Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Hi folks. After buying my ZRX this summer, i synched the carbs and noticed quite the improvement in smoothness and performance. Then i painted it, and rode it for a couple of months back and forth to work. It had 13127 miles on the clock, i think when i bought it. Today it is in the garage with 14,900. Time for 15,000 interval maintenance...so check this out.

Well, I started thinking about the mileage and how many bikes i see on the market with similar mileage. As the weather deteriorated and a storm ruined one of my trees out back, the next thing i know we're having record lows and i decided to take the bike off the road for the winter and check the valves...you never really know when there are no receipts and you are the 4th owner in 13,000 miles.

Sure enough...WAY out of spec. All 16 of them. This bike has been SO powerful, smooth and fun to ride, i am really glad i checked this. Today, i fired it back up and ....all i can say is it's amazing what you can get used to! The difference is actually night and day. Faster revving, smoother idle. i even had to turn the idle speed down 1000 rpm from where it was! It was idling right at 1050 when i took it off the road. Today, after warmup with choke off, 2050. wow.

So, have a plan when you buy used. This particular thing was clearly skipped at the 7500 interval, and one of the #3 exhaust valves was a little scary, but apparently not burned. There hasn't been any perceived problem, but the improvements indicate i just didn't know what i really have here for power....and i still loved it!

lol...okay, i am also painting gold highlights you will see later, and tweaking other things to suit me ergonomically and style-wise. I am going through many systems to make next year a year of reliable riding. Thanks for reading.

Good info.

I am also interested in exactly how you painted your bike if you don't mind sharing the details such as equipment, type of paint, and the environment in which you did your painting.

Safe Travels,
Richard

lol. okay.

I shared this on the zrxoa website, just as a fun project i did while waiting for parts. The result was a flame war from the "experts" over there on 1. paint longevity (search rustoleum on that site and you will see they were just being butts about it to me, reason unknown), 2. my lack of adequate number of posts to share a "tutorial" (nothing remotely like a tutorial was shared), 3. how bad my camouflage 28 year old dodge van looks... the list goes on.

Before i start any such sharing here, let me preface i expect more adult behavior here.

Bottom line is, i had a couple of free days and simply decided to get rid of the stripes and go with solid black. I spent $25 on paint and sandpaper. The paint is rustoleum 500 degree engine enamel. Spray cans at walmart. It has proven itself to be gas proof for over 2 minutes before wiping off. It sands well, buffs nicely and is easy to apply.

The gold trim i haven't shown yet is duplicolor universal gold laquer and is a temporary trial to test designs and will be replaced with duplicolor universal gold engine enamel once i decide on the final stuff.

I have read many reports of spraymax 2k clear going well over both rustoleum and duplicolor enamels...the rustoleum engine paint is enamel. so is the duplicolor engine paint. I have no need to shoot a clear over mine as you can see from my pics.

I MAY get a 60 dollar quart of catalyzed black on EBAY next summer, but haven't decided. this was a dirt cheap, easy, fast way to get the cosmetics in line with how i wanted them.

The gold trim has been applied normally when the valve cover was off and by q-tip on the engine fins and bolt heads.

as with all nice looking paint, the work is in the prep, but a motorcycle is tiny compared to a car, so i just prepped it and painted it. The finish itself will depend on your skill and patience after the prep. How you shoot it, how well you sand it, how you buff it...all are experience-based and pretty hard to teach online, but many tips are out there on google and youtube.

My son and I have made it kind of a secondary hobby to riding. we paint them. it's just what we do. I have all the equipment necessary to shoot catalyzed paint, but don't see the need to make a plastic booth for such a simple, small project. we shoot outside on a sunny day. we spent more time on the finish after than on the prep, frankly, since the prep is minimal on a painted surface. When we have to strip, we use aircraft stripper and the prep still isn't so bad on a little project like a motorcycle. I am really on the fence about the 1 quart catalyzed paint packs on ebay....paint has really gotten convenient since the last time i bought any. The spraymax at $30 for an 11 oz can is never going to be a choice I will make, but people seem to like it. If i am going to spen that kind of money for just a clearcoat, i'll just get gloss black catalyzed and shoot it and some other stuff that needs paint around here for 60 bucks. I like vintage paint and rubbed finishes, so clear isn't a big deal to me. Or I may just stick with the 4.57/can engine enamels. They really are good paint.

So, i don't have much to share on "how you do it", but the materials for this paint job were just cheap, good stuff in a spray can from walmart. You can decide all the rest for your project.

Here's a sneak preview, in pretty poor lighting, but i can assure you this is gorgeous in the sun. Total cosmetic investment under $30. I had the gold lying around the garage already. One can of Gold engine enamel will finish this and be durable too. I'll get it out on a nice day and snap some pics, but there is more to do here and there will be frame and swingarm painting yet to come as well.

okay, i had to drag it out into the overcast natural light. It doesn't need much , but bright sun is even nicer! enjoy.

Ron,

I thank you for your reply. I asked because I have done a little bit of painting, mostly on rockets and other hobby projects, and have used three part catalytic automotive paint systems in the past. You are correct in that most of the labor is in the prep and in the finish. I, and my boys, have spent a great many hours wet sanding nose cones, tail fins, and body tubes. For a rattle can paint job, it looks like you did a great job.

I also like it when people have the gumption to give it a go. If it does not work, it can always be removed and applied again.

Safe Travels,
Richard

Yep....wetsanding is really the key. Finding a paint in a rattle can that behaves like real paint can be tricky too. The old rules of laquer and enamel will always apply. The rustoleum is an interesting animal, being an alkyd enamel vs acrylic. This gives it more gas resistance right out of a spray can. For the tank, the engine enamels (even the heat cured ceramic based ones) are a better bet than something like Krylon or ANY lacquer from a spray can. The spraymax is another option for the tank, but it has to be compatible with your base coat. I think spraymax can be had in colors too, so you might just use a can of that for the tank and do everything else in whatever...if the colors match.


I'm not telling you anything new here, i'm sure, but for me the rustoleum and duplicolor engine enamels are just the ticket. I realize my tastes are quite narrow. Your color choices are very limited in spray can engine enamels, but they will work for anything on your bike from wheels to calipers to tank to engine. Of course there is 1200 degree enamel too and BBQ paint for the exhausts. If you can find the colors you want, i think engine enamels are the best bang for the buck in DIY motorcycle paint jobs. Cheap, easy to get, durable and fun to experiment with. for people with three seasons to ride and one to maintain and paint, they are great. If painting it is part of your hobby, i highly recommend engine enamels if you can find the colors you want.

Oh, and Meguiar's compounds are the ticket to the final shine. Google them up if you don't already know how they work.