Is spray-painting a VFR wheel / rim a good idea?

Discussion in 'Mechanics Garage' started by SouthTexasRich, Nov 23, 2013.

  1. SouthTexasRich

    SouthTexasRich New Member

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    Hi folks:

    I have a 6th gen that needs some bling on the wheels. I like the white rims but I know that keeping them looking nice will be difficult since this is my daily ride - I don't have a car. I ride about 1200-1400 miles a month, rain or shine, wet or dry, cold or hot. More use = more grime and to use those immortal words, "Ain't nobody got time for that!"

    Anyhoo, my idea is to paint just the flat outer portion of the wheel (closest to the tire bead). That way, when I clean, I can just focus on that and move on. I was going to powder coat them but since I'm continually broke I wondered if a good quality spray paint on a properly prepared wheel would work well. Maybe 3 coats white, 3 coats clear.

    I have a spare front wheel that is off the bike now and that I could really take my time with.

    My OEM wheels are the charcoal gray (powder-coated, I think) variety as opposed to the gloss black 5th gen wheels. The spare front that I have is a 5th gen gloss black version.


    So, in light of the above, here are the specific questions:

    Will spray paint adhere well to the wheels long-term?

    Would there be a difference in adhesion on the powder-coated wheels versus the gloss black wheel?

    Is there a definite right way to do this?

    Do any of y'all have experience using spray paint on rims? Did it work out?


    I appreciate any assistance and advice.

    - Rich
     
  2. OCLandspeeder

    OCLandspeeder New Member

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    If you take a good look at the '07's RWB wheels, they are indeed unique. They are not plain flat black, they are actually charcoal. In some light they look black but in other lighting conditions they look more charcoal and they match the side engine cases perfectly. In my opinion they are very cool looking. Just look at the current trend in sports cars today, many of them have flat black or charcoal black wheels!

    I thought about powder coating my wheels and may still do later. But if I did I would only make them slightly more medium grey in color. Otherwise, I really like just putting a red strip on the wheels. I think it really complements the color of the Anniversary edition. Plus, they are cheap to buy and apply! Finally, they don't require constant cleaning. Having said that, keeping your wheels clean is the best way to maintain the "bling" without costing you any money.

    Just look at this! Just the right amount of bling without going overboard! :single_eye:
    http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1057/5133575814_8a9720a0cc_b.jpg
     
  3. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    I think you may be disappointed in the results of spray painting your rims. If you paint them and decide you are not satisfied, then what? I would not do it. If money is a big concern, as it is with so many these days, then put away a little here and there until you have funds to get them powder coated. At that time, for the sake of a few bucks, try painting them and see how it holds up. If you are satisfied with the durability of paint, then spend the money you saved on some other bling. You are going to realize that paint is no where near as durable as powder coating in rims.

    Also, for the cost, I would follow OCLandspeeder's advise and try just some wheel tape first. That may be enough. I used to ride as often as you. I had my wheels powdered white since that time. If I were still to be riding that much, I don't think I would have gone to the white from the natural aluminum grey they were stock. White sure does show the dirt, especially the brake dust. If you don't keep your wheels clean of brake dust, it cakes up pretty hard and does not clean off well at all later. Especially in the crevices of the spokes.
     
  4. OOTV

    OOTV Insider

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    Having both white and the stock 6 Gen wheels, I can say with 100% certainty, you'd be cleaning your wheels a lot more with white wheels. Especially if you're commuting. With my '01 (white wheels) just using it for weekend play rides, after two rides the road grime/brake dust is very noticeable! With the '09 (charcoal/black wheels), I can ride all week (which typically do) and still barely notice the road grime/brake dust. That being said, painting the wheels should be OK provided you prep the wheel surface well first. Ironically sand blasting would give the best surface prep IMO, but that can cost about the same as powder coating. I'm sure others who have more experience will chime in soon on how to properly prep a wheel for best paint adhesion and longevity.
     
  5. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    Will spray paint adhere well to the wheels long-term?

    >>>Sure will. We are not talking using rattlecans from WalMart and prep that runs to just scraping off the big hunks.


    Would there be a difference in adhesion on the powder-coated wheels versus the gloss black wheel?

