Painting axle/hubs?

[WoodTRD]

While I'm waiting on my cylinder to get back from GT Thunder I'm working on some other stuff on my bike that needs attention. Whoever had my bike before me thought it would be a good idea to paint the axle and hubs yellow, with no prep work at all from the looks of it. Of course it's peeling off and generally looking like poo, so I hit it with a wire wheel to knock all the paint and rust off. Now that it's bare metal would painting it be better or just leaving it bare? Of course I'd scuff it up and clean it, and just paint it black. Not too worried about the color, just want to keep it from rusting and looking bad.
http://emob2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/WoodTRD/1c0fec78.jpg?t=1330815783

The wire wheel started taking some of the factory paint off the hub so I slacked off on it. I'll pull em off, strip and paint them back red if that would be best.

[BlasterEaten250]

I sanded my axle down to the nice bare metal and then put clear coat over it. It's held up really well with no rust. I did the same thing to my tie rods and they look awesome.

[426kidz]

powder coat!:D

[WoodTRD]

I'll probably paint two coats of black, scuff it with a scotch brite pad and two-three of clear...If it doesn't hold up I can always just blast it back clean and clear it.

Haha I wish I could powdercoat it, I want to get a little set up to do my own for all the little stuff in the future and have my frame done somewhere. Definitely won't be this season, already dumped more into it than the bike originally cost just in the past month haha. I'm way more go before show anyways...just hate rust.

[426kidz]

yeah paint barely ever holds up...pappy doesnt charge much and he's a beast...I would also love to set something up for little things