I was thinking of painting a few parts on my Baja DS650 Orange, like the front, and rear hubs, and the Radiator Guard (screen). I was going to do one coat of primer, then two or three coats of Normal Automotive spray paint, glossy. Then a coat or two of clear coat. Does this sound right? What kind of clear coat should I use? and how many coats of each?

Is there anything else that would look good painted? What will I have to do to paint the hubs, is there any fluids, or bearings I will have to remove, or replace to take the hubs off? Like hub fluid, or anything? or is it simple?

I would also like some flame decals to add a personal touch to my DS, where can I get some good ones? Thanks

 

Well, as for painting what you want to do sounds pretty good. With spray can painting, just be careful not to run it. With the clear, I would put on two or three coats, with the first being kind of dry, we used to call it a tack coat and then a full wet coat of clear.

The only problem I see is that you will have to do it fairly often to keep them looking good. The paint will chip due to the type of terrain these things are used on.

Maybe powder coating would hold up better, the only prob with powder coating is that it cannot be touched up, except with paint.

I know that you will have bearings to deal with, but I dont really know what the process would be. You may be able to just tape them off really good and get away with that.

Dont know on the decals.

Bat

 

My DS plastic is being painted this weekend. I haven't decided on graphics yet but here is a contact that has some stock stuff as well as a variety of flame patterns. He says he can do them in many different colors and sizes.
See www.kirklandsatd.com
The contact is Dave Miller.

 

Sign shops can make graphics, however you want. Some can at least. They can scan just about anything, and then transfer images to adhesive material made for outdoor use. Try your local sign shop - you may be surprised...I know others that have, and I plan to contact a local shop in my town soon. It seems like maybe Jeffinrivercity had the checkered flag graphics on his 760/NOS quad made at a sign shop, but I may be wrong here.

 

We painted my girls 400EX hubs yellow to match the plastic. We used regular old Walmart house paint & little brushes. It took a LONG time to do. But they look great & are holding up well. EX guys ask about the "special" hubs we have [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

My rims are completely sand blasted with no shine left at all. I like to slide. If I painted my hubs, it would be blasted off first ride. I'm guessing that's why Bomb stopped painting them at the factory and went with the bare aluminum after 2000.

 

It's funny you say that. I have a poster of an early DS ad. It has silver handlebars & yellow painted hubs.

Ever notice in the shop manual it has pics with other style tires too.

 

hmmm, nope, sorry, I never studied the shop manual THAT closely. lol, ok, just kidding

Should I use spray paint, or brush? i figured they both come out the same, but the spray paint is less messy. What clear coat do I use, polyurathayne? Is there others?

 

Well i got so tired of my bluing exhaust header that I painted mine with orange exhaust paint!! Anything is better that the way it was before!