KX Riders
Maintenance & Technical => KX500 Original => Topic started by: USMC 500 on January 28, 2010, 03:00:34 PM
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I just finished a COMPLETE tear down on my 98 500. Does anyone have any suggestions for stripping off the factory paint from the frame and swing arm that can be done in my garage. Thinking of going from Kawi green to a 2004 silver. I'd like to paint them at home and was wondering if anyone has had any luck with a painting method other than powder coating. If I am a complete idiot please feel free to tell me so :-D......
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Im currently doing a resto project also. Mine has been sandblasted and painted. I will let you know how it works out.
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Thanks alot buddy. I had an idea to use high temp caliper paint and MULITPLE coats of clear........
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USMC,
Sandblasting the the best way to go for stripping the OEM paint. consider using a polyeurethane 2 part enamel car paint like IMRON. It is usually sprayed but I have painted frames using a foam brush with phenominal results. Cam.
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I'm with you CAM! That DUPONT IMRON is some TOUGH stuff and stays looking WET!
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powder coat is 100 bucks here for a frame. another 50 and they sandblast it for you. I tried painting and after an entire weekend of prep and paint, it was scratching-up every ride. 150 is so worth it, when you're considering durability. This price is for standard colors like black, white, silver, and a few others that I forget.
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I agree with Hillclimb#42, sandblasting and powder coating is the best.
Keep in mind we are only building race bikes, not show pieces....so we still spray bomb frames.
Instead of sandblasting down to bare metal, we use spray on self-cleaning oven cleaner. The cleaner gets rid of grease, grime, dirt and loosens up the failed chips. Most importantly it takes the sheen/haze off the existing paint AND the frame is still 'primed' with the factory paint.
Mark
p.s. I can remember unloading a freshly sandblasted frame after a 30 minute drive home and getting faint rust streaks on my tee shirt.
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LOLL..........cool guys. Thanks for all the info. I started off the other day cleaning my air filter and I ended up with a "to the bare frame" tear down and a diassembled engine........It might have been easier to buy a new bike, oh wait, they don't make the KX500 anymore :cry:....... :lol:
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Aircraft paint stripper works great on the swingarms. You can give it a light sanding afterwards to get a factory bike look.
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That frame looks brand new as it sits, save yourself a lot of work and just put black plastic's on it.
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Aircraft paint stripper works great on the swingarms. You can give it a light sanding afterwards to get a factory bike look.
X2 on that, plus you can do the same with the sub-frame. Unless you feel like sanding and polishing both of them to a mirror finish.
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Be very careful spraying Imron.
http://www.bronkalla.com/upkeep/spray_imron.htm (http://www.bronkalla.com/upkeep/spray_imron.htm)
I agree with MDW471. If you are not changing colors the factory paint is a good base.
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Sandblasting is so cheap here in Michigan, that hand sanding is hard to justify, the cost of sand paper and time wasted. I own a pressure blaster, but still send my stuff out to have it done professionally. I only use my blaster when a spot is missed or for a late night fix.
Powder coating while costly, turns out so nice and is so easy to deal with, just pick out the color and pick up the great looking part. I own all the painting stuff, regulators, respirators etc, and I utilize powder as much as possible. My powdercoater preheats the parts in his oven before spraying the powder, it helps the powder flow into the corners and seems to eliminate the chipping other powder coaters complain about.
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I agree with you guys on powdercoating, as my K5 was done close to 10 years ago and still looks amazing. I personally would do this any day over tradional paint (unless DOUGH906 would do a custom paint job like his for peanuts.)
But USMC states he "was wondering if anyone has had any luck with a painting method other than powder coating."
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Just finished pounding out the bearings from the swingarm pivot and shock pivot........and while I was at it I pounded out the steering head races...........THE INSANITY CONTINUES WITH PROJECT "I WAS ONLY GONNA CLEAN THE AIR FILTER"!!!....Now I gotta decide wether to powder coat, annodize, or home paint the frame, sub frame and swingarm....... :-o :-D
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I am in the same position as you!
what to do, what to do!
I am going to be getting my frame/subframe back from sandblasting/welding here within a few days and have to decide which route to take. I want DURABLE frame, but the green powerdercoat is going to cost me an arm and a leg.
I phoned my local paint place and they said they could mix me up a matched can of spray but it wont be very durable because they cant put hardener in it.
I am again thinking about just going to a black frame or silver frame powdercoated, and call it a day.
Decisions, Decisions, Money$, Money$
Why cant a guy win the lottery :mrgreen:
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If you dont have the bucks right now for powdercoating, why not ask your powdercoater if he needs any work done? I have repaired my powdercoaters entire families cars, built him stands and rotisseries in exchange for blasting and powder. He always needs things welded or built or repaired. The barter system is alive and well, but you have to ask and be willing to work.
John
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I just got my mine powdercoated and it looks amazing. I went with black for the frame, subframe and hardware, and a metallic look for the swingarm. Couldn't be happier with the results.
The cost to sandblast and coat everything was $175. I'm not sure how much the going rate on sandblasting and mixing and painting runs but this seemed like a deal to me.
Fitz
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I'm in the same boat. Winter rebuild. A friend of a friend has a sandblasting company, $30 for the frame and swingarm.
Another friend of a friend works for a powdercoater, $100 for the frame and subframe in a gloss black.
I'm in the process of assembling the bike now, and I'm thrilled how the powdercoat looks.
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Sounds like powdercoating is going to be the route I'm gonna take.........You can send donations to the "I'm too broke to get my stuff powdercoated" foundation. :-D
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If you dont have the bucks right now for powdercoating, why not ask your powdercoater if he needs any work done? I have repaired my powdercoaters entire families cars, built him stands and rotisseries in exchange for blasting and powder. He always needs things welded or built or repaired. The barter system is alive and well, but you have to ask and be willing to work.
John
I asked my powder coater if he needed any financial planning because I was too broke to pay him.....didn't go over very well :P j/k j/k
Looking forward to seeing some of your pictures, something about a nice shiny new frame that makes everything seem so right.
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I asked my powder coater if he needed any financial planning because I was too broke to pay him.....didn't go over very well :P j/k j/k
Is that why they call you guys BROKERS?
Larry
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Roostdaddy had his frame powdercoated many years ago and it still looks great. He had it done with a kawi reen then finished off with clear for that extra tough coating.CBX
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thats what happen to me when i bought my son a used kx60. thought him just take this off and next thing you know had it completely apart. i found a powder coater thats doing my frame,swingarm and handlebars for 100. why so low you ask well he takes care of fellow bikers so i got a real good discount. the sandblaster charged me 30 for blasting the frame. so i have the motor being completely rebuilt, the suspension is being redone so on and so forth. all started with a little simple turn of a screw.lol.
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OK here goes.....so my last post about this was back in Jan 2010....Project "I was only gonna clean the air filter" is under way again. I just dropped off my frame, sub frame and swing arm at the powder coater. I chose to go with Silverado Silver. I will start posting pics once the build begins. Doldguy is gonna freak out when he see's that its taken almost 2 years after the original tear down to start the build up.... :lol: :lol: Wish me luck!
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Wow. Has it been that long. Be sure to post alot of pics.