What type of paint are Factory Frames covered with?

[MikeT]

I don't want to waste my time using the wrong type of paint on my kids bike frame. Does anyone know what type of paint the Factories use on thier frames? I'll be painting my sons KX60 frame and I just want to do it right. The previous owner used a spray can and since I am dissasembling the bike and I need to reweld the steering stop, I want to use the right paint.

This paint will be professionally applied with the proper spray gun.

Any Ideas?

 

[KelvinKDX]

I had a bike frame (KX100) stripped and powder-coated. Came out beautiful with a pretty durable finish.

Sorry i do not have the answer on exactly what paint the factories use on frames.

 

[XRpredator]

I would imagine they use a laquer from the factory. You'd probably do better with eurethane enamel. Powder coat would be most durable, though.

 

[Patman]

I've used urathane's with a clear coat and frame guards on a few bike with good results.

 

[ur730im911]

use some rustoleum paint the kinda that come in a paint bucket should work out with very good results i weld and ive painted alot of metal with this paint ;)

 

[MikeT]

The Green color that Kawasaki uses isn't available from the powder coater so Since they probably use paint at the factory it will probably be OK to go with that.

My brother said he thinks they use a single stage enamel but that is just a guess.

 

[Jaybird]

Mike, if you are going to use a gun, I would go with a DuPont Imron(sp?).
Sand and prep, use primer, and both basecoat and clearcoat. That paint is some of the toughest automotive grade paint I've ever seen. Doubt if you will get a good match on color there either though.

I wouldn't worry about it too much, as just about anything will get scraped off in a good crash.
PJ1 is the way to go if you want to both match color, and have a paint that is mfg grade. If you are wanting to just spot paint, then their spray bombs are the way to go. But again...I would go with any base primer, then the basecoat (color), and clearcoat that PJ1 offers.

The metal that got welded is going to be far more suseptable to rust than metal that hasn't been heated, which makes the primer step very important. You may think about finding a zinc primer.

 

[MikeT]

I plan on having the frame bead blasted and then I messed up with what my brother said. He wants me to get

Omni Plus single stage urathane paint.

I guess that is pretty good stuff. I know the Imron stuff is good but the fact that it would need a clear coat will drive the cost up to more than I want to spend.

We will be priming the frame with some sealer type stuff that he mentioned.....don't know what it is.

 

[XRpredator]

We will be priming the frame with some sealer type stuff that he mentioned.....don't know what it is.

probably DP40 or some other member of the DP family

 

[MikeT]

I got the paint. Omni AU paint. They (PPG) has a color that is really close to Kawi Green it's called Get'em Green. Took them like 5 minutes and they mixed up a pint. $16.50

I took the color sample down to the Kawi dealer and matched it up to the Street bikes painted green. It is somewhere between that and the fender color. Really close. Much better than the spray can stuff that is on there right now.

 

[XRpredator]

We've used the Omni product here on our trucks on occasion. Relatively durable. You should have good luck with it.

 

[MikeT]

I'll tell you how it goes when I do it. Next step is to get is bead blasted.

 

[gwcrim]

If I've gone to the trouble to get a bike to the bare frame, especially a dirtbike, I'd sure as heck have it powder coated. The difference is huge!

 

[thebleakness]

Who has powder coated their frame? I'm curious as too how expensive it would be. I'm thinking that if I ever get enough money I am going to powder coat the frame black, buy all black plastic, black rims and then I would have a sick totally black KDX. :D