Is it hard to paint a bike? Cost for someone else to do it?

[berettafan]

The BMW R25 project is about to start moving along again after a delay due to a broken bearing carrier and piston difficulties. With the exception of working to get the motor back together my next area of concern is cosmetics. The sheet metal on the bike is pretty much rust free (but for the damned hinge) and holding original paint BUT it really could use some straightening and ding fixing.

So i'm wondering just how hard is it to paint a bike? I've got the headlight bucket, fenders, tank and a few other bits to do if i choose to fix the dings. I kinda like the idea of spraying, sanding, spraying, etc. and i think the only REAL cost would be the paint gun.

I have a 30 gallon air compressor and the 911 now runs so i can back it out of the garage for a day to paint.

Thoughts?

[Zeke]

I'd rather paint small parts than a whole car any day. You only have to worry about the shapes meaning you will have a lot of vertical surfaces right near horizontal. Paint likes to run if over applied, of course. A man once told me that if all the paint is the same thickness wet, it won't run unless you've really over done it. You have to watch the surface as you go very carefully so as to not overload a spot.

The one thing that always gets me is when I bump the gun on something. That instance of the gun not moving will inevitably produce a run. Go through your spray motions before pulling the trigger. Make sure your hose is free. Some car painters have an air hose on each side of the booth so as to not have to drag it around the car and get it caught. This is also important if you're moving amongst a bunch of loose parts.

[varmint]

the R25s were pretty bikes. and unless you're very confident, you might want to get it professionally done. the trouble is that it can be damn expensve at a shop. and 90% of the guys on craislist don't know what they're doing.


post some pics.

[the]

that would be REALLY easy to do. The current guns and 2 stage paints (base/clear) are very easy to work with.

Doing a car still has it's challenges, but small parts like on a motorcycle is a piece of cake. If you are capable of spray painting the parts with a spray can, you can do it with a gun.

[the]

Originally Posted by berettafan

I kinda like the idea of spraying, sanding, spraying, etc.

You won't need to do that. You don't sand the base coat. And most clears call for just two wet coats. You can put one extra coat on, then colorsand and polish it out, and it'll look perfect.

I love doing small parts, it's easy, but still very satisfying.

[berettafan]

So you only sand the clear coat on a base/clear paint job?

[the]

You'll need to read the instructions on the particular paint, but the two big ones I've used recently (Dupont ChromaBase and German Standox), and the few others I've seen, you most definitely do NOT sand the base coat.

With those two particular brands, the clear goes on so easily, and flows out so well, you don't really need to sand and polish at all.

Give it a try, you'll be surprised. It's really easy. The base goes on easy, because it comes out very "dry." Almost like coating something with powder, you'd have to almost try to get it to run. And the clear is very forgiving. Again, you almost have to try to make it run. You just get a few wet coats on, per the directions, and it "self levels" and flows out very nicely.

[Zeke]

Don't even touch the base coat. If you screw if up, stop, let it completely dry and then sand it. You will have to apply more BC before continuing.

[SLO-BOB]

From what i've read, the clean up is the hardest part.

Post pics!

[Tim Hancock]

I LOVE painting small stuff like bike parts. I seem to never get runs, dry spots or orange peel when doing the small stuff (cars and airplanes.... that is a different story ).

There are still plenty of good single stage paints out there so you can do that also. (Imron, Nason Fulthane, Centari, etc)

Centari single stage as sprayed



Imron single stage with clear to protect the new decal and to bury the two-tone black portion on top (light sanding of color at tape lines, then clear as sprayed)


Nason Fulthane single stage as sprayed.

[the]

Tim's work is awesome, as usual!

I used to use single stage only. I think because that's what I was used to, and it seemed in theory easier than base/clear.

But after being forced to use base/clear because of the metallic paint on a project a while back, I won't go back to single!

I've found that while of course you can get great results from either system, the base/clear is a lot easier to work with and easier to get good results.

[SLO-BOB]

Originally Posted by the

Tim's work is awesome, as usual!

