EvenmoreXS
1981 XS650
I will be going back through my bike very soon and doing some things that I've always wanted to do and creating my own custom paint scheme has always been on the list. Grinding off some unused tabs, passenger pegs and some other general frame stuff will leave me with a frame that needs repainting or powder coating. I will also be considering the same, paint or powder, for some other parts as well... brake calipers, engine mounts, maybe clutch and alternator covers. I'm still working out my vision but in the process I've learned a lot about Powder Coat vs Paint. I've learned all the basic Pro's and Con's that would lead me one way or the other, BUT, the one thing I haven't seemed to find is FIRST HAND experience with REGRET. That's why this thread could be different from the rest. I don't need to know the pros vs. cons. I'd like to know about why you picked one vs. the other and what happened that made you regret it. Why you think you should have gone the other way.
My main concern in my situation is not really being able to touch up powder easily..., from what I've read anyway. My bike is low to the ground and I do scrub most speed bumps, and Florida's roads.... We have rocks. I have a quality powder coater in Tallahassee I can use and would save me TONS of work and the price is doable. I do not currently have the gear or space to perform my own semi-professional paint job at home, even with rattle cans, and would have to spend a substantial sum to get set up for that and the time associated with doing all of that prep and paint work myself can not be overlooked... But I can make it happen. I am a DIY guy, much like all of you, and if I did choose paint I would prefer to do it myself for the experience and ability to control quality as best I can which means I'd be getting in pretty deep. But every now and then I could do touch ups where needed which would potentially keep things looking nice longer and stave off any issues with potential corrosion under the powder coat. Regardless of the quality of the powder coat or paint I plan to ride as much as possible and the powder coat will still only take so many rock hits on our Florida roads before you've got something substantial to worry about that you can't touch up. That said, I really don't want to have to do too many regular paint touch ups either. Lots of riding and as little paint or pc repair as possible. Not a show bike. I hope she will look super nice, but she is for regular transportation. This will obviously be a long term decision and I hope to only make it once. Your opinions and experiences are valuable to me and I thank you in advance.
I know there are a lot of threads around on this topic but I hope to find some info related to why you wish you had gone the other route. Hate the regular touch ups? Hate that your PC is chipped and lost it's luster and you can't fix it easily?
Personal experience is preferred, but if you know someone who has regrets one way or the other and why please share that as well.
Powder Coat vs. Paint... Regrets!
Thank you all! Ride safe!
And wash your hands.
My main concern in my situation is not really being able to touch up powder easily..., from what I've read anyway. My bike is low to the ground and I do scrub most speed bumps, and Florida's roads.... We have rocks. I have a quality powder coater in Tallahassee I can use and would save me TONS of work and the price is doable. I do not currently have the gear or space to perform my own semi-professional paint job at home, even with rattle cans, and would have to spend a substantial sum to get set up for that and the time associated with doing all of that prep and paint work myself can not be overlooked... But I can make it happen. I am a DIY guy, much like all of you, and if I did choose paint I would prefer to do it myself for the experience and ability to control quality as best I can which means I'd be getting in pretty deep. But every now and then I could do touch ups where needed which would potentially keep things looking nice longer and stave off any issues with potential corrosion under the powder coat. Regardless of the quality of the powder coat or paint I plan to ride as much as possible and the powder coat will still only take so many rock hits on our Florida roads before you've got something substantial to worry about that you can't touch up. That said, I really don't want to have to do too many regular paint touch ups either. Lots of riding and as little paint or pc repair as possible. Not a show bike. I hope she will look super nice, but she is for regular transportation. This will obviously be a long term decision and I hope to only make it once. Your opinions and experiences are valuable to me and I thank you in advance.
I know there are a lot of threads around on this topic but I hope to find some info related to why you wish you had gone the other route. Hate the regular touch ups? Hate that your PC is chipped and lost it's luster and you can't fix it easily?
Personal experience is preferred, but if you know someone who has regrets one way or the other and why please share that as well.
Powder Coat vs. Paint... Regrets!
Thank you all! Ride safe!
And wash your hands.