Should I powder coat it??

[ColumbiaBMW]

Hey everyone,

Just looking for some opinions before I may do something I regret. Who better to ask than all the other R1150R riders?! I am thinking of having a local company powder coat the wheels black, the valve covers black, and the telelever arm black. I worked up a very crude picture using paint on my computer to at least give me some idea of what it may look like. So, what do you think? Ugly? Cool? Thanks in advance for any opinions.

(By the way, in this picture my muffler is off, but I have it back on now.)

Bryan

[CycleRob]

Columbia03BMW,

Doesn't matter what some or other people think! If you like it and are willing to go the extra expense for the improvement, then it's the right thing to do. Besides that, it'll look unusually good.

I painted my now gone R1150R's valve covers after serious cosmetic damage and I liked the way they looked. Here's the best close-up pic I already had on-line:
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r87/ ... ipeCln.jpg
Oh, yeah, 6 years ago I changed the bodywork color too.

.

[Buckster]

Personally, I think it would look awesome. I have often thought about it, but no $ to actually go through with it.
I agree with Rob.....it's your bike!

[allanj255]

What paint did you use for the valve covers Columbia?

[bikermeow]

Do it.

Post pics.

I think it'll be cool. While you are at it, the tranny and final drive too.

Cheers

[PA Rider]

I agree....go for it!

[Dr. Strangelove]

ditto

do it. Have you considered blacking everything?

How much does that cost and is powder coating a durable finish vis-a-vis changing tires?

And, CR, did you document your refinishing of your valve covers? Was it a durable finish?

John

[CycleRob]

allanj255,

To clear up the apparent confusion, Columbia03BMW said he "I worked up a very crude picture using paint on my computer to at least give me some idea of what it may look like". I believe that is Windows crude but menu available "Paint" program.

CycleRob actually painted his using an 11oz rattle spray can of (On the label) "Plasti-Kote fast dry Engine Enamel, Resists heat to 500DegF" (On the cap) "Universal Black No. 203". Any brand engine enamel will be as good or better, as they are designed for the heat and oil resistance after curing. The covers were wire brushed and sanded smooth for paint adherence, cleaned with contact cleaner then painted with 3 light coats of paint, drying in the sun in between and for the final. The finish is semi gloss, but, like all painted surfaces, is no match for the durability of (baked on) powder coating.

For durability, NOTHING beats powder coating as a color finish! It is so durable, you must be careful that the person/company that applies the oven cured finish takes the correct precautions as to where it is applied. Specifically: Bearing race areas=Absolutely NONE!!! Valve stem holes and the bead seating OD of the rim = Absolute Minimal. Any carelessness or lack of communication will result in a lot of time wasted spent trying to remove the very durable epoxy-like coating without damaging the critical dimensions of the Aluminum parts. BTDT with customers that brought in their spiffy new powder coated wheels for bearing and tire re-installations.

bikermeow, Powder coating the engine and trans would require total complete disassembly so the individual parts can go in an oven after the electrostatic paint application.

Dr. Strangelove, No . . . . did not document the valve cover color job. Durability is like paint, so the usual care is required. On the plus side, re-do's are just sandpaper, a spray can and quality time in full sunlite. I liked the black cover's look better than bare.

Hope that cleared things up.

.

[bikermeow]

I've used Harley Black Crinkle paint with some success on my bikes (not the R). It has a nice rough texture and can withstand heat.

Cheers

[ColumbiaBMW]

One more thing I was wondering about, in my quest to completely black out this bike someday, I was thinking of putting black exhaust wrap on the headers down to the cat converter. Would this possibly add to the engine getting too hot on really hot summer days? Or would it not really make a difference?

[bikermeow]

Why don't you ceramic coat the headers? Nice looking and while at the same time good for the exhaust system.



Cheers

[ColumbiaBMW]

Bikermeow that looks incredible, is that your bike or did you find that picture on the internet? The only problem is, getting the telelever arm, wheels, and valve covers powdercoated is going to take me up to limit on money I can spend right now, and I'm sure that ceramic coating isn't cheap, while the exhaust wrap would only be a few bucks. But that was an awesome suggestion and something I'll be looking forward to doing in the distant future.

[MattPie]

Bikermeow that looks incredible, is that your bike or did you find that picture on the internet? The only problem is, getting the telelever arm, wheels, and valve covers powdercoated is going to take me up to limit on money I can spend right now, and I'm sure that ceramic coating isn't cheap, while the exhaust wrap would only be a few bucks. But that was an awesome suggestion and something I'll be looking forward to doing in the distant future.

For reference, Jet Hot coated my headers and clamps for about $200. That was the silver coating though, I don't know if the black is different in price.

[bikermeow]

Got it off the net. Unfortunately where I am there is no ceramic coating so I'll just live my fantasy through ya!

