Katana Owners Club U.K.

in the past i've always powdercoated my frames when i want to freshen a bike up... but then i've had instances where when i've tightened up a bolt onto a lug it may have chipped a bit ar crack a little section off... invariably scratches happed or it gets a know and i cannot just touch it up.

so... i'd like to paint, i think!, this time on my 650. my dilema is this... do i just rub it down myself and give it a couple of cans of hard wearing something or other?... do i get the bloke to blast it clean and then paint it myself... or blast it and give it to a paint place? cheapest is diy which i have no issue with but is it going to last the same time as powder or a pro paint job.

if i did it myself, what paint is best to use... should i then clear coat it or leave it as painted. maybe give it to a painter to 2k clear coat it?

same goes for the wheels... powder is nice but a lot of the detail gets lost due to the thickness of the covering... i could just strip them down and use paint remover on them, then paint myself easily enough... but to get in all the nook n crannies it may be nicer to get them blasted then paint them myself...

i guess i'm just look to see what works for others that have more experience here and how they went about it. their thought process and why they chose what they did...

cheers all
steve

Frame/battery box etc - I would powder coat. 2k Paint is a lot of money. DIY ? never thought i would get a decent enough finish. People on here seem to do ok though. Dont know about the long term tbh.

Wheels - I would get blasted and paint yourself. Although powder coat is ok. although not sure how easy it is to mask off the rim and spoke tops if you want to keep them(i do, so will be rattle can mine). With blasting you have to replace the bearings as well and also get the tyre off and on.

Pete

Chemical dipping is a good option for cleaning prior to any painting/coating, less abrasive than blasting and gets everywhere