Painting/Powder Coating Wheels

[Ka-raa]

Hi all!

I have a graphite 2009 FZ6N. Love the bike but after looking through the forum i've started deciding what mods to make, gonna cost me a few k but will be worth it! But i thought i'd start with a relatively 'cheap' mod..

Im not a fan of the colour of my wheels - they're like an off coloured bronze. I am thinking that if they were done either black or silver they'd look much better and most of the mods i plan on doing are in black/grey/silver so they would match the general theme.

Has anyone had their wheels painted/powder coated?
Can anyone in South Australia recommend anywhere decent?
Anyone had any problems with their wheels after doing this?

I'd love to see some pictures - especially pics of those with a grey or black FZ (naked or faired) just to see what the finished product will look like.

I know i'll have to remove the tyres, and strip the wheels - i'll make sure i have new bearings ready for when i can put them all back together. Are there any other important things i should know?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[fz6joker]

Here ya go:

You will need new vavle stems as well. You can't go wrong with the 90* valve stems from PJsparts.com

 

[Ka-raa]

Ah awesome thankyou. I'll be sure to add valve stems to my list
Wheels look good, black comes up nicely!

 

[RJ2112]

Someone with more direct experience should comment on this one..... powder coating by everything I have read, is not going to provide the exact same sort of protection as paint.

You essentially strip the part to bare metal, then put an electrical charge on it to attract the plastic dust that will be the coating. Apply the dust, then bake the part to melt it all onto the part.

I don't see where this is going to provide a serious bond with the part. Smooth, slick, attractive.... but not that solid of a bond, in my view. I'm sure the coating is thicker than what paint will provide, so it should be able to handle a rougher subsurface, and give a smooth glossy surface.

As it's a plastic, it should bend and stretch more readily than dried paint, so on parts that may flex, it might be a good choice.

I would not want to rely on powder coat for corrosion protection. Primer tends to provide a barrier, and some sort of bonding at a molecular level to the surface being preserved. Paint tends to be designed to bond to that primer..... this makes both stick to the part very well.

Were it me, I would want the part preserved as well as possible, so I would not have to repeat the process. Epoxy paints are very tough, and bond well. Lacquer paints tend to chip easily, but dry very quickly. Enamel paints take longer to dry completely than epoxy, and are quite tough.

If your heart is set on powder coating, I would seriously consider the quality of the preparation that goes into it.

Cast aluminum rims get exposed to some pretty serious environments. all the puddles they go through, and the nicks that happen with tire changes, etc..... wrapping the rim in a plastic sheet that traps water underneath seems like a bad idea, without some sort of underlying corrosion prevention.

 

[Ka-raa]

That all sounds valid. My heart isn't set on either. I really just want to change the colour of the wheels. I've repainted/powder coated other things before but never wheels. Thats why i thought i'd ask, i have no idea what would be best - and im happy to spend a bit extra, whichever way its done, to make sure the jobs is done properly.
I try to avoid riding in the wet/rain (due to the idiot drivers here) and the bike is always garaged and kept pretty clean. Not sure if that makes a difference in deciding what to choose.
I dont plan on selling this bike anytime soon, i just wanna spend the money on good mods so i can keep it for a long time. I'd rather spend a bit extra now rather than have it done cheaply but have to fix things in the future.
So any advice on how to make sure my mods are done properly is great.

Cheers

 

[Chris]

I was under the impression that powder coating was more durable than paint...

 

[ShadowChillaGin]

I was under the impression that powder coating was more durable than paint...

As was I......Whats the point of powder coating then? lol

 

[fz6joker]

My wheels weren't "just powdercoated" They were done like a paint job on a car.

Stripped down, primered, powdercoated, then put back on the bike. I honestly believe the final result of powdercoating is no stronger than automotive grade paint. It does look great though.

 

[LERecords]

powder coating is way better than paint (imo)... the "powder" basically bakes into the pores of the metal creating a much more durable surface finish (than paint).. as for corrosive resistance, I would bet money that powerder coating will far out last paint... good luck

 

[fz6shaun]

powder coating is way better than paint (imo)... the "powder" basically bakes into the pores of the metal creating a much more durable surface finish (than paint).. as for corrosive resistance, I would bet money that powerder coating will far out last paint... good luck

powder coating i tougher than regular paint put just to be extra sure. when you get the wheels back, spray some clear lacquer on to get the extra tough shiny finish!

