The rear subframe on my R12GSA chassis is really corroded and my dealer is offering a great deal to get it off the bike. So my question is - should I be looking to get it powder coated or simply repainted? The bike is 70k hard miles old and I intend to keep abusing it! So what recommendations do you have?
Paint. You will be able to see when it is in need of touching up better. Powder coating, when pitted or cracked allows water in that stays there and works it's dirty little corroding magic while the outside looks good, till it's too late. Bare steel, allowed to corrode but dry quickly will maintain it's strength just doesn't look pretty (except maybe to me). My 2 cents worth
Try to look up what kind of powder they may be using, they are certainly not all the same. I just bought some "extra durable wet black" for my own BMW projects, much better specs as to resistance to salt sprays etc...etc....!
Any concerns with adding bulk to the chassis making refitting some of the parts difficult? I think that is what has allowed my chassis to last as long as it has - surface rust that looks bad but actually isn't that deep and it's retained strength. I haven't chosen the vendor yet so the product to be used is still TBD...
Personally I'd coat it. Is it steel or aluminum? The powder will add thickness to parts so I'd make sure the coater blocks off threads and places where the tolerances matter. Powder is fairly permanent and very durable, paint easily gets scratched and chipped and you might end up redoing it soon. I think the corrosion thing is overblown personally
nothing is better than a high quality paint, and paint can be retouched. powdercoat (like paint) can be really good or really poor. I think powdercoat became the industry standard because of EPA rules (it does not have the vapors to deal with) and mostly, it is very fast once you are set up to do it. I have seen a lot of rust grow under P/C from a small nick. then the piece has to be completely stripped to fix it so it doesn't look like crap. in any case, have the frame blasted and/or chemically etched to kill the rust.
Being able to see the start of rust and to be able to touch it up makes a pretty compelling argument for paint. Thanks
Powder coat will most likely be cheaper. I recently had a frame done and the quote for the frame was $160. I had them do the frame, swing arm, motor mount brackets, foot peg brackets and the springs from the rear shocks(vintage twin shock bike) the springs were done in a different color and the total was $235 out the door. that price also included degreasing and sand blasting. It is standard practice for the powder coating company to plug all threaded openings with silicone plugs. They aso plugged where the swing arm bushings go but not some of the other holes such as the hole for the bolt for my lower shock mounts as well as the boss where the upper shock mounts to the frame. my frame has a primer coat as well as the color coat and the epoxy is way thicker than paint. There have been quite a few areas that I have had to use a file or sand paper to get things to fit properly. Also the silicone plugs work well at keeping the threads clean but they leave a ring of epoxy that needs to be cleaned up with a knife. Im very happy with the results. The epoxy that my powder coater used is extreamely hard so I don't see chips being a problem. If I were doing a bike that would see extreme conditions I would't use anything but powder coating.
im a automotive painter for the last 30 years and i would still go powdercoat over paint. just my opinion though. i had a bunch of motorcycle stuff powdercoated and its tough stuff. when i did get a chip in it i would just dab a little paint on the chip to keep the elements out just like if it was painted.
"The epoxy that my powder coater used is extreamely hard".... tell me more. do you mean epoxy primer under the powder coat? and I agree..... powder coat is prolly cheaper than (good) paint.
Thermoseting powders cross link during the bake and react chemically, where as the thermoplastic powders just melt and flow out to make a smooth coating. My frame was coated using Tiger Drylac series 38, and Im not sure which primer but it was also a Tiger Drylac product
Mav if powder-coating goes wrong , is it nearly impossible to Remove ! have been doing a lot of research into this area , and it looks like that the most important area is the primary coat , and if you use a Chemical Etch primer 2 coats you are off to the best start possible . and in the UK even , Hammerite Smooth will give you a durable finish , that is re touchable ? Phil Gunn ps What POR 15 product do you refer to , I and about to use POR 15 to Seal a Steel petrol Tank ?
http://www.summitracing.com/search/...ne/por-15-rust-preventive-paints?autoview=SKU or http://www.summitracing.com/search/.../por-15-chassis-coat-black-paint?autoview=SKU
Hey chap - How's that HP doing? I'm actually expecting to pay someone else to do it... I can only hope that they know the importance of prep. I can say with some certainty they'd do a better job than me! But even so, the uncertainty does make me think I should go with painting.
"Powder coating" is not always the best coating. There are many different formulations of powder types and powder hybrids. All have specific needs and durability. Proper cleaning and chemical pre-treatment are essential for good adhesion and corrosion control. Adequate curing is also essential. Few coaters have the necessary controls to have all their process ducks in a row to ensure a quality job! Touch -up can be difficult as you are unlikely to have a color or material etc match. I run our companies 20,000 sq ft powder coating facility. Laquer based coatings are a well known process replicated anywhere. They too are all about proper preparation and application, but don't require the capital equipment like powder to do it properly.
Hi Mav still have the HP2 but have been quiet since i had a Valve Replaced ..... in me not the bike, playing with classics to keep me intrested till i can do the HP some justice, Always look in at the HP section on ukgsers and see you active , re paint i have the same delimenia as yourself what route to take , the big problem i have with powder is removing it if things go wrong pg
That is simply not true, any powder coater can dip it and it slides right off. My vote is for powder.
Sorry to hear about the surgery but it sounds like you're making a good recovery and will be back on the HP soon!
