Spaying my bike

[nismo46]

Hi, got an aerox its blue and i'm going to be spraying it black. Just want a few tips from people about srpaying....

What sandpaper to use??
How will i no i have sanded enough??
Should i prime it before spraying??
Will normal car spray paint from a car shop be ok??


Any mores tips before i start nd any idea how long sanding will take ?

thanks guys!!!

 

[#AthenA#]

Sanding paper from 400 till 600 and 1200 it has to be waterproof

u know when u have sanded enough when all the colour is gone and you see the original colour of ur plastic. And when it is very smooth so there are no bubbles or hooks and stitches in it

Then sand it with the other sand paper so it becomes really soft

primer it and then spray it

 

[scootertrog]

Depends on wether you are going to use a primer/sealer or not. If you are, then all you got to do is "scuff" the surface, in otherwords just sand it enough to remove all the shine (I would go that route - and do, when I paint scooters). 400 grit paper will do 80% of the job, then do a quick go-over with 600 grit, the primer/sealer will finish it off smooth.
The reason to use a primer/sealer is because it will prevent anything from showing through your new paint, and it also helps the new paint to adhere better. I would not use a rattle-can type of paint if you want a professional-looking paint job. I know some folks have had sucess with it, but most won't like the results you typically get.
The end results are very dependant on your preparation, make sure any scratches/gouges are filled in with spot putty, reinforce any cracks with fiberglass from the back side.
It's a lot of work, but the end results are very satisfying! Good luck and post a pic or of the results for us.

Before:

After:

scootertrog

 

[brookespeed]

I've seen you post that picture of the painted super9 before and was always turned off by the color. But looking at it in the context of the paint process and appreciating how clean it looks I really like it. The lack of stickers and the white wheels and trim look sweet. Nice job! The licence plate holder would look good gone though!

 

[adas]

Aloha, other than doing the proper prep work as described above, I use base coat/clear coat techique. Using an intensifier in the clear on top of a pearl white is nice. You do not need to be a pro to get it looking like a pro job. The spray cans of clear are junk, and you need a good "high build clear" and 3-6 coats with the spray gun and hardener. The clear will hide your "poor" or lack of professional color paint job underneath most of the time. frank

 

[scootertrog]

I've seen you post that picture of the painted super9 before and was always turned off by the color. But looking at it in the context of the paint process and appreciating how clean it looks I really like it. The lack of stickers and the white wheels and trim look sweet. Nice job! The licence plate holder would look good gone though!

Thanks brookespeed. It is a metallic teal color, depending on the light you are in it may look green or blue (but not like a chamelion color). Since this photo was taken, I've changed out the blinker stalks and painted the spoiler at the rear white also. I agree the mud flap/license plate holder has got to go, a project for this winter as I will have to do a little work to fill in the hole that removing the flap will create.

Nismo46,
It took about 6 pints of basecoat and 1 quart of clearcoat. The wheels were powdercoated, not painted. I'd guess I got about $125-150 into the paint, with another $60 in the powdercoating.

scootertrog

 

[nismo46]

so the spray cans are rubbish??

 

[scootertrog]

so the spray cans are rubbish??

You would be very lucky to get a finished product you would be happy with when using a spray can. It's your scooter, it depends on how critical you want to be. There are a few guys that have had some success with the canned spray paint, so I would not say it is impossible.
With the pre-packaged paint, you also have limited choices in colors. In my opinion, if you are going to the trouble of changing the color, you should not limit your options as you will have to look at it everyday.

scootertrog

 

[cantdrive55]

I agree that some spray cans do suck but use Dupont or Dupli-color. I did a spray job on mine and I love it. I just went over the old body with 300grit real lightly just enough to get the shine off and then did 3 coats of paint, then 4coats of clear. It looks perfect imo. Yes, I could have gone and spent $100 plus but for $20 I had an all black bike in a weekend.

 

[ex-racer#2]

You would be very lucky to get a finished product you would be happy with when using a spray can. It's your scooter, it depends on how critical you want to be. There are a few guys that have had some success with the canned spray paint, so I would not say it is impossible.

I have done a stellar job with spray cans on racebikes but the key is the quality of the paint. IMO get paint mixed at any auto parts store and put into a can. The paint job is only as good as the paint itself.

 

[adas]

Aloha, spray cans of clear are total rubbish. But if you use the base coat/clear coat techique with a good High Build clear, you can use just about any junk spray can for the color then seal it with the good clear.

frank

 

[MONZAV8]

Here is a writeup that I did since this question comes up on most messageboards pretty often...

http://madtoto.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=34

-Paul O.

 

[MONZAV8]

You would be very lucky to get a finished product you would be happy with when using a spray can. It's your scooter, it depends on how critical you want to be. There are a few guys that have had some success with the canned spray paint, so I would not say it is impossible.

The final quality of your paint job is more dependent on the prep than the paint. If the prep is done right, you can have a top-notch paint job (like the stripes on my Malaguti which I got a "best paint" award for at a scooter rally). All I spent is about $10 in paint on my scoot (and HOURS of prep & polishing).

I have seen guys shoot $1000 worth of paint on a car and have it look like crap since they didnt prep right...

-Paul O.

 

[ex-racer#2]

The final quality of your paint job is more dependent on the prep than the paint. If the prep is done right, you can have a top-notch paint job (like the stripes on my Malaguti which I got a "best paint" award for at a scooter rally). All I spent is about $10 in paint on my scoot (and HOURS of prep & polishing).

I have seen guys shoot $1000 worth of paint on a car and have it look like crap since they didnt prep right...

-Paul O.

I agree with the prep comment. But cheap paint will scuff easy and look like crap sooner than good quality paint. Cheap paint looks fabulous if prepped right and you are selling it that day. But for long term you will just repaint more often.