I'm thinking real hard about painting my XG500. I have an over all dream of it being a Slytherin-mobile, to match the ZLTHRIN custom plate I'll be stick on it whenever it comes in.

However, I am not made of money, so I'm planning on doing the paintwork myself. Youtube makes it seem so easy....

Regardless, I'd like y'alls comments and the paint idea(s) I have. I don't have any high level image program, and I am also similarly shitty at drawing, so the ideas are based in paint.

The current idea is to match paint job, only with silver/green/black. Green would be the main color in place of the gold visible, and the line around the outside would be silver instead of the gold. It would still be the cracky-candy color depicted, with a gloss black lining. Since the HD tank isn't as round as the Kawasaki shown, I don't know if I'd have the bridge over the top of the tank connecting the two sides.

The HD insignia I'll be getting off ebay rather than freeballing it. There's a lovely silver cursive one off a Dyna, I think.

I've made a paint image of the tank. The fenders would match, but the cowl on my bike has been removed. Nothing else would be painted, but I'd add a TAB crome tip exhaust, and toss in some green things here and there, like a custom (black/green braided) leather wrapped grips.

 

i think they look good painted. almost all of them are black and w/the low profile are not the easiest to see. some color is good.

 

That's very optimistic! You go girl!

 

Custom paint will make any bike stand out from the crowd. Good luck with your project, and have patience with it. Painting is the easy part. Prep work on the other hand...

 

Yeah, shoddy prep equals shoddy work. I am planning on doing an off-body paint.

Of course, I'm having to purchase the items first, so it won't be for a bit yet. I've to get an air compressor large enough to handle a spray gun. I've got to get spray guns and hoses. I've also to purchase the consumables, such as the resperator, paint mixing supplies, masking tape, and the paint itself.

I thought of using just spray cans, but I would have to purchase an estimated 23 cans for what I want (5 Primer, 5 gloss black base, 4 silver, 4 candy green, 5 2k clear) and at $15 a pop (estimated), that's about $345, and then I'd be hoping to get everything done the first time, god forbid I mess up or run out half way through.

With the spray gun side, I not only get the permanent additons to my garage in the form of a good compressor and guns, but the paint is cheaper on the whole. And if need be, I can sell the compressor/guns when I'm done.

I'm quite excited for it. But I'm not rich, so I'm having to purchase in installments.

 

Depending on what paint you plan to use, you won't need all that huge of a compressor, just a quality one, as you will be using a regulator and turning the pressure way Wayzata down. So a quality 3-5 gal would be plenty big for that size project. Now if you were talking and old school American full size, or a van or something that'd be a different story....

 

Be sure you have clean/dry air. Dunno if it needs to be lubricated too.
Might be easier/less expensive to rent the comp/hoses/sprayers.
Quality paint won't be much cheaper than your "$345." If at all.
Your also going to need a place to cure the paint. Gotta paint hood?
"HouseOfColor" does a lot of the custom motorcycle paints.
And yes, prep is a lot more than sanding and rinsing then applying.

 

I'm getting the California Quiet Air compressor 10gal, which is rated for about 6.40 CFM @ 40 PSI, which is roughly just over half of what HVLP guns I'm looking at consume. I believe this would be a good size, since the next step down of 5.5gal tank produces 3.10 CFM @ 40 PSI, if I run tandem with the 1gal compressor I have it'd be 4.10 @ 40, but then I'd run into the issue of cordination of the compressors. I'd want a quiet run model for my own comfort, and the Cali is a highly rated one off Amazon.

I also have a '67 project beetle, and a '70 firebird I may consider repainting one day, if I'm brave enough. Or, if anything, I can sell the thing on e-bay for essentiually the price I purchased it for.

I live in the desert, I have plenty of dry air, haha. Even still I'll be installing a air-seperator unit. I also have my personal garage I'll be using, so I can control the air quality by removing my other vehicles, and spraying it out.

I unfortunately live in a very, very remote location. There really isn't a lot of places to 'rent' anything; Home Depot is really my only option, and I don't think this store has a compressor/gun rental. No paint booth, no paint supply store either. Closest large(r) town is 70 miles away, and I'm not even certain they have a legit paint store. I think that one is over in Bakersfield there are some, but that's a 120 mile one way. The logistics are too complex to try and rent these things in my current location. As it is, I'm having to order everything online and have it shipped.

For the paint, I've been looking at Custom Paint inc, which for the silver, reducer, candy, and clear, would run me $145. Significantly less than the can version from the same company. Comparative House of Kolor's spray can is $33 a piece, which would make my spray-can side even more expensive by at least about $234.

From the various tutorials I've seen online, you don't need special equipment to cure the paint. Air dry is fine, just slower. I'm a home owner with a day driver, I have the space and time. I was planning on possibly getting some PVC pipes to make a mini-booth to prevent overspray to the rest of the garage, and to possibly help with the dust (it does get fairly dusty/windy in my area). As I live alone, I can do whatever I'd like to the space and leave it without worry someone will mess it up.

 

Check out Summit racing online they have a cool selection paints and supplies and take time find an old car hood or fender to practice on fender for round curves and hood for flat remember to cover 50 % of area painted over lap. Good luck. Wild Bill

 

Good luck with your project, it's nice to see people interested painting their XGs. My 750 is the black model, but I sometimes wonder about painting it down the line. Green could look interesting, nice choice.