Painting the top plate? Anyone done this?

[dinkydonuts]

I want to refinish the top plate on my GS. The part looks like this:



I think it would look better in satin black since nothing else on the bike is this color.

Has anyone done this? I figure I might as well get it powder coated since the keys are always shakin around and rubbing on it. What finish is currently on there since I need to strip it down to bare metal to take it to the powder coating shop.

[GS500Schultz]

I will be powdering mine probably in the next couple of weeks after I get all my brackets figured out for my gauges and windscreen.

[The Buddha]

Many of them I powdercoated - usually in black, but I've had people ask for red, blue and I did my katana FE upper triple in silver under candy blue.
The important thing IMHO is to get the headlight shell, the headlight ears, the guage cluster top plate and the triple all dont in the same color.
Cool.
Buddha.

[Big Rich]

Many of them I powdercoated - usually in black, but I've had people ask for red, blue and I did my katana FE upper triple in silver under candy blue.
The important thing IMHO is to get the headlight shell, the headlight ears, the guage cluster top plate and the triple all dont in the same color.
Cool.
Buddha.

Good advice right here. The only problem with painting the top plate is the amount of scratches you'll get from your keys. After a couple months you'll want to take it apart and repaint it (at least if you're like me).

[DevilDesire]

I think painting it with that type of "rubber" paint will eliminate the problem with key scratches.

[GS500Schultz]

if you want it powder coated sent it to me. I'll only charge you for powder and time. I'm not trying to make any money on forum members.


little preview of what i've done for my bike

[The Buddha]

if you want it powder coated sent it to me. I'll only charge you for powder and time. I'm not trying to make any money on forum members.


little preview of what i've done for my bike

his is good work, but that's the lower part of the upper triple. You see very little of it. But yea, anyone who does this quality work, is capable of doing a great upper triple.
Cool.
Buddha.

[GS500Schultz]

This is only one part of the larger picture. I'm still currently trying to get the lower bearing race off the steering stem :-/

Thanks for the compliment! Just trying to make my old bike look newish lol

I will probably be ripping the bike to bare frame over the next year or so so I can powder the whole thing. From swing arm, wheels,frame, rear sets, and so on

[jtl216]

This is only one part of the larger picture. I'm still currently trying to get the lowering bearing race off the steering stem :-/

Thanks for the compliment! Just trying to make my old bike look newish lol

I will probably be ripping the bike to bare frame over the next year or so so I can powder the whole thing. From swing arm, wheels,frame, rear sets, and so on

I had a hard time doing that as well. I tried using a jaw puller with a slide hammer but I think that a regular jaw puller (the ones that are turned by a wrench) would have worked better. Anyways I ended up extending the jaws out and then hammer it out through the top with a rod and hammer.

[Big Rich]

If you're careful, you can cut a slot along one side of the lower race. Once the metal gets so thin, a couple taps with a hammer can rip the rest of it apart.

I think you can use a hydraulic press to remove the entire stem from the lower triple, and the bearing race comes off in the process.

[J_Walker]

I sprayed my friend SV's black gloss, with a 2k clear on top, all rattle cans. and to "prevent" the famous key scatches, if anyone is into knives, I copied what they do on knife scales and used micarta for where the key-rings and other keys tend to rub, it has worked out fine! I had another friend use that cheap sticky backed vinyl carbon fiber stuff, and it doesn't get beat up either. so those are some ideas...

[The Buddha]

If you're careful, you can cut a slot along one side of the lower race. Once the metal gets so thin, a couple taps with a hammer can rip the rest of it apart.

I think you can use a hydraulic press to remove the entire stem from the lower triple, and the bearing race comes off in the process.

I dunno ... but the bearing lower races are just about the hardest metal this side of a SNAP-ON drop forged wrench. I'd file a drift rod into the exact shape you need, about a 45 degree angle with a sharp point and try to catch the race and hammer it out.
Cool.
buddha.