Painting forks

[kenada]

Hi I wanted to have a go at painting my forks and wondered if any one has a guide of some sort or any guidance that might be useful. Now I've used the search function on the forum and looked at a few threads about cleaning forks up etc and some mention painting and what not, but it hasn't really given me a clear course of action if I were to do it myself. If anyone could help me out it would be appreciated :)

[Grinch]

Just take them off, clean them up, maybe rub them down with some Garrflex blocks (you can get them at M&P). Then spray them, yourself or someone paid to.

[Lozzo]

I painted the ones on my K3 naked with Simoniz 5 Wheel Silver paint (available from any decent car parts emporium) and then lacquered them. Once it had hardened off I polished them down with MER car polish. Unless you had one with original paint sitting next to mine you'd never know the difference.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2030/2221098090_d68c77cab8_b.jpg

For touching in the paint on the the silver subframe of that bike I used an aerosol can of Smoothrite silver, it was a perfect match for the original. I didn't paint the whole subframe, only where rust had appeared round the pillion footrest mounts.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2123/2221098290_96ed99f83e_b.jpg

[zunkus]

...and a good job you did there Lozzo!

[MiniMac]

Looks good that, might pick some of that up myself.

Chicken strips!

[Dangerous Dave]

Same principal as polishing up the forks, only when you get to the polishing stage start the painting stage.

If thats your black Pointy in your avatar then I say paint them black to match the rest of the chassis, never understood why Suzuki never did this as standard.

Lozzo seems to be the man to guide you through this...

[kenada]

Yes it is Dave and I plan on painting them black. What paint would be best? Ive seen some people mention hammerite etc

[Dangerous Dave]

What paint would be best?
I would wait (or PM) for Lozzo on that one, there are a lot of experts on here but Lozzo has done it and posted the pictures, he has done a fantastic job.

[Pete_58]

I may be corrected on this but cant see why some smooth hammerite wouldnt suffice! Of course as with all painting, the key is in the preparation!!

[skumlerud]

I may be corrected on this but cant see why some smooth hammerite wouldnt suffice! Of course as with all painting, the key is in the preparation!!

Smooth Hammerite will work very well - as long as you use the correct primer! Hammerite doesn't stick very well to aluminium, you need to apply a coat of their "Special Metals Primer" first.

I've used smooth Hammerite on the subframe and luggage rack, and when properly applied you get a really smooth, shiny finish.

[Sean_C]

I used smooth hammerite and their primer when i sprayed my front wheel, which came up pretty well. Its just a shame I didn't notice the colour I sprayed my front wheel didn't match the back one :p Still, they're both silver of some sort now, not white and silver :p

[kenada]

with hammerite how many coats did you put on and what sort of lacquer did you use afterwards, if you used any?

[Sean_C]

I used 4 coats I think, either 3 or 4. Didn't bother lacquering mine. When this is more than getting my bike on the road I'll have them powder coated instead.

[maultin]

problem with all primers in aerosol cans is that they are basically crap onto aluminium.
if you really want a very well adhered primer you need to use a two pack high build etch. not available from halfords etc, but any body shop will be using this sort of thing. once the two pack etch is on there, you can go over it with pretty much anything you like as long as you give the primer a rub down first.

more expensive to do than a couple of iffie aerosols, but the result will be excellent.

i agree that lozzo has done a good job, the forks look great, but if there is a break in the paint film from a stone chip etc it will soon start to spread when water gets behind it.

[Lozzo]

Looks good that, might pick some of that up myself.

Chicken strips!

New tyres :(

[Lozzo]

I would wait (or PM) for Lozzo on that one, there are a lot of experts on here but Lozzo has done it and posted the pictures, he has done a fantastic job.

I'd use Halfords satin black paint to do the forks. It's the hardest wearing stuff I've come across and goes on nicely over normal grey primer. The forks and engine covers on my 250 are painted with it.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/207/491492066_7aec6236f1_b.jpg

[kenada]

Those forks look very nice :D

[Lozzo]

Halfords Satin black is brilliant stuff.

[kenada]

did you use any lacquer after lozzo?

[Lozzo]

did you use any lacquer after lozzo?

Not on the satin black, it's just as it came out of the can, hasn't even been polished in that photo, but MER brings it up to a nice satin finish now it's hardened off. In the photos it still looks a bit matt.

[Dangerous Dave]

Another fantastic job Lozzo, top marks.

[Lozzo]

Another fantastic job Lozzo, top marks.

Thanks, that's the SR250 I rebuilt from a rusting wreck. There's photos of the rebuild here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/78131584@N00/page9/

and then

http://www.flickr.com/photos/78131584@N00/page8/

It looked like this when I got given it, and I won't be seen dead riding a cruiser, so it had to be rebuilt into something vaguely acceptable.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/55/359948046_5511672bff_o.jpg

[kenada]

With the wet and dry paper should I be using it wet or dry on the forks?

