motorcycle frame painting?

[Duleyman]

When you paint a frame for a motorcycle are the steps any different than the rest of the bike? I have been painting along time but have never done a frame. Any tips for hanging the frame etc. would also be appreciated. Im asking this question because it seems that the frame needs to be more durable!

 

[TWISTED]

If you want the frame to be an exact color match then you paint it the same as you do the sheetmetal. I hang a piece of pipe from the ceiling of my garage and stick it through the neck.
For the best durability I'd go with powdercoating. They have a pretty good color selection and it will hold up to the road abuse better than paint.

 

[flamethrower]

Go with the powdercoat! You should be able to get very close to the color you need if not exact and powdercoat is the only thing that is going to hold up to the road on a frame. I saw a bike at a show not long ago. The guy that painted it was so proud and it was a sweet paint job, but he painted the frame the same as the bike and didn't powdercoat it. When he bolted everything back on, he took out some chips that a quarter wouldn't cover. It looked like *&%#! Go powdercoat on the frame! Save yourself the "Geez, I wish I woulda..." routine. Unless it's just for show and you're going to trailer this thing everywhere, really consider how much work you're putting into it and do the math. POWDERCOAT!

FT

 

[Duleyman]

Thanks guys, I was thinking that regular painting would chip real easy, even with epoxy primer as a building block. I thought about powdercoating but will have to find a shop that can do it, or maybe I can purchase the equipment if not to price prohibitive. Well time to make some calls. I'm painting the bike in tangerine kk by hok with a tribel looking eagle on top of the kandy coat in black with some tribel looking graphics in pavo purple and some
limetime pearl fades with some punched out highlights pinstriped in black and buried in clear for no edge. should be a show stopper. Im painting the bike for a new start up chopper builder called Choppers wild. I was thinking of applying some 3m clear mask to some of the frame tubes where it might take a beating, this stuff seams to hold up well and gives lots of protection against chips etc. Well time to get back to airbrushing. have a great day.

Bye
The Duleyman

 

[t-boy62]

Make sure the powder coater you choose knows how to do motorcycle frames. If not prepped correctly, as the frame heats up, grease and oil in the neck and swing arm pivots can melt and ruin the whole job.

 

[Pigpipes]

I've painted several of my builds and while it's not quite as durable as powdercoat, Ive found that it holds up well. Two and three years and 8-10k miles later, no chips. If I can't get a close match on the powdercoat, I'm not afraid of paint. Just be careful when it comes to assembly and make sure you take the paint off the frame where the motor & trans mount if it's a hard mount, as the paint will pulverize itself from the vibration and you'll have a loose motor.

Sounds like the chipped one you looked at was poor paint or the guy was in a big hurry.