Repaint the frame. What paint to use?


TheGDog

Member
Sep 17, 2007
117
0
Hi Guys,

I'm contemplating stripping this 1990 KDX 200 all the way down to the frame and re-painting it, as I'm finding lots of little areas where the paint has rubbed-off from typical wear.

What type of paint is required?

Is there an easy way to get ahold of the same kind of paint the factory used? Such as the COLOR-RITE site?

Anybody ever re-painted their frame? How much cost in paint+supplies? Any hints/tips/tricks?

-TheGDog
TheGDog's MySpace Page
 
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bclark001

Member
Sep 12, 2007
230
0
powder coat is an excellent way to go or automotive paint, also re tap all threaded holes after painting/powder coat and cover any races for bearings or such places paint does not belong.

I also recommend media blasting the entire frame and check for cracks, bends and stress marks on the frame while it is torn down.

HHMMMM I wonder if you could get it sprayed w/ rhino liner LOL but hey it might be kinda cool.

good luck and have patience it will pay off in the end. If you know a body shop guy - for a case of beer i bet he would paint it or give ya some good advise LOL
 

TheGDog

Member
Sep 17, 2007
117
0
Please excuse my ignorance in this matter... but with powder coating... are you saying this is something a person cannot do themselves?

You said "have it powder coated". So it sounds like something you have to a shop do for you!?
 

FruDaddy

Member
Aug 21, 2005
2,854
0
Powder coating a frame will require a very large oven, larger than any that I have ever seen in a kitchen. There is also the matter of spending over $100 for the equipment to apply the powder. If you are only going to coat a frame, then nothing else, it isn't really worth the expense of buying your own equipment.
 

bclark001

Member
Sep 12, 2007
230
0
POWDER COAT= the frame will have an electrical current pass through it, the powder is then sprayed on to the frame and the electrical current makes it stick to the frame evenly then is baked on to make a long lasting shiny durable finish
 

uh_oh

Member
Sep 25, 2007
132
0
thing about painting it yourself is that it extremly hard to do right.
You have to strip the bike down, sand it, paint it and reasemble and pretty soon youll be right back where you started, with wear spots on the frame.
have it powdercoated, it works much better.
 

MaicoCPA

Member
Sep 5, 2006
38
0
Powder coat it. People used to make fun of me for having my dirt bike frames powder coated but after years of riding, the coating is not rubbed off the frame where my boots rub. It's only a little scuffed up. I can't say that for the factory KDX paint which was rubbed off down to bare metal after the first ride.

Make sure it's a shop well versed in motorcycle frame powder coating. I've seen some jobs ruined when grease in the head stock and swing arm pivots melted and ran out onto the coating.
 
Nov 11, 2009
1
0
owner

I have a powder coat shop in Texas and we strip/clean and coat dirt bike frames with a fluidization dip process. The coating thickness will average about 20 mils thick from this process. Only available in black, lifetime guarantee, $250.00. I can send a coated pieces of metal for you to check out. New at this and wanted to add phone number in case I cannot find my way back later. (sorry 1 post this is spam) ask for David.
 
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reepicheep

Member
Apr 3, 2009
670
2
I found ceramic engine spray paint at advance auto parts that is a "close enough" match for the kawasaki green on my 95. $5 a can or something...

I used it to spot touch up parts I had to weld back on (after a good cleaning and application of primer) or that had been chipped and rubbed through.

After the first full day of riding, my inside ankles on my boots have a nice green glow, and the frame has lots of little chips, but it looks better then it did. When it gets sufficiently annoying, I'll just get out some newspaper and masking tap and touch up anything I can see that bugs me.

So my advice would be that if you strip it all the way down to the frame (I was 90% of the way there, its a LOT of work), then definitely powder coat. And the silver paint job posted on the other thread looked really nice... much nicer then green.

But if you just want a marginally less ratty looking ratty dirt bike (my goal), then the green engine paint comes off really easy, but it also goes on really easy. Just don't go into it with unreasonable expectations.
 

ChrisCoyle

Member
Oct 30, 2007
13
0
If you're going to go through the trouble to totally disassemble your whole bike, do what I did, powdercoat the frame, cost me 180 bucks. Far superior to paint, you'll be glad you did if you plan on keeping the bike.
 

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