Which parts do you paint, powdercoat, or Cerakote?

Cerakote brake calipers - right? That "gold" colour.

Some of the engine parts too.

Cerakote holds up better than either painting or powder coat, right?

And you can Cerakote in the colour "black" or ?

Just looking for your thoughts on what you prefer and what your experiences have been.

Some of my bikes are going to need some restoration so looking ahead for ideas. I will weigh how much I want to invest for each bike and it won't be the same for all - I don't think.

Thanks!!!

PS - Today I was informed of two local places that do powder coating, so at some point I will also pick their brain for some input.

PSS - I have a friend who does Cerakote in Mass, so will also hit him up for input. He does high quality restoration work for vintage vehicles.

 

Ooo, that is question indeed.

Ceracoat is a powder, just a certain brand that specializes in high heat applications. Limited colors, black the most prevalent.

 

Maybe another way to ask the question.

Why wouldn't you just use paint on what came from the factory painted?

What items are better off with Cerakote or powder coat - due to temperature and/or wear considerations?

And lastly - what items deserve something other than paint - because you want your bike to look special?

 

I had the engine of my 350 Cerakoted. All the exterior surfaces.

It cost a pretty penny, and it's nice to have the chemical resistance - I can clean it with whatever degreasers or even brakleen. I had it done in, I think aluminum? There are more Cerakote colors than there used to be.

That being said, a good paint job would look just as good, and you'll have more color options available. Like with anything else, solid prep, base coat, and clear coat make all the difference.

I was going through an engine rebuild so while waiting for camshafts, pistons, and other items I dropped the parts off for two weeks to be done.

 

Thanks, Ed - good stuff.

I'm a purist when it comes to restoration, so would try to stick with the same colours as the bike had from the factory.

I know there was some variation there on a few things on the 1st and 2nd Gen bikes. This is why when I see classifieds showing original examples, I grab as many of those photos as possible for future reference.

 

Like most things, "It Depends".

Powder coating is a lot less forgiving of poor surface preparation, but it makes for a really durable coating when done right. A proper powder coating job will get media blasted, possibly degreased/washed, and straight into coating and cure. If the shop has a bad/inconsistent temperature spread in their oven? Whole thing could come out like shit. If it's cured at the right temperature for the right amount of time, it'll come out awesome. If I'm paying someone to do wheels or a frame, I'm probably getting it powdered. You need to remove everything though. No masking off seals or bearings like you can with liquid.

A good liquid paint job looks better than a good powder paint job in almost all instances though. It's easier to touch up as well since matching a liquid touch up to a damaged powder coating is not simple.

I'm not familiar with cerekote, so no input on that one.

 

OK thanks, Matt. Good info! I like the idea of just doing a good paint job, as the bike came from the factory. But also looking for reasons to go in another direction, such as the brake calipers, valve covers, engine side covers, and maybe even the wheels.

We have some local powder coat places..... and in looking at their websites they seem legit:

https://www.powderkoteplus.com/index.html

https://jaspowdercoating.com/

http://www.volusiapowdercoat.com/

 

I had some brake calipers and brackets powder coated by someone who specializes in motorcycle parts a couple years ago. I was getting kind of a "deal" but didn't ask exactly how much. I knew that they would be masked properly (my #1 complaint regarding powder coaters) and just being a set of calipers and brackets for one motorcycle, wouldn't break the bank. I think this was at a time I was restoring a lot of brake components and was just fucking tired of doing it.

I just about shit myself when I got the bill. Beautiful and properly masked? Yes. Better than what I could do with quality paint and have very good chemical resistance? Not a fucking chance. Absolutely cemented the fact that I will never powder coat anything ever again.

These calipers and brackets I painted probably, 8 years ago, and just went thru being removed, drained and installed/ bled on a different bike last week, still look like I just did them. (best pic I have at the moment)



As Rib states correctly, prep and quality paint/clear are the keys. Fraction of the cost and near impossible to remove powder isn't in places it shouldn't (can't) be.

 

OK thanks, Capt.....very valuable input! Like I said......I would need some reasoning to get away from how the factory did it. I have no problem with painting, if done right like you guys said.

 

Input from my friend in Mass.........he does a lot of classic/vintage car stuff.....

--------------

You have 3 options Baz:
1) Cerakote (H and E series unless UV stability is important and then I use V, don't like C, it's dull and not as durable for real world auto use)

2) 2K paint, either from the local store or can that punctures a hardener vessel in the can, shake and lasts 2 days

3) Powder coating


I Cerakote everything from fans and housings to originally painted suspension parts. Their clear products are excellent for tumbled/polished Al suspension, Al/Mg transmission cases, front hubs, etc.