There is a thread on advrider where some guy turned a silver R1100GS into a black beast, you might want to get to that thread.

Cheers

[boxermania]

Powder coat the wheels....absolutely, it's one of the best ways to protect them, just make sure the provider is knowledgeable and you don't get the coating into any of the holes and boss fits as it is a beatch to remove.

Ceramic coateing of the head pipes....also a good choice I always did mine in silver or black. Long lasting and the tubes are cold to the touch 5 minutes after the engine has been turned off.

[jcridge]

Bryan,


Would a new seat, shocks, driving lights, heated grips, GPS, riding gear, etc... be money better spent?

I'm not saying don't do it ( I think it will good all black), it will definitely look the way you envision it.

I agree with cyclerob, be very careful when prepping the parts for coating. I have parts coated all the time for work, epoxy coatings are the most durable, make sure you ask for a coating with UV protection.

Cheers,

John

[jfslater98]

Well, this looks about the best place for me to jump in with more questions, about the the valve covers. So my valve covers look like they have leprosy now. Between BMW's poor paint job, my inability to keep the left side clean of oil, and a small mishap a few months ago, they need freshening up. Cyclerob has cast his vote for powder coating, but I noticed he had the covers on his bike painted. What was the reason for that?

After reading through the preparations for power coating, one thing concerns me about the valve covers: the 4 bolts that appear to be permanently attached to the covers. I am guessing they are held in with some kind of seal, so are not truly permanently mounted. So some questions there:

- Those bolts must be removed prior to PC, correct? If so, how difficult are they to replace?
- If shipping out the covers for PC, I imagine a good way to communicate the "voids" is to place some painter's tape around the spots you know must be left alone. Does that sound right? I imagine a written note should accompany the items as well, just in case the tape falls off.
- The head mating surface, spark plug hole mating surface, and on the left side the oil filler hole must be taped off. Anything else?

Sorry for the dumb questions. This will be my first foray into custom painting, and it's a critical engine part. Thanks.

[bikermeow]

You can protect any screw threads by putting the appropriate sized screws in them.

Cheers

[jcridge]

When having someone powder coating your parts, you need to communicate what you expect them to do. What do you want to do?

1. clean the parts well, then wipe them down with fast reducer, thinner, isopropanol, etc...to make sure there is no oils left on the surfaces.

2. remove any imperfections you do not want in the final finish.

3. clean again, blow off with dry compressed air if possible.

4. place parts in a sealed bag and send to coater with specific instruction on what you want done. I would have them call you before coating to confirm what is to be done prior to doing it. Powder coating is near impossible to get off machined surface if there is over spray, without effecting the surface or surrounding coating.

When powder coating the parts, it's the same application technique as regular spray painting. You can apply heavier or lighter coat as needed. So the coating is usually very light in bores, holes, threads, etc... anyway, so covering or plugging is up to you, but I wouldn't worry too much about the bolt holes, I would have them tape off machined mating surfaces. Take any old sparkplug, break the insulator off and use it for a plug on the cylinder head, just hand tight.

Enjoy,

John

[AndyRR]

Well, this looks about the best place for me to jump in with more questions, about the the valve covers. So my valve covers look like they have leprosy now. Between BMW's poor paint job, my inability to keep the left side clean of oil, and a small mishap a few months ago, they need freshening up. Cyclerob has cast his vote for powder coating, but I noticed he had the covers on his bike painted. What was the reason for that?

After reading through the preparations for power coating, one thing concerns me about the valve covers: the 4 bolts that appear to be permanently attached to the covers. I am guessing they are held in with some kind of seal, so are not truly permanently mounted. So some questions there:

- Those bolts must be removed prior to PC, correct? If so, how difficult are they to replace?
- If shipping out the covers for PC, I imagine a good way to communicate the "voids" is to place some painter's tape around the spots you know must be left alone. Does that sound right? I imagine a written note should accompany the items as well, just in case the tape falls off.
- The head mating surface, spark plug hole mating surface, and on the left side the oil filler hole must be taped off. Anything else?

Sorry for the dumb questions. This will be my first foray into custom painting, and it's a critical engine part. Thanks.

If you are only going to paint the valve covers, I would suggest simply using a spray can of engine paint. Easily done at home, inexpensive and here's the key - easy to repair any future scratches. I used a can of black ceramic engine paint. Remove covers, gently smooth any gouges with a grinder or sander, thoroughly clean, and shoot. The screws are captive and I didn't see an easy way to remove, so I just taped them. Total cost was a can of spray paint (< $10). Heaven forbid, you drop the bike and scratch the cover - just mask the area around and paint it on the bike using the same can of paint.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for powder coating and it's a far more durable finish than paint, but it's not durable enough for this application so "easy to repair" is the way to go for me.