Painting crash bars

[comberjohn]

I have an upper and lower set of Motech crash bars in silver that are starting to look a bit the worse for wear. Stone chips have started to rust and there's a couple of marks on the right side where the bike had a little lie down one day. Combination of road camber and short legs.
Obviously, the ideal way would be to have them blasted and powder coated. Not sure on the cost but guessing it wouldn't be cheap.
Has anyone had any success with using enamel, Hammerite smooth or satin or anything similar?
Not after a show finish but would like a durable coating that doesn't look like that it has been applied with a tar brush. Easy to touch in, too.
Thoughts on colour? Thinking black or maybe red.

 

[Deleted account 190920001]

You could use paint OK, Hammerite wouldn't look good though. Personally if I was using paint I would use 2k. Get a price for powder coating though as it shouldn't be that expensive. Would be about £40 here maybe less and it's a good tough finish.

 

[comberjohn]

Thought it might be more expensive. Could live with that sort of costs for the better finish.

 

[Davy F]

IC Powdercoat near Donaghadee.

http://www.icpowdercoaters.co.uk/

Speak to Ivor or check out their work on Facebook. I've had stands and cylinder cam covers done recently for a 12GS done a couple of weeks ago plus other stuff over the years. Drop them off and he'll do the rest.

 

[Bendy toy]

I had mine powder coated to match the frame coating. All fine until you drop the bike. Tape some split rubber hose over the areas that hit floor when bike falls over.
Powder coat involves a light shot blast to etch metal. Powder is applied by semi skilled operator then it's baked in an oven. Job done.
Not expensive.

 

[(RIP) Tunneruk]

Get them powder coated .... Every time!

I get mine powder coated and I am a painter!

 

[(RIP) andrewgsadv]

Powder coat but see if they do anti corrosion base coat prior to top coat. More expensive but it's something we used to do for customers like JCB sadly I can not remember the name of it

 

[comberjohn]

Think I'll take them off and go and see that company you've recommended, Davy.
Just have to think what colour. It's a white GS and was thinking of gloss red, although black might be more practical to touch in.
Had thought of protecting them where they hit the ground. At least I now know where they touch down...
Had also thought of the split hose but trying to think of a more 'elegant' solution. Maybe some kind of stick on bump strip like you can get to stop your car door getting chipped. Or a mini bump stop that could be screwed to the crash bar.
As long as it's cheap and replaceable.
Don't think my legs are going to get any longer now and a lie down is still a possibility.

 

[Tommac]

My GS with Hepco and Becker bars powder coated red for about £40.

Tom

 

[Bendy toy]

The OEM crash bars are stainless so no need for anti corrosion basecoat. If you want proper protection on mild steel get it electro zinc plated then etch prime and paint or powder coat.

 

[neimur]

Excellent work, the crash bars really make it ping.
Neil

Sent from my Hudl 2 using Tapatalk

 

[comberjohn]

Thanks, Tom.
That's just what I needed to see. I've trying to find a photo of one similar to mine with red crash bars to see what it would look like.
Looks really eye catching. May be the colour for me.

 

[lawvar]

Just doing mine in hamerite satin black

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

[Deleted account 240118001]

Just doing mine in hamerite satin black

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

Would like to see how they turn out if you can post some pics?

 

[comberjohn]

Tried the Hammerite satin black on a pie of pipe. Spray on was too thin and brush on not great.
Just left mine in to be powder coated RED!
Quoted £50. By the time you would buy the correct paint and prep materials, it really is a no brainer. Doh!
Never mind that you'll never get that finish and durability.

 

[Deleted account 240118001]

Am hoping to get my engine bars and pannier rails powder coated in the new year. But just wondered what the finish would be like using a paint like hammerite or similar?

 

[Deleted account 190920001]

Am hoping to get my engine bars and pannier rails powder coated in the new year. But just wondered what the finish would be like using a paint like hammerite or similar?

Not good. See above.

 

[Bendy toy]

Hammerite is supposed to be much better these days but I've found the Finnigan's version got very brittle after a few months and chipped all too easily.
Powder cost is cheap enough to have redone when you drop the bike perhaps with Hammerite to touch up in the meantime.

 

[Andy63]

Hammerite is supposed to be much better these days but I've found the Finnigan's version got very brittle after a few months and chipped all too easily.
Powder cost is cheap enough to have redone when you drop the bike perhaps with Hammerite to touch up in the meantime.

On my old 650 Dakar I coated my bars with a matt black Hammerite (think its barbecue paint) then a second coat with black Hammerite smooth worked fine, this is a quicker fix if you prefer not to remove the bars for powder coating, but needs prepping and plenty of masking.

The matt gives a good colour coating and the smooth gives the gloss, trick is don't try to put too much paint on at once (especially the smooth)you will risk runs.

 

[Bendy toy]

I got a great quality job with all the right primer. All was fine for about 3 months then I started to get ever more stone chips. Now its owned by Azko Nobel the paint is likely to have improved but the old stuff really was rubbish for bike parts.