the entire thing. With PDR, your gas tank stays right where it is and you work in the art of going back and forth between the interior and exterior of the tank to slowly “massage” out the dent.
A key part in getting rid of the dent via PDR is using the reflection of the motorcycle via light into order to catch every part of the dent. If the tank is dented, the reflection will be distorted where the reflected dent is. You can continue to check your progress on the dent by checking the reflection.
As the dent is worked out, the reflection will become less distorted. And by the time the paintless dent removal is complete, the reflection will be smooth.
PDR is a wonderful option because it can be used for a variety of purposes. Minor dents are no longer the big issue they used to be with the use of PDR. It is no doubt that the motorcycle community has a lot to benefit from paintless dent removal. As a more affordable option that saves a great deal of time as well as being something you can do on your own with the right knowledge and tools, PDR gives you a stellar alternative to a traditional body shop for your motorcycle dent repairs.