 

[RJ2112]

That all sounds valid. My heart isn't set on either. I really just want to change the colour of the wheels. I've repainted/powder coated other things before but never wheels. Thats why i thought i'd ask, i have no idea what would be best - and im happy to spend a bit extra, whichever way its done, to make sure the jobs is done properly.
I try to avoid riding in the wet/rain (due to the idiot drivers here) and the bike is always garaged and kept pretty clean. Not sure if that makes a difference in deciding what to choose.
I dont plan on selling this bike anytime soon, i just wanna spend the money on good mods so i can keep it for a long time. I'd rather spend a bit extra now rather than have it done cheaply but have to fix things in the future.
So any advice on how to make sure my mods are done properly is great.

Cheers

If you can clean the wheels really well so there is no oil or gunk on them.... I'd ask the shop that will do the coating if leaving the OEM material in place is an option. Skin over it. That way, you have the whole preservation system that Yamaha worked out (which works quite well, in my opinion) and you can get the smoother finish in whatever colo(u)r you want.

Another layer of protection on the rims is better than tearing up what's already working to add something else that may or may not work as well... Whatever method is used to remove the OEM corrosion prevention systems is going to embed debris in the metal.... that's another place that corrosion can start. If you leave the OEM system in place, you don't introduce more variables.

If it's tougher than paint, it should protect that paint underneath even better.

If the paint is already a primer/colo(u)r/finish system, it's as good as it gets technology wise for corrosion prevention. You know the factory had better environmental control when the paint system was applied than a small shop or home mechanic is likely to be able to do. Regulated humidity, etc.

 

[crazynavyjeff]

Everyone has an opinion, they are all good, but in the Navy when a surface was to be exposed for a long period of time, we would powder coat it to prevent rust, and in the long run time.

 

[Bikebiz]

You could spray some cheap chain lube on your chain and wait for a black build up on the rear wheel

Nice bike BTW (same as mine!). I love the bronze wheels, breaks it up a bit and a very unique colour. The burgundy seat took me a bit to get used to but love it now as well.

 

[Ridgeback]

If your going for powdercoat ('tis a lot more durable than paint ) go to one that's been recommended by someone thats had gear done.

I've used powdercoaters out of the phone book in the past for some of my 'moto's and the finish has cracked off when you tighten nuts,tap the threads etc.

There is a big difference between shops that coat bikes for a living, and ones that chuck your parts in with a load of garden furniture and industrial tat........

Pity you live on the other side of the world,as I'm changing my black wheels,to a gold/bronze finish!

 

[4drfocus]

You should never powdercoat wheels, heres why, wheels (cast or forged) are heat treated (tempered) after they are shaped to increase strength and durability, if the wheel is to be colored, then the duration and tempature of the podwercoating process is calculated in into the heat treating, then we the consumer decide to change the color of our wheels with out knowing that re-coating metal at 500+ degrees actually breaks down the integrity and strength of the wheel, can you powdercoat, yes, should you, no.

I painted mine, over a year now with no troubles.

 

[Macca FZ6N]

Hey guys, I'm bumping up an old thread I know but I thought that was better than starting a new one.

I'm going to powder coat my wheels and I'm just trying to work out what new parts I'm going to need. Can anyone tell me what I need to remove/replace. Anything that has oil in it will need to be removed so that's bearings and any thing that cant stand the heat will need to be removed so oil seals, is there anything that isn't included in these kits:

25-1403 All Balls Racing
25-1476 All Balls Racing

That I will need to replace?

Thanks in advance guys, I cant wait to put up some pictures of the finished product.

 

[yourebarred]

You must get them faced after painting. If not, you run the risk of the discs not seating flat and warping immediately.


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[pester]

I was under the impression that powder coating was more durable than paint...

It is. And there are 3 coats then a clear coat. Thats what a real powdercoater will do

sent from my s4

 

[pester]

You should never powdercoat wheels, heres why, wheels (cast or forged) are heat treated (tempered) after they are shaped to increase strength and durability, if the wheel is to be colored, then the duration and tempature of the podwercoating process is calculated in into the heat treating, then we the consumer decide to change the color of our wheels with out knowing that re-coating metal at 500+ degrees actually breaks down the integrity and strength of the wheel, can you powdercoat, yes, should you, no.

I painted mine, over a year now with no troubles.

Well just remember that the wheels of our bikes are not steel. They are aluminum. So when they are made they are heat threated at 995 degrees. So if you powdercoat them there is no risk of a metallurgical change. Powdercoat ovens are not hot enough to do any damage to the wheels. I powdercoated mine and they are are good as new

sent from my s4

 

[pester]

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sent from my s4