Best/most durable frame paint ??

[JimmyHoffa]

Okay... I did lots of searches and didn't come up with much. I'm going to gusset my 450r frame this weekend (okay... yeah... I'm tearing the whole bike down) and I wanted to know what types of experiences people have had with the longevity of different frame paints. I had some ideas:

Strip it with aircraft remover (Is there anything better? Let me know.)

Clean it thoroughly with lacquer thinner.

spray on some black etching primer.

get a good enamel, and spray on. (probably charcoal gray/a little darker than factory Honda)

Clear coat with... I HAVE NO IDEA. The crappy stuff from Lowe's is a joke. Is there a good spray-can clear coat? I haven't found anything.

Any painting knowledge would be appreciated.

[trx400EXtreme]

ive always heard good things about pj1 paint.

[JimmyHoffa]

good to know. I saw that on a different thread a long time ago. I heard it was thin, but when applied right, it's strong. Keep 'em coming.

[Dr89]

before wiping it down with laquer thinner for best results your going to want to sand the entire frame with like 200 grit sand paper. paint really needs a pretty rough surface to bond to when it comes to metal. ppg paint and pj1 are good...but really longevity is going to rely more on your prep than your paint. i've got walmart spray paint that cost me $0.96 per can on my side cases that has lasted for several, several months now.

oh yea and when you strip it just use that stripper and let sit for like 20 mins and then take it all off with a wire brush, then move in to your sand paper, then if you have a power washer use the finest tip you have and go at it, then wipe down with thinner. but let the frame sit over night before painting to make sure all the laquer evaporates. this will all really help the paint stick no matter what kind you get.

Well what I did was used high temp engine paint from fleat farm. I used no primer i just cleaned the parts with water and I put a good 5-10 coats. After every couple rides i would clean up the A-arms and spray a "clear" high temp engine spray paint coat on them. That way the clear would wair off instead of the red. It held up perfect. The clear would wait and not the red. A-arms would need touch up once in a while but it looked good. The A-arms would would scratch up mostly at the bottom. Heres some pics. I didnt drive in much sticks and tall grass it was mostly motocross conditions and it held up almost perfect.

I my self think paint is better. PC can look better but alot of PC dont really look much better than paint. You can go with powder coating or just spray painting and it dont matter both will chip and scratch, mainly on the A-arms and bumpers. You scratch/chip powder coated parts they stay that way you cant touch them up. Painted parts you can sand for 2 mins and then put a new coat of paint on them and they look good as new. Just make sure the part your painting you take off the quad. That way it looks good. You dont want over spray that is what makes painted quad parts look bad. What I would do is paint the frame and crap and put a full chissis skid plate under it to keep the bottoom good. That way it would stay looking nice. Only spots i needed to touch up where the lower front of the A-arms and the side of the frame where my legs where. But it only takes a few mins to make look good as new.

Also For engine painting you do not need engine paint. Normal paint will hold up and heated up paint actualy bonds better. If you want to paint eth exhaust high temp engine paint wil not work. I used 1500 degree paint and it burnt on the header.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/getdrunk1990/andy-2.jpg
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/getdrunk1990/Andys4whlrmissyscake018.jpg
http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n26/getdrunk1990/4wheeler089.jpg

[xrdrsux]

PPG concepts paint. You can get a single stage or base coat clear coat.

[f4istunna]

Rhino liner ;)

Ive had good luck w/ rustoleum w/ proper prepping. Heard good things about the PJ1 also but never tried it.

I used truck bed liner on my raptor for now until i need to to complete tear down then ill do powdercoat for durability. the bedliner is holding up great so far, did my swingarm, bumper, nerfs on the wifes bike, and her bumper. I got one little chip after a few rides/races and i take saplings out like i get paid for it lol. Prep same as paint.

[BigBore24]

when i did my frame i just took a wire wheel to the bad spots and sanded everything else. then i had a gallon of paint mixed with hardener in it and just brushed it on. that way you can put it on thick and if you get thick enough paint and a good brush there will be no brush strokes. i also went back over it with some spray on clear coat. it is holding up really well. i touch up the a arms and a couple other spots every couple months but im real happy. not saying its the best way though, it just worked for me

[Dr89]

but BigBore, i just saw that your from Franklin IN and i go through there all the time on my way from home in ky to home in IN and i always think it looks like it should have some sweet riding areas...anything besides haspin acres very close?

[BigBore24]

not really anything in my area. i go to haspin as often as i can but it is an hour and half away. ive heard good things about the badlands at attica and would like to make a trip up there this summer. let me know if your ever going to haspin and wanna ride.

[JimmyHoffa]

you guys have awesome lives. The closest place for me to ride is 1 hour 15 minutes away. Plus, my neighbor has called the police on me for drying my bike off on the street in front of my house after I wash it.