[charlie13]

Just a quick question regarding the simoniz number 5, is it necessary to use any primer on the forks before applying it or can it go straight on the bare ally. It says nothing about primer being required on the simoniz can but everything else i looked at did :confused:

[Lozzo]

I used grey primer, it'd be better if you used etch primer on alloy but I couldn't get access to any so did what I could with what I had.

[Lozzo]

With the wet and dry paper should I be using it wet or dry on the forks?


I use it wet, that washes the debris out of the paper

[charlie13]

I used grey primer, it'd be better if you used etch primer on alloy but I couldn't get access to any so did what I could with what I had.

Cheers for the advice Lozzo, a call to RS Motorbike paint today i think to see if they can supply the etch primer :)

[toonyank]

Unless you do a good job of prep work like primer and a good surface to key into your wasting your time and will flake off no bother.

Take your time and do it right or you can always use wet/dry and brasso like mine that works for me.

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb270/toonyank/Motorbikes/Suzuki%20SV650S/DSCN3343.jpg

[redbouy]

For etch paint try marine shops. they sell lots of single and 2 part etch, primer , and top coats and it does last. I use international paint.

plus you can also buy a small bottle/jar which a gas fulled can screws on the top. This way you can mix your own paint (2 part) and spray it on. The bottle is about 3 inchs tall so more than enough to do the forks.

[Pete_58]

Im 90% sure Halfords stock etch primer.

Post some pics up of your handywork when done!

[charlie13]

I shall do, but might not be for a week or two. Rainy yorkshire is not the best place to be when you have to do all your maintenance outside and the forecast looks pretty plop :-( got emulators to go in, gixxer600 callipers to fit/bleed, and a zx-10 shock to fit as well so the job's are backing up. Can somebody remind me how that sundance goes again? Or will I have to sacrifice my cat to appease the weather gods.

Edit: for those in the pennine massive cleckhuddersfax area, etch primer available in aerosol (@ £6.50) or 1litre form from Auto Paint Northern, 4b Union St, Liversedge, West Yorks, WF15 7HW. Tel: 01924 410125

[kenada]

Unless you do a good job of prep work like primer and a good surface to key into your wasting your time and will flake off no bother.

Take your time and do it right or you can always use wet/dry and brasso like mine that works for me.



What do you mean when you say " a good surface to key into " ?

[Pete_58]

It means a good surface to start prime and painting on. If it is still smooth alloy, primer will just scratch and/or flake off. The finish will be rubbish. Get a good primer base down and you'll be fine. Hope that Helps.

[kenada]

cheers for the clarification

[toonyank]

It means a good surface to start prime and painting on. If it is still smooth alloy, primer will just scratch and/or flake off. The finish will be rubbish. Get a good primer base down and you'll be fine. Hope that Helps.

Just what Pete said :)

[ScottishRawker]

Sorry to bring this topic back up,

i'm thinking of painting the forks on my black k5, obviously in black.

how do you support the bike when painting them?

are you taking the forks fully off?

or just taking off wheel and mudguard?

yet still how did you support it?

Adam

[scottjames]

it would be easyist to have them out i would have thought and the easest way to do tht is get a head stock stand.

there would be no prblem with masking every thing up and painting them on the bike just makes things harder, ie getting to the back etc.

[toonyank]

I have an Abba stand that pivots about the swing arm pivot and then the front lifts up with little effort. I used a jack on this one but I've since got a rachet hoist and string it to the rafters in the garage.

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb270/toonyank/Motorbikes/Suzuki%20SV650S/DSCN2043.jpg

[kenada]

After making this thread months ago I finally got around to spraying my forks lol
I did the front wheel aswell and heres the finished product

http://img55.imageshack.us/img55/7628/p1010628rd2.th.jpg (http://img55.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010628rd2.jpg)

[Dangerous Dave]

I did the front wheel aswell...
...and the concrete, stand and tyre.... ;)

Looking good, how come you didn't remove the items to paint them?

[kwak zzr]

on my old k3 i put 2 strips of silver duck tape (one on each leg) to protect them from eliments and stone chips, i also didnt like the look of the huggers so i put a butil rubber flap 4"wide from the battery box down through the swingarm which kept all the crap off the shock.

[kenada]

...and the concrete, stand and tyre.... ;)

Looking good, how come you didn't remove the items to paint them?

haha dave

I took the wheel off and prepped it and painted it inside the garage. Tho for the forks I just left them on the bike with a headstock stand outside as not enough room in the garage for the bike and car :(

Didnt remove the forks cos im too lazy but I think the whole process would of been a whole lot easier if I did just take them off and take them to the powder coaters lol

[MattCollins]

Just to add... When painting aluminium it is important to paint it immediately after sanding. Not a lot sticks to aluminium (other than specialised chemical etch and even that is improved with a bit of cleaning up) once it starts to oxidise which occurs very rapidly. Don't sand one day to paint the next.

Cheers