Best Bike Paint? Help me decide a color!!!!

VOTE FOR A COLOR


  • Total voters
    15
  • Poll closed .

Orion61

XS650 Addict
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Hi All, it is going to be a long winter and I have my XS650B up and running again, I will be replacing the fork seals so it will be a good time to pull the front Painted bits and headlight bucket to paint with the Tank and side covers..
I am wondering what kind of paint is best? I can't do Powder coating here as I will be using my local Small town paint shop. He doesn't do too many M/Cs so I thought I would ask you. I have the vintage Decal kit and I will be applying the decals before the clear coat, but I also want to have you guys help me choose between colors, I am hopelessly torn between 3 colors. The Gold and Black Decals will look good with all of them, and before you ask I am not going to redo the stock Black Sparkle.
As far as colors go here are links to the colors, I will be getting the Quart KITS so there should be plenty of paint, I didn't want to trust the MC Pint kits. I am thinking of painting the Rear shock uppers like the XS and XS1. I am just wondering how to paint over Chrome??? or if it can be done.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-QUART-KIT...:g:McUAAOSwEeFU7JMY&item=252445817022&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Teal-Candy-...for-Motorcycles-or-Cars-/302123812729?vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Midnight-Bl...:g:2TUAAOxygPtS-TzP&item=272226336972&vxp=mtr

Red is my Favorite color and the European color of the B was a Red,
The Teal I have to say was my 13 yr old Daughters choice, (She has already claimed DIBBS on the XS from me when I die)..lol
The Dark Blue just looks classy but for some reason the 650 seems to like off the wall colors..
I looked at a Candy Med Green that nearly made the cut...
PLEASE VOTE!!!

Again I want to thank you guys so very much for your priceless help getting it running! You that helped me (you know who you are) have gained a friend for life, And I mean the "I'll help you move" kind of friend.
Sincerely,
Orion
 
clean spotless,scuff the chrome with green scothbrite, spray a thin coat of bulldog adhesion promoter, then primer and paint as usual.
 
I like the Teal very much. I have Teal on a Honda 70 and a '75 GoldWing. A good Teal will change color with the light available, sometimes Teal, sometimes Blue, sometimes a nice Green.

Scott
 
I had a '75 B back in the day and have always felt that it was the prettiest motorcycle ever built. In fact, I have always regretted selling it.

Can I ask where you got the stock decal set?
 
Hi Orion,
paint type, I use 2-part automotive paint. I don't usually use a clearcoat because it tends
to curtain on me but this time I used a 2-part clearcoat to seal the pinstripes.
you are lucky that your daughter likes teal, most 13 year old girls would insist on pink.
Me, I like Astro Tow Truck Orange. Actually it's Tangier Orange, a GM truck colour.



Which should tell you it's not usually a good idea to ask others what colour to use.
 
I had a '75 B back in the day and have always felt that it was the prettiest motorcycle ever built. In fact, I have always regretted selling it.

Can I ask where you got the stock decal set?
There is an awfully nice one for sale for $1500.00 in the Classifieds "thinning the Herd"
If I didn't have mine Id be jumping on it, Mine is actually ok but the top of the tank has faded to yellowish, I don't know if it is the clear?? But I have owned it for close to 25 years and want to change the color......
BUT THAT ORANGE??
It reminds me of something I ate one time that didn't stay put....Everybody has taste, good or bad. LOL,
I got the decal kit here here.

http://www.replacementdecals.com/product_info.php?cPath=38&products_id=327
 
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- - - BUT THAT ORANGE?? - - -

Hi Orion,
yeah, I'd wanted to go with yellow but I'd just done both of my son's bikes in yellow and then every new bike in the showrooms was yellow and I didn't want to appear to be a trend-follower, eh?
So I went to the auto paint store and asked, what have you got that's near to the Astro Tow Truck fleet colour?
We keep that colour in stock, Sir.
But long before I turned into a grumpy old man a grumpy old man told me (I was doing BRG on a Royal Enfield tank at the time) :-
Kid, there's only two paint colours on bikes, one is black with gold pinstripes, t'other is whatever colour fools paint their bikes.
 
IMHO there's really only one colour that looks right on these bikes. It's called Ford Aspen Green.
IMG_6223 R1.JPG
 
Mine has clear over the decals, and it looks like there is a big Cataract on top of the tank, there is a dimple on each side of the tank about Jaw Breaker size. That were there when I got the bike.. They were there when I got the bike... AND the reason I got it. A Dr. bought it new and he could ride it....
He just couldn't STOP, when he did he tipped it over TWICE!. I bought it in the early 90's with about 1500 miles on it, 2nd owner, The Dr. Put a crash bar on it on the front of the Motor AFTER he dinged the tank! Plus a big chrome Luggage rack on back I need to sell, I Like the clean look. He also soldered 2 hot leads on the headlight to put some ugly driving lights on it..
There are some really COOL colors out there, I saw a Lemon Cream Pie Candy Yellow that was really sharp, and a Key Lime Candy Green...gosh I'm making myself hungry...
 
I don't have any equipment, how does one "POP" the dents?
Get some pics if you can, great guys on this forum that can point you in the right direction, they certainly help me a ton. I do classic car resto as a job, and that is where my body experience comes from so the application is sometimes not the best for all walks. Dents can be pushed or pulled, with tanks often your pushing is limited by space available, pulling is basically creating a stud or pin on the point to be pulled and using a slide hammer or various other tools to correct.
 
Pretty tough asighnment...............Give us three colours and others.

For me its about seeing the decal on other colors to at the least rule something out.
Here is a collection of some different colours and the full range of the Euro couours
,, Briliant red.jpg,,, 75B Yamaha XS650B 75  1.jpg1 gc.jpg 75B fol1E1_4.jpg 2 j.jpg XS650B_001.jpg
These last 2 bikes come from this site, Don;t know who the blue is but the Green Special is sed27's Blue.jpg sed27 1.jpg sed27 4.jpg

Might pay you to use a program imposing the decal on different colours
 
WOW I never knew there were that many choices, The only one I really don't care for is the Burnt Umber Brown/Orange.
The Green Is Pretty dang cool looking, I have to admit the Black and Gold is it, the best, so I am thinking that midnight Blue Candy will look superb.Here is their chart. http://www.ebay.com/itm/True-Candy-...item84f35131db&item=272212494854&var=&vxp=mtr
The Green is in the Middle, It makes me wish I had about 4 bikes to paint!
I agree on the Decal price! It is on the way already with an Application kit. The '75B Decal set is the best looking of all years (my opinion), I do love the Chrome Side cover accent pieces (70-73) and the 1973 TX650 is a very/very close second. That Saphire Blue Sparkle is Beautiful with the Gold/Black Swooping Decals really makes the bike look sleek. Yamaha certainly were the Bravest as far as Decals wise back then. My Body shop is going to charge me about $300.00 to pull the dents and prep & Shoot it. Reasonable enough. MAN!! Look at those Colors! Mouth is watering and to see the Green/Gold!! I may be hinging a bit..
 
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