I guess this is what I needed to know too.
I was thinking of spraying my frame but wasn't sure if it would hold up, but is it possible to
put maybe 2 coats paint and 2 coats clear on to make it chip or ding resistant ?
Would that make it more durable from wear, I'm just as curious about this as anyone else.
The reason I wanted spray is because I wanted to be involved in my own project bike,
and to be in control of the process for every step.. if that makes sense to you guys.?
I must say this is a very interesting topic & conversation it gets an A - from me.

 

I just painted the back half of my frame using ford blue engine paint (spray can). Most auto parts stores have it (actually I got it at walmart now that I think about it). It went on nice and thick and is a nice bright blue. I used a rust converter first cause there were a number of rust spots on the frame.
Powder coating would be nice but I didn't want to tear down the whole quad for that. Also I didn't want to spend more than $4 [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

On my trail only 4x4 I used a really heavy duty polyurethane paint by Dupont called Imron. I haven't had to wax the thing in almost 7 years. That paint is really tough stuff and only chips when I drag a fender across a rock while rockcrawling.

 

No comparison. If you can afford it and have the time, GO Powdercoat!!!

 

you can use spray paint and it can hold up good if you do it right. I spray painted the heelguards on my Z250 and they still look great! But i put on a whole can of primer and 2 whole cans of black after sanding it down really good. So think about it. But i would definitly go with powder coat

 

I know I'd prefer powdercoat myself but my buget doesn't allow that for some time.
But what about clear coat ?? Yes / No would that make it more durable?

 

I wanted to powder coat mine but my budget was tight so I painted mine with engine enamel paint from the auto parts store. Looks nice and is holding up very well. Im glad I did paint it cuz later I had a few cracks that had to be welded. Now they are fixed I can just touch up with more paint.