Spray Paint

[asfltdncr]

I've read some of you have painted your bikes with canned spray paint.
Besides Colorrite, what have others used and with critical success?

[Pete]

Have not used colorrite.

Have used Rust-o-leum, some of the store brand enamels and quick dry products.  For a flat, semi-gloss type finish all worked fine. Have used several of the high heat paints, again for flat, semi gloss finishes, most worked well. Have had some good luck with gloss paints, but the finishes tended to dull earlier than I thought they should and polishing or waxing them turned out poorly.

Technique may be as important as brand - light coats (many of them), well prepared surface (clean and de-greased and smooth), avoid buildup in v or bent surfaces and patience.

So for a durable gloss finish I went back to automotive paints and a compressor driven spray gun. where I can control the paint/solvent mix.

I still use spray cans (various brands, read cheapist) for flat and semi flat/gloss and the better brands for high heat paints. Good luck with your project, hope it turns out well. Pete.

[Bob E.]

When I painted my saddle bags, I bought my paint at NAPA instead of ColoRite and saved a bunch of $$$.  But i didn't buy rattle cans.  I bought it in quart cans with the catalyst, reducer, etc. and shot it through a spray gun attached to an air compressor.  For an amature, it came out pretty good.  The worst part was the metallic silver, which is very difficult to shoot, has some "striping" due to it not being perfectly even.  I later learned that I should have done a light misting coat as the final in order to minimize this.  Oh well...maybe next time.  I also ended up with a couple runs that needed sanded and buffed out.  But no biggie.

As for rattle cans, I do believe that NAPA can mix the paint in pressurized cans as well.  But I've never used this.

[fudgie]

I used Rust-oleum when I did my fairing. It was the only one that I could find in gold for my base color. It actually came out just as good as the pro that did my bike.

[dreamaker]

Colorrite is kind of over the top on there prices but excellent match. Example: Colorrite.com/ 1qt. black= $197, My PPG painter supply/ 1qt. black= $70, The KustomShop.com/ 1qt. black= $23. I believe they are PPG brand, a little mark up you think.

Dan