| Author | Message | ||
     Chrisrogers3 |
I know I posted this to the vault but like a previous post had said, nothing seems to get answered on there. SO if anyone has any information either way on this it would be greatly appreciated. I have an 04 XB12R and I am wanting to do something custom to the bike and I really want to get the frame powder coated. The issue that has been brought up to me is that there may or may not be some sort of spray on liner on the inside of the tank that may be damaged when they have to heat up the frame to 400 degrees for the 15 minutes that it needs to cook the powder coating. Does anyone have any insight on this dilema? Thanks, Chris | ||
| Slaughter |
2 problems - one like you said - the interior coating is probably not going to stand the heat. Second problem is the effort to remove the existing coating. Can be done, just loads of elbow grease. We probably won't be able to find out the exact coating used in the interior but I sincerely doubt it'd be good for any temperatures much over 200 - and I'd bet 400 would blister it really badly. Might even get into secondary chemical reactions... all bad. You might check into some of the really high performance polyurethane paint systems. Not quite as tough as powdercoat BUT still really rugged. DuPont Imron is a pretty amazingly durable finish. (Message edited by slaughter on December 12, 2006) | ||
| Ronlv |
i had mine media blasted and powder coated with no problems see my profile for pic | ||
| Bads1 |
All the liner really is,is tank cream. | ||
| Mortarmanmike120 |
Ron, if I've never mentioned it before... that is a syck damn bike. Probably the most bad a$$ I've seen. A little more info please because I'm considering the same thing. There must be a reason for buell to put the liner in. Maybe that reason is a BS epa reg or other nonsense, but I'm sure they wouldn't go through the trouble or expense if there was NO reason. Is there a chemical or engineering reason for the liner? Is it there in case the aluminum frame develops cracks?? I don't know, I'm just curious. What's tank cream? If this topic has been covered ad nausum in another thread I'm sorry. | ||
| Ronlv |
before i did mine i called buell and asked them about it and they said they do not recommend powder coating or painting (void warranty) i said, did you powder coat it? they said, yes i asked, how did you do it? they said, we welded it, pressure tested it and then powder coated it i said, ok thanks then i figured if the can do it so can i, and then went and did it after the powder coating the so called liner is still there, no leaks, no problems the worst part is getting all the media blasting(peices of plastic) out of the inside(make sure they plug all the holes when blasting) and make sure you get it professionally cleaned on the inside (so there is no fuel or oil inside) later, ron | ||
| Chrisrogers3 |
THanks a lot for the insight everyone, and Ron you have a great looking bike. As for removing the original powder coating (if thats what it is from the factory) the guy I went to said he can easily powder coat over the top of it since there is no damage to it currently. Hey Ron when putting the bike back together is there any torque specs on bike I should be worried about, I dont have a manual at all for the bike so I am kind of lost in that department. | ||
| Xbob |
get a manual. you need one. go get one. (Message edited by xbob on December 13, 2006) | ||
| Xbcrazy |
You can powdercoat Buell frames with no problems at all. My shop does it all the time. I've re-powdered my Buell XB9R frame several times already. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, so I will offer mine here. DO NOT have your bike powdercoated without removing the factory coating first. You will be unhappy with the results. I own and operate a powdercoating shop in NJ and would never suggest doing it. I can provide you with referral names of powercoat shop owners if you would like to get the opinions of others in the industry. Also, I am currently in the middle of powdercoating a Buell XB frame and swingarm. I have just finished the blasting process and am preparing to weld on frame sliders. Once that is complete everything will be cleaned several times and then powdercoated. Do you want me to post pics as I go along so that you can watch the whole process? Pete | ||
| Phantom5oh |
Please do Xbcrazy!!! | ||
| Mortarmanmike120 |
How is the inside professionally cleaned to remove fuel/oil? Who would do that. Thanks. It's something I want to do but I need to drop my blood pressure a few points before I start. The stress of tearing my bike down to the frame might kill me...  | ||
| Aeholton |
Do you want me to post pics as I go along so that you can watch the whole process? Yes please!?! | ||
| Ceejay |
Ronlv-that's a sweet looking scoot you got...  | ||
| Skarecrow |
What does it cost to get a frame and swingarm powdercoated? I am interested in getting mine done. | ||
| Chrisrogers3 |
