Paiting motorcycle forks

[john24ssj]

Hi guys,

I will be replacing my fork seals since and I will have the forks off I would also like to paint them as current paint is flaking off.

Could anyone give some tips on what I would need to paint them?

I know I'll need to remove and clean the previous paint off.

And if I got it right you need to first coat it with primer and then paint it?

Thanks guys Much appreciated.
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Bikes: Honda CBR600Fi, Kawasaki ER5

[Teflon-Mike]

If you aren't too fussed about a great finish.. which probably wont last too long anyway if you use a 'good' paint, as they sliders are prone to stone-chips; just brush-paint them with something like smooth-rite silver or black.
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[john24ssj]

[Just_James]

Depends how far you want to go with them really.

To give them a simple tidy up I'd give them a good rub down with some 240s wet and dry first (no need to remove all the old paint, just anything that's loose) and then go over them with some 600s wet and dry until smooth.

I'd then just degrease them and give a few light coats of rattle can satin black or silver. If you start putting thick paint on forks it will be prone to chipping so best just to build up a few light coats just enough to get coverage.
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Current Bikes / Projects: 1999 Rieju RS1 50
Previous bikes - 1986 DT125R (field bike), 1989 KX250, 1980 KX420 (with 500cc big bore), 1992 YZ250, 1988 KX500, 1989 XR250R, 1988 VFR400R NC24, 1999 Cagiva Mito 125, 2008 Rieju RS2 50 , 1993 Honda NSR 125

[Fisty]

Rub them down then plasti dip them.
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Quietly and consistently taking the piss.
TL1000R | Hayabusa | ZXR400 | TL1000S | Bandit 400 V
Fatter and faster than Fret

[john24ssj]

Thanks guys and what's a plasti dip?
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Bikes: Honda CBR600Fi, Kawasaki ER5

[Vincent]

I've just bought some stuff to do mine....Can of Hammerite Smooth; Sliver, can of etching primer, tin of Cellulose Thinners.
Get all the old paint off with a wire brush and/or Nitromors, smooth down with wet & Dry paper, clean with thinners, apply a couple of coats of etch primer then up to 5 thin coats of paint. If you do it right, and let them dry properly, you'll get a fairly hard surface that shouldn't chip too easily .......and the better the prep...the better the finish. Make sure you prep the nooks and crannies, cos that's where the finish will look rough if not done right. When it comes to applying the paint, do it somewhere with as little dust in the air as possible and make sure the paint is near to room temperature..
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Space Is Deep

[john24ssj]

Thank you for all the replies. Once I get the seals done I'll let you know how it goes
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Bikes: Honda CBR600Fi, Kawasaki ER5

[john24ssj]

Hey guys,

So I replaced the seals and got new fork oil and wow what a massive difference

And I went with plasti dipping the forks and here are my results:

https://i.imgur.com/LcJCv6V.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/NYm0OE2.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/RUVwOyS.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/lzMNpZb.png

Thanks for all the help and advices [/img]
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Bikes: Honda CBR600Fi, Kawasaki ER5

[Vincent]

Good job The proof of the pudding with painting though, is how it stands up over time.
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Space Is Deep

[john24ssj]

[Itchy]

[delsol]

Nice job OP.

You should rightly be well pleased with that finish

[john24ssj]

Itchy yeah I know what you mean it's a vicious never ending circle!


delsol thank you I was indeed every proud when I did it but my mistake was spraying it first before assembling the forks, so I got oil and smudges and few cuts in it. But plasti dip itself seems quite solid.
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Bikes: Honda CBR600Fi, Kawasaki ER5

[Vincent]

When the paint's soft for the first ...say..three days, you could stick some insulation tape up the length of the front, just to help a bit against bits of grit while the paints setting. If you cut it neatly, it won't look too bad just for a few days. Don't press it on with all your might though.

Looks like you've squidged some paint out of the mudguard hole

Ah..forgot, it's plasti-dip.....don't know the proper drying time of that
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Space Is Deep

[Vincent]

[john24ssj]

[Vincent]

Pretty useful for hiding a tired looking axle and stop it getting worse If you get chance, can you measure the diameter of the spindle...or is it the nut that side? Anyway....either if poss.
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Space Is Deep

[Serendipity]

Looks pretty good.

What colour did you go for? Is that gun metal grey with a coat of pearlizer over the top or something else?

The fork lowers on my CBF1000 are in a poor state so may do something similar.
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2016 CBF1000F - Commuter heaven | 1994 CBR600FR - Awaiting defibrillation

[john24ssj]

I did it in 2 parts:
Plastidip Black - £14.30 as my base coat and main coat (4 layers)
and
Plastidip Silver Metalizer - £14.95 as my top finishing metal looking coat (2 layers)

You don't need the metalizer it's only to give a sort of metal look. You can use a glossifier but I didn't as I think it looks better like this.
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Bikes: Honda CBR600Fi, Kawasaki ER5

[Polarbear]

Nice job
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[kramdra]

Looks good. Get some vinyl over the top to protect it. Get it as a sheet from ebay and cut to fit, so you can cover whole thing.

My forks have done 60k miles, and they have a small 100x50mm bit of vinyl protector, I assume from new. Looks great, stones have not touched them or the paint behind. I would like to punch the lazy/cheap git for not doing the whole fork lowers, as the surrounding paint looks utter shit

[john24ssj]

[delsol]

[john24ssj]

I know what you mean Delson, Also I am going to paint the end of my exhaust as the old paint is also coming off and rusting at places.
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Bikes: Honda CBR600Fi, Kawasaki ER5