2K cans of paint are ok but spray control isn't great.

I wouldn't use powder on anything.

Given your stable, I would invest in a decent gun and shoot and bake everything with Cerakote.

 

I bought a media blaster from HF but haven't really used it yet - so looks like that will be the next step for me.

 

I use a variety of paints, most from Duplicolor, depending on application.

Chassis, wheels, brackets, etc - Their Wheel Coating products , including Clear, are great to work with and are durable if prepped and shot properly.

They have a new line of "1K" clears that I have been using that I am happy with.

SprayMax makes a 2K clear that doesn't have reactions to the Duplicolor paints. True 2 part in a can (as your friend describes). Durable and awesome.

I am used to spray cans, how they shoot and their limitations and I'm pretty fucking good with them. Done at home, with my music, on my schedule.






SprayMax 2K Clear on Duplicolor Ford Sonic Blue (near perfect match for Candy Aleutian Blue) spray out test piece. I puddled gas on it, let it evaporate in the sun, and wiped it with my shirt.



Quick color/clear test using just the normal Wheel Coating Clear Gloss. Came out so good, I polished out the slight orange peel and installed it.

 

Thank you, Capt.......those look fantastic!

 

Any insights on your prep work before painting, Capt (or anyone else)?

Media or sand blasting seems to be an efficient start on the prep work.

What else?

 

If the finish is bad (flaking, rusty, etc), I silica sand blast after I very thorough cleaning/scrubbing. I' have also used walnut shell, but I usually prefer the more aggressive silica. On some aluminum bits, the finish walnut shell leaves followed by a Matte Clear can look really good and subdued.

If the finish is still kinda decent, but needs a paint job (maybe it's stained or slightly marred) and/or you want a color change, the factory Honda paint makes one of the best "primers" in my experience. I wet sand to prepare the surface for paint and shoot right on that. Even if there's a few spots that are bare from sanding, it has been just fine. Sometimes I'll spot prime and re-sand.

One more thing on silica blasting, blend/sand any blemish you don't want see when your done BEFORE blasting. Any slight gouge or mar will appear to have been removed after blast, but WILL show when you paint. It's weird.

 

Ok great - good stuff.

Another question.....what do you do to get the part cleaned off of everything before painting? Blow off with air compressor and then wipe down with denatured alcohol or something else?

Heading out to do some errands but will check in later.

 

Anything that comes out of my blast cabinet gets scrubbed with a stiff brush using hot water and dish soap, rinsed thoroughly. Depending on the quality of your air supply for blasting, what seems to be free of dust after blowing off will still be quite dirty. Any moisture in your blasting air makes the dust want to stick pretty effectively.

I will sometimes use a light etching solution, like wheel cleaner or aluminum boat cleaner, during the final cleaning process. But the parts have to be cold with those products.

Using as hot as water as possible for a final wash/rinse gets the part itself quite warm, and after blowing off any standing water and droplets, the parts will air dry/evaporate before any substantial flashing starts on bare metal.

If I was just wet sanding an original finish, a good scrubbing with dish soap and thorough rinsing.

Sometimes certain parts will get a wipe down with alcohol, but rarely. Only if I think I have introduced oils/contaminants from my handling or something. Most parts like brackets, handlebars, steps, calipers, crankcase covers, triple clamps don't have to be NASA clean to look amazing.

 

Alright Capt stupid question, are all of your finished works rattle can, or a mix of rattle can and sprayer/air brush?

I was thinking of teaching myself to air brush and eventually spraying full bodywork. Surfboards and moto bodywork being my focus.

I suppose I need to itemize a list of equipment for this project.

My current method of “reworking” moto parts is:

Sonic bath
Sand blast-small glass bead- takes almost anything off
Vapor Hone- wet glass bead - natural satin finish on aluminum.
Sonic Bath - Fresh water - not heated
Isopropyl alcohol rinse
VHT Clear-3-4 coats
Cure 48hrs min with minimum temp of 65*
Reassemble

 

Everything you have seen me post of my work is rattle can. Hight quality automotive laquer, wheel coatings, various levels of clear up to 2K 2-part.. Even had some Color Rite mixed put into 2 part cans.

I have an old school gun, but for 99% of what I do, I don't need the setup/clean up. And I don't think my current water/moisture solutions are adequate. Multiple filters/separators, but I still get some.

Eventually I'm going to start doing larger body panels though.

The red fender in my earlier post I shot too.