Pete yes of course thats a no brainer question, we all would love to see some pics. One other question for ya Pete, why does it make that big of difference if I have the original powdercoat removed? (Keep in mind I am new to the powdercoating process) I am used to painting, and as long as you take the clear coat off and rough up the paint youre good to go for a new coat. Skarecrow I got a quote for 300 bucks to do the frame, swingarm, wheels and any other "minor" pieces I want powdercoated. | ||
| Bud |
and how about the heat, the slow cooling in my opion it will make the alu softer ( don't know the good us word for it , i thing its healing ?) | ||
| Xbcrazy |
OK. Here is the first round of pictures.    This frame was first chemically stripped and then media blasted to completely remove any original coatings.   This swing arm has been chemically stripped, but not yet media blasted.   I like to add frame and swing arm sliders for protection before powdercoating. It is always done on race bikes, but is good for the street too. I should have the sliders welded by tomorrow night and will start the actual powdercoat process sometime over the weekend. More pics to follow. Chrisrogers3 - You want to remove any existing coating prior to powdercoating to ensure proper adhesion. Powdercoating is an electrostatic process that puts a positive charge on the powder being applied and a negative charge (ground) on the metal object being coated. Old coatings interfere with attraction of the powder to the part. It also prevents the new powder from being able to bond with the metal during the curing process. Some powders are meant to be applied over existing powder like clears, but most aren't. This is a very simplified explanation. I would recommend searching the web, you can find tons of info on powdercoating. Skarecrow - I don't want to infringe on any BadWeb rules and regulations, so I'm not going to answer questions regarding cost or the sale of powdercoating. You will need to contact Anthony C at Liberty HD/Buell, a site sponsor, for more info on getting a specific job completed. | ||
| Ronlv |
thanks to everyone for the compliments get a book for torque specs my parts were put in a sonic type of dunk tank to get any gas or oil out if you do not get all the oil out it can bleed thru and mess up the powder(so i was told) professional powder coaters will be able to handle it later, ron | ||
| Skarecrow |
Thanks XBcrazy. Didn't realize there was a sponser here that did that sort of thing. Still new here I guess I had better read the rules. | ||
| Xbcrazy |
Ronlv is on the right track. Cast aluminum parts are very porous and trap contaminants, like oil, within the metal. When heated during the curing cycle, the pores open and the oil is able to escape causing a variety of blemishes in the final powdercoat. An experienced powdercoater should know how to avoid such problems. So not only does the part have to be cleaned to remove surface contaminants, it needs to be "outgassed" to free trapped contaminants. Outgassed means the part is preheated to a temp higher than the actual cure cycle temp and allowed to cook for about an hour. This ensures a completely contaminant free part before applying the powder. Pete | ||
| Ezblast |
What is the weight of a swing arm and frame - need info for shipping please. GT - JBOTDS! EZ  | ||
| Xbcrazy |
Here is round number 2. The mounts for the sliders have been welded into position on both the frame and swing arm.     Next the final prep of the pieces will be done, both pieces will be "outgassed," and then the actual powder will be applied. Stay tuned... | ||
| Ezblast |
People will have to ship to you to have it done - so the weight of the frame and swing arm would be very useful - Please divulge such info please. GT - JBOTDS! EZ | ||
| Xbcrazy |
Ezblast - The frame weighs 25.5 lbs and the swing arm weighs 13.5 lbs. Figure another pound or so for the swing arm brace that I didn't weigh. These weights are with all bearings, the fuel pump and other misc hardware removed. Pete | ||
| Ezblast |
Thanks Pete - you rock! GT - JBOTDS! EZ | ||
| B_bueller |
Hay Ronlv, I like what you did with your bike . How did you do your fork tubes? I have a black XB12R that needs the same treatments. I will probly have to get BLk engine case's from a XB9 to get your same look. Brian, (Black bikes are faster) | ||
| Ronlv |
thanks, its getting there, i still got a ways to go fork tubes are anodized black fork lowers are powder coated | ||
| Anonymous |
Ronlv, your bike is really nice. I've seen bikes done like this in Europe but none in the US. Only issue I might see with powder coating is indeed temperature. Do it at a shop who uses the lowest possible temperature, and does it quickly with a gentle cool down. Aluminum does not generally like heat exposure, the strength degrades significantly over time with high temperatures. | ||
| Xbob |
ronlv's bike is like the bike version of a rock star. | ||
| Starter |
On a related side note, are there any recommendations for powder coating an exhaust? My race can has just started to get ratty and looking to clean it up a bit? |