+1

Love your work Tim. That Cushman is outstanding. Too few artisans left in this modern world.

[berettafan]

Lordy Tim that is inspirational!

What gun do you use and would a 30gal. tank be adequate for bike parts?

One other question Tim; i am trying to sell my MIL's Cushman (looks much like the one in your photo) but can't get the damn thing to start. It certainly seems to be getting spark and the float bowl definitely has fuel in it. The carb has been cleaned before and i'm kind of stuck.

[berettafan]

Pic of the Cushman and some detail shots of the BMW to give an idea of (original) paint condition...

[Nader]

You should do it! Bikes are easy and fun.

I've done all 4 of my little '65 Honda CL160s bare frame restos with Rustoleum for the sheer economy and convenience. I've shot through both the Harbor Freight little purple gun (sprays surprisingly well) and also used the rattle can. Though Rustoleum remains soft a long time, it's held up well to being left outside in the PacNW wet winter, and the endless chips and scrapes on my vintage racebikes are really easy to touch up. At the beginning of each race season it looks like I have new bikes.

That being said, for a real classic like the R25, use real paint.

[Tim Hancock]

Originally Posted by berettafan

Lordy Tim that is inspirational!

What gun do you use and would a 30gal. tank be adequate for bike parts?

One other question Tim; i am trying to sell my MIL's Cushman (looks much like the one in your photo) but can't get the damn thing to start. It certainly seems to be getting spark and the float bowl definitely has fuel in it. The carb has been cleaned before and i'm kind of stuck.

I have a bunch of paint guns and used to always use one of my traditional Devilbiss suction guns. For the last several years, I have been using a cheapo gravity fed "HLVP" gun I bought at a fly-in flea market. At the time, I bought it to just use for primer or aircraft dope, but after using it for a couple small quick jobs, I began to really like it. It is just a chinese or taiwan cheapo similar to the $15.00 ones at Harbor Freight, but I am used to it and I like it. I usually spray with 50-60 psi going to the gun and I don't have any problems to speak of. I have painted at least three cars and a couple airplanes with it and no longer lust for the high dollar Binks guns like I used to.

As far as your Cushman starting problem goes, it is hard to say. If it ran when you parked it and still has spark, I would guess it is fuel related. FWIW, gasoline made for the last year or two is CRAP. I have worked on many of my vehicles with bad gas and or plugged pilot jets in the past year sometimes with the gas only being several months old.

Were it me and I had a can of starting fluid, I would give it a squirt after checking for spark. It should fire on the ether and will then either clear itself out or run like crap on the low end due to a fouled up carb.

[Tim Hancock]

BTW, if you don't feel like doing a complete frame up resto on the BMW, you could do wonders to that thing with some slight touch up on the deep scratches and then some rubbing compound. That bike in your pics above does not look too bad. Might be worth attempting a serious detailing job thus keeping it "original".

If you lived closer, I would be happy to have you bring I over to work on it and assist you with anything I could.

[1967 R50/2]

1. For the previous pics of youro bike, I'd say it has nice patina. I would clean it, and forget about the repaint.

2. If you do repaint DO NOT USE A CLEAR COAT. None of the bikes back then had a clear coat and for some reason it just looks "Off".

Buy a copy of Roland Slabons restoration manual if you can find it. He makes several recommendations for paint. (White and Black) Niether of which are expensive or require clear coat.

[SLO-BOB]

Originally Posted by 1967 R50/2

1. For the previous pics of youro bike, I'd say it has nice patina. I would clean it, and forget about the repaint.

Helluva good point. Anyone can have a pristine, repainted bike (and they are cool no doubt), But, an original bike with patina (the exact word I use to describe the finish on my two original Hondas) took decades to produce and it can't be reproduced.

My red Dream has excellent patina all over. I definitely am not touching the paint, but I have a constant internal struggle about redoing the chrome and relacing the wheels with stainless.

[Dueller]

I vote for rubbing compund and wax...look how well the rims cleaned up. Keep it a "survivior."