powdercoat colors

[dane_lindsay]

on the '04 gs's, and maybe some earlier bikes, the frame is black. is it gloss, semi-gloss, or matte? the powder coater here does a lot of matte black, so for turnaround time, it would be the fastest. but i'd like to have it look factory.  

also, is the factory frame paint powdercoated on? they want to charge more if it is, because it has to be baked off, but i worry about damaging the frame, isn't this a lot of heat for it to take?
thanks
dane

[Dom]

They're feeding you some Grade A crap, how's it taste?  :lol:

I've stripped powdercoating with chemical strippers on numerous occasions.  I'd do it myself if I were you with about 6 cans of aerosol stripper, a package of steel wool(00 or 000), and some chemical gloves, all from Home depot.

The factory doesn't use a high gloss on black frames because they show fingerprints like crazy and they don't use a complete matte(flat) finish because it collects dirt...somewhere right in the middle.  I have some sample books from all of the major powder suppliers but they won't do you any good.  I suggest you look at samples at a powdercoater and remember what I said...not too glossy, not too matte.  They will probably suggest a black with either 20% gloss, maybe 40%.  

[dane_lindsay]

compared to the grade-C i ate last month on a deadbeat ebay auction, it's double-D-licious. thanks dom, i really appreciate the tip. getting ripped off moneywise is bad, but i'm much more concerned about putting that frame through any more strress than necessary. it sucks the way you can't even trust a so-called specialist to be on the level, but with unsung heros running around setting wayward lads with grotty frames back on track, i gotta raise this next pabst to you. cheers.. but srinath and the other guys get the next 11 toasts..again, thanks

[Dom]

From what I've heard, Suzuki started powdercoating their bikes back in the mid-90's sometime, so your bike is for sure.

I will let you know that stripping it with chemical strippers is going to be tedious, but it still might be cheaper than having them bake it off...which I have never specifically heard of but that doesn't mean that it isn't a common practice.  I just have never had anything re-powdercoated so I wouldn't know.  But considering how long it might take you and how much they would charge to remove the paint, it might be money well spent.  How much did they want to charge you?

As far as the heat warping the frame or making reassembly difficult, I wouldn't worry about it.  Powdercoatings are baked at around 400 degrees, which isn't hot enough to cause warpage.

Another solution would be sandblasting the stock powdercoating off.  You can buy a portable blaster at Harbor Freight for around $30, but you'll need a compressor...that's what I would do.  Plus, it's fun.

[John Bates]

....................Another solution would be sandblasting the stock powdercoating off.  You can buy a portable blaster at Harbor Freight for around $30, but you'll need a compressor...that's what I would do.  Plus, it's fun.

Sorry Dom, but it's extremely difficult if not impossible to sand blast a quality powder coat job.  The powder coat is flexible.  It won't chip off like other paints.  That's why it is either baked off or chemically removed.  Either is an extra expense for the coater.  Result.....  more expensive for the customer.

[The Buddha]

Now I dont know if the frame is powdercoated or not ... however I powdercoated somehting with Black 45 ... The higher that number the shinier it is ... and its identical to the frame on an 04. I sprayed 60 black on some else (My handle bars) and its shinier than the frame on an 04 ... Hope it helps. BTW an acid dip will get rid of it easy ... but many powder coaters dont like it cos they say its near impossible to get rid of it entirely ... so they blast only ...  And that way its hard to get it off ... BUT Just FYI ... I ahve acid treated stuff coated 6 years ago that's still perfect ... so I guess 6 years isn't long enough ...
Cool.
Srinath.

[Dom]

Sorry Dom, but it's extremely difficult if not impossible to sand blast a quality powder coat job.  The powder coat is flexible.  It won't chip off like other paints.  That's why it is either baked off or chemically removed.  Either is an extra expense for the coater.  Result.....  more expensive for the customer.

Sorry I said it so matter-of-factly...I just asked my boss and he said that it could be done...that's the last time I listen to him...hmmm...welll...maybe not.   :mrgreen:

srinath, I think the black45 would mean 45% gloss and the black60 means 60%gloss...that's the way they name them in  the color chip catalogs.

[The Buddha]

Hey this is an idea ... go down to the powder coating place and ask for their tile board  ... compare it to the frame and see what it matches ... Powder coating is not like paint ... paint weirdly is affected by the color and texture of the under lying primer ... Grey primer under blue will look different from Brown under blue ... Powder ... ha ha no primer ... so what you see is what you get ...
And Dom ... ha ha ... Your boss lied to you ... oh my god that's never happened before ...  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Cool.
Srinath.

[Dom]

Hmmm...that makes me wonder...is that all I have to do to be rich and successful?  Just lie? And if I don't know the answer to something just make something up?  Who's ever heard of that?  Rich and successful liars?

From now on if I don't know the answer to a question I'll just make something up that sounds good.

[The Buddha]

Hmmm...that makes me wonder...is that all I have to do to be rich and successful?  Just lie? And if I don't know the answer to something just make something up?  Who's ever heard of that?  Rich and successful liars?

From now on if I don't know the answer to a question I'll just make something up that sounds good.

Yup ... hey worked for Bush ... Twice ... OK OK stop the beating ...  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Cool.
Srinath.

[Dom]

Well, I just talked to my powdercoater and he said that it in fact was possible to sandblast powdercoating off, but that it was time consuming so they either cooked it off or used airplane stripper.  He said that if no other means was available, a sandblaster would git 'er done.

He also said powdercoating my frame would cost me $300.  That includes blasting the old paint off and coating all of the smaller accessories(i.e. battery tray, kickstand, centerstand, fork tubes, etc.)

[Blueknyt]

sounds like it might be alitle cheaper to go ahead and airplane stripe everything for them this way they have less prep.

come to think of it, i have some extra wheels (saving for next GS) think i might strip them down.

[Dom]

I don't know when Suzuki started powdercoating but my frame was definitely painted so I'm just going to blast it myself.  The powdercoaters said that they would have to blast it anyway after I chemically stripped it to remove all of the excess chemicals.