    >>> Both apps are a multi-stage process. First class powdercoating calls for stripping the old paint or coating down to bare metal. Paint can be applied over old powdercoating or old paint as long as the surface is properly prepped.



    Is there a definite right way to do this?

    >>> Yep, dozens.

    Do any of y'all have experience using spray paint on rims? Did it work out?

    >>> Yep. Lots but using paint that is made for the purpose, not because it's just paint.

    The powdercoat fans will tell ya that powdercoating is the next best thing to freezedried organic Jo-jo's . The painters and here we should just forget the rattlecanners will tell ya that paint is the next best thing since five gallon jugs of Big Red and 5lb Moonpies.

    My advice: Hit your local library, book store or shoot Jeff Bezos a few pesos on a how to book on automotive type painting and coatings...

    What any book is gonna tell ya in so many words that prep is a significant (bigass) factor in any type surface application of a material.
     
  6. OOTV

    OOTV Insider

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    Hey SRT, just to give you an idea of what white wheels look like after a couple of weekend rides...

    IMG_1199.jpg

    IMG_1200.jpg

    All clean now though, this weekend was a maintenance weekend! Washed both VFRs this afternoon!
    IMG_1204.jpg
     
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2013
  7. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    I forgot to address the choice of color for both powdercoated or painted wheels. Best IMO is "Brakedust Brown" .
     
  8. reg71

    reg71 Poser Staff Member

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    i sprayed mine but i chose a black that looked pretty close to the stock color. i was just trying to lose some of the scratches from tire changes. worked fine for that.
     
  9. betarace

    betarace New Member

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  10. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    Looks like great stuff for cages but not much info there about bikes with chrome wheels. Actually none...
     
  11. betarace

    betarace New Member

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    It works a charm. Wheels is wheels. Been using it for 15 years.
     
  12. SouthTexasRich

    SouthTexasRich New Member

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  13. SouthTexasRich

    SouthTexasRich New Member

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    Thanks y'all for all of the good advice. I appreciate it.

    I hadn't considered wheel tape before, but I think I'm going to try that first. Especially given that "Victoria" (my bike's name) is a RWB and is special haha

    If and when I want to paint, I'll refer back to this thread.

    See y'all out there!

    Rich
     
  14. jev.

    jev. over there

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    I went from powder coated white wheels to rattle can satin black. On the rear I stripped the coating off and started from scratch. That was a pain and I don't recommend it. The front I just lightly sanded and sprayed. I used wheel paint from autozone and it looks good. Hasn't really chipped or peeled so I'm pretty happy with them. Beats cleaning the white ones all the time.
     
  15. diVeFR

    diVeFR New Member

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  16. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    Anybody here running whitewalls?
     
  17. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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    I would like to see some empirical testing like spraying Randy with some of this stuff and sending him out in the rain. Full ATGATT of course and not as many would think since that would get him arrested.

    Application to wheels might be iffy if the stuff got on the tire bead. The usual questions come up.. How much does it cost? Is it available? What color is it? How long does an application last. Are there materials known to be non-compatible or dangerous when coated?
     
  18. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

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    You are about 1 step ahead of me Billy. I was thinking similar thoughts about trying it on some gear.

    If you read through the reviews, they do come up with a price. Not really cheap but it may be worth the price depending on your intended application. Also they are saying, by they, I mean it appears the agent of the product, that is dried to a translucent white colour and a matte finish, so it may not be ideal for our wheels. Looks like a neat product. Appears it is toxic as hell during the application process though.

    What I found amazing, but not surprising, was all the stupid people jumping on the thread there and asking the same questions over and over and over again when the agent has answered each and ever one of those questions. Again, the pharmaceutical companies need to do more research and develop a Stupidity Vaccination.
     
    Last edited: Nov 26, 2013
  19. Badbilly

    Badbilly Official VFRWorld Troll Of The Year!

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  20. nski

    nski New Member

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    Just painted mine. Found a post here with pics 2nd gen painting with tire on the rim, worked great. Degrease the wheel, wet sand as needed, break the bead on the tire and mask it off. I painted two stage, color coat, then gloss clear coat. Pull the masking off and inflate! You got a unmolested painted wheel ready to mount back on the bike. I thank the member here that gave me the idea, worked great!
     
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