[JimmyHoffa]

Oh... and I bought some PJ1 primer, silver frame paint, and clear coat. They stopped making almost all of their OEM match paints because of an issue with their chemical supplier, so I busted through about 20 gallons of diesel whilst driving around collecting the last few cans that dealers and shops had left of what I needed.

[Dr89]

i've been to attica too and it is VERY sweet...its not as big as haspin, or didnt seem like it at least, but there's a lot of variety and the trails are a lot "cleaner" if you know what i mean, if you've been to haspin you prolly know what i'm talking about haha, its pretty rough sometimes. but thats cool i'll try to let ya know

Hoffa, post some pics when you get it all finished :D

[JimmyHoffa]

naturally! Pics soon. Frame gets paint today.

I ended up staying up until about 1:00 last night (morning?) grinding and welding. I got the BARE gusset kit, but it left out some things that I thought to be important (i.e. footpegs, lower steering stem bearing brace, lower front bulkhead/bumper mount bracing) so I pulled up LSR's gusset kit installation help page and copied their kit onto my bike with some scrap steel flat stock I had. I essentially have both BARE's and LSR's gusset kit on my bike at the same time. Over on a stainless steel table in the corner sits both of my case halves, ready to have the updated crank put in, so my bike should be bulletproof when all is said and done.

[OutlawBill]

for tuff paint try Por-15 http://www.por15.com/

[BigBore24]

Originally posted by JimmyHoffa
you guys have awesome lives. The closest place for me to ride is 1 hour 15 minutes away. Plus, my neighbor has called the police on me for drying my bike off on the street in front of my house after I wash it.
sounds like your neighbor is an ***hole. I have had the cops called on me for riding before, but never for washing and drying my quad. someone alerted the subdivision association on me for having my trash container beside the house instead of inside the garage. neighbors suck (most of the time) and subdivisions do too

[Dr89]

haha thats funny, i've never lived in a subdivision but i dont believe i'd do to well with neighbors acting like that. i live in the middle of no where surrounded by hills and creeks, lol i can mow naked or pis* right off my front porch if i feel like it :D

[trailrider894]

Originally posted by Dr89
haha thats funny, i've never lived in a subdivision but i dont believe i'd do to well with neighbors acting like that. i live in the middle of no where surrounded by hills and creeks, lol i can mow naked or pis* right off my front porch if i feel like it :D

same here... i know i've pissed off the front porch. I talked on the phone outside for 1hr in my skivvies before!!!

[evan402]

Originally posted by trailrider894
same here... i know i've pissed off the front porch. I talked on the phone outside for 1hr in my skivvies before!!!

i really need to get out of the city!

[trailrider894]

Originally posted by evan402
i really need to get out of the city!

Yep, when you can just pee anywhere you want on the spot, it makes you feel like a free man!! I live on about 60 acres. Working on a 15 acre MX track with a circle track for cars intertwined.

[evan402]

Mid Missouri huh? where exactly do you live so i can calculate the drive :D

[trailrider894]

Between St.Louis and Columbia. lol

[evan402]

haha that would be a hell of a little drive, at least 7hrs:ermm:

[trailrider894]

Originally posted by evan402
haha that would be a hell of a little drive, at least 7hrs:ermm:

ha ha i was up in omaha awhile back with some buddies. We always do a summer project to help people out, and we went to a-lot of the homeless shelters up there.

[evan402]

very cool, i visit the homeless shelter in downtown every once in a while, totally different reasons tho...

I have a cousin with some drug induced mental problems and he is in and out of there

[trailrider894]

Originally posted by evan402
very cool, i visit the homeless shelter in downtown every once in a while, totally different reasons tho...

I have a cousin with some drug induced mental problems and he is in and out of there

whats the name of the place?

[evan402]

Siena Francis House its off like 15th and Nicholas

[trailrider894]

Originally posted by evan402
Siena Francis House its off like 15th and Nicholas

Thats were we went... great place there. Real nice facility. Some of the people out there are absolute geniuses.... Now i am wondering if your cousin was there...

[evan402]

i wouldnt doubt it, he is about 6'5 and super thin, obviously. And he is 24 now.

[anderson3064]

Originally posted by Dr89
but BigBore, i just saw that your from Franklin IN and i go through there all the time on my way from home in ky to home in IN and i always think it looks like it should have some sweet riding areas...anything besides haspin acres very close?
i myself have never been to haspin acres. but from most of the people that i know that do go tell me to stay home. drunk dudes on quads, sandrails hog the trails and force quads and bikes off to the side. not saying thats all true but I have heard it from more than a few people. the badlands are awesome. they got some small dunes, some hill climbs, some trail riding, some very fast open areas. got a hamburger and hotdog joint in the middle of the place. I love it there. no camping on property though but its cool. i am going to find out for myself about haspin but the badlands are definitly worth the drive...