I recently tried out some 303 Graphene Nano Spray Coating that Mike had sent to me. I tried it on some smaller parts as a test bed... A front fender on one of my bikes and a set of spare motorcycle wheels.
Here's my initial impression...
It worked great, easy to apply and buff, it looks good - real good, and I'm happy with it's performance in every way except one... It doesn't leave the surface feeling as slick as a wax or sealant would. If I lightly drag a microfiber towel across the fender I could feel the drag increase as I reached the spray coated portion. Whether or not that means anything is certainly debatable but it is something I observed. I like the slick feel of wax/sealant.
I think it is a really great product for the set of wheels I used it on and will continue to use it in that application, but I'm not sure I would use it on my entire bike or truck. I think I'll stick with the waxes and/or sealants for those applications.
[FONT=&]Here's a follow-up to my initial impressions of the 303 documented in Post #112 back in June...
I just used the referenced 303 for the first time on a complete job... A motorcycle detail job. Previous to this complete job I had only used the product on a set of motorcycle wheels and a small test section of a painted fender. The primary characteristic of the 303 that I noticed then was it's "sticky" or "grabby" nature when wiping off and the non-slick nature of the finished parts.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]That hasn't changed. It's the nature of the product.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Nevertheless, I decided to give it a more determinative test. I used my 2002 Harley Softail Deuce as the test specimen.
[/FONT]View attachment 74152
[FONT=&]I have to say that I am really impressed with the final results. The bike looks phenomenal... The paintworks, the chrome, the plastic, even the matte black control housings.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]If you can get by the non-slick attribute of this product, it impresses in every other sense. When I say "non-slick", I'm comparing to a typical wax or sealant. It's not that bad, it's just not as slick as your typical wax or sealant.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]The ease of use can't be beat. Just wipe it on, let it haze, and wipe it off. As the haze time increases, so does the "stickiness" during wipe off, but as you develop your process with the product, it's no big deal.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]I found the best method for wiping is to initially wipe in a single direction by placing one hand on top of your wiping towel and using your other hand to pull the towel. This will remove the bulk of the hazed product without the towel rolling or twisting under your hand like could happen if you wiped in a typical one-handed manner. Once the bulk of the hazed product is removed, follow with another clean, fresh towel and finish buffing in a typical manner.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Following this usage of the 303 on my bike, I think it was a good choice. Good enough that I'm now more inclined to try it on a car in the future.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]Great Product![/FONT]
[FONT=&]Here's a link to a thread with a description and several more pics of the detailing process should you be interested... [/FONT]2002 HD Softail Deuce - Extreme Detail (autogeekonline.net)
I did one of my bikes with 303 about a month ago and my other bike back in June with Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Wax.
After reading your questions on the slickness I went out to the garage and checked the slickness of each. Mind you, this is a completely subjective test so I wouldn't take my findings to the bank, but what I found is that the 303 bike does feel a little slicker today than it did when I first applied it.
Since applying the 303 that bike has been wiped with Meguiar's D115 as a quick detailer probably 3 or 4 times so that may be influencing my perceived improvement in slickness. Regardless, the other bike with the Ultimate Wax is definitely slicker.
I think the "thicker" feel is due to the rubbery, non-slick characteristic... It's not really all that weird - I know exactly what you're talking about. Either that or you and me are both weird LOL.
Here is what I think will be my final take on this 303 product. I've included my previous posts so that all of my interim reviews are together in one post.
Yesterday I tried out the 303 on my black truck. As it turned out, I was right in my first review when I said I didn't think it was the right product for my entire truck. The truck looked great with exceptional gloss but the lack of slickness just isn't working for me.
As a final step, several hours after applying the 303, I wiped the entire truck with a quick detailer. What a pain... The surface was so grabby I couldn't easily wipe the QD. The rag had a tendency to stick and roll under my hand. What should have taken a few minutes took infinitely longer because of this. It was at this point I decided the 303 isn't for me and my truck.
Previously I also used the 303 on one of my bikes and was really impressed with the aesthetics it provided. I still had the "sticky nature of the product issue", but on the smaller surfaces of the bike it was manageable and I could accept it. The bike looked so good that I decided I would try it on the truck when I got a chance.
The "sticky" nature of the 303 was not as manageable/acceptable with the larger panels of my truck. While the truck did look amazing, the "sticky" nature of the 303 was a deal-breaker for me. Simple QD and/or waterless maintenance is too difficult with the "sticky" surface as described above.
I ended up applying a coat of Meguiar's Ultimate Wax over the 303 to improve the slickness.
In summary, while I was (and still am) impressed with every other characteristic of the 303, the "stickiness" is a definite fault for certain applications and my truck is one of those.
If 303 could reformulate this product to improve the slickness while still maintaining all of its other attributes I'd love to try it again. But until then, my usage will be limited.
