Show me your colors (paint).....

First, I hope I'm not posting this in the "wrong" forum.

I've done a search on the internet and gone through some of the user picture albums on this site, but I really need some help here. Please show me pics of your bikes in colors other than black.

I'm going to repaint the '82 XJ that I just bought. The paint job on it was pretty beat.

My last Maxim I did silver metallic with gloss black "racing" stripes. This time I am going minimalist. I was just going to paint it black and be done with it. But, for a couple reasons, I started considering other colors. For one, I am not a professional painter and gloss black really shows any imperfections. Also, I've had a few black bikes now and am ready for something a little different.

I'm particularly interested in reds, whites, grays, and metallics. But anything goes! Please throw up some pics. Thanks!

 

You didn't say which XJ you're talking about.

Both my bikes are in stock colors; one black (so we'll not post that one here) and one in the original pearl white 1981 scheme.

One note: There is a similar stripe package available for the 750 Seca, it was a Euro-market scheme, white with red stripes like this 550:

 

Dang, those Secas are suh-WEET!

Actually mines a Maxim. I did a search for "Maxim" and looked at almost 400 pics in the photo gallery. Black is obviously the most common. Guess I'll see what "hits" me when I'm ready to paint. Spent a while yesterday sanding off the old, soft, crappy paint. Need to do just a bit more sanding and a very little work on a couple blemishes, then I'll prime it and wait for inspiration to strike!

 

I always liked the gunmetal-grey metallic that the '82 550 Maxim came in; plus there was another really neat '80s Yamaha color, a real deep maroony-plum but I don't remember the name of it.

One of the advantages to painting a Max is you don't have any striping to worry about if you're trying to do an original "look."

Once I get my hands on a complete and accurate stripe package for the '83 Seca 550 (my black bike) I'd like to change it from black-black to a really dark charcoal grey metallic with the original stripes.

 

Not my bike but have been hanging on to this picture to review when I paint my XJ 650.

I really like the deep blue. A dark charcoal metallic frame would be a fine looking option for this color. IMHO

Loren

 

Thanks guys. Yeah, Fitz, I was thinking about a nice dark grey metallic. I like that color a lot.

I'm going to pass on the blue. We just bought a 2010 Vulcan that's blue, but not as dark as that bike. I agree. That is one very nice looking bike. That dark blue with the chrome is very sweet.

 

not factory at all...

started life as a black (repainted at least once and probably with a rattle cans based on who i bought it from)...

custom design by me, painted by a friend whos good with an airbrush...





its GM-Delco white whatever number that is...

 

Cool. Always have loved the tuning forks!

 

I plan to paint my '82 Maxim this summer, but haven't quite decided on the colour.

Question: How do you get the tank and side cover emblems off without damaging them?

bd

 

Half the bikes' tank emblems simply unscrew. But if you're one of the lucky ones with stick-on badges (as almost all sidecover badges are) then--

"Garrotte" them off with fishing line. Use a hunk of nice strong fishing line, slip in under the badge, and use it to saw through the adhesive tape holding it on.

Remove all traces of the old two-sided tape, and reattach with 3M automotive molding tape; it's basically the same stuff they were held on with originally.

 

I have an 82 XJ650 and just bought a 750 tank. I had a friend paint it and the side covers for me and we went with Banner Red. It is made by krylon and yes it was rattle canned with clearcoat. Jury is still out on how it will hold up. Its not a bright red its more a deep red. I dont have any pics of it yet because bike is in storage. With the chrome gas cap and the gold and black badges it looks pretty dam sharp. Not sure if I'm gonna put the badges back on though.

 

Sounds a lot like what I went with...it's in another post on this forum somewhere. Going to do some sanding and a few more coats of clear tomorrow, which will be good enough.

If you use the engine rated clear coat (500 degree, gas and oil resistant) it will hold up much better than the "regular" clear coat stuff. If you don't, it will "melt" as soon as gass touches it. Experience talking here.

 

As you have seen, the darker the color the less "forgiving" the overall job. Matte/flat colors are even more "forgiving" than gloss paint. Sounds like you are proposing to do the paint work yourself and that you have neither pro experience nor tools. Given that, you might want to consider the lightest color acceptable - bright yellow, matte white (like the Ducati Monster), pearl white (like the Triumph Scrambler), etc. It really depends on what end result you are planning; a "mostly stock" look would probably require a gloss finish while a custom look can be anything you want.

+1 on the good quality clearcoat. There is a 2-part clearcoat sold in rattlecan version - SprayMax - that has a fairly good rep compared to pro 2-part clears. R&E Paint Supply has it on-line (http://www.repaintsupply.com/). Warning - you definitely need the HD volatile organic compound (not dust) mask when using this as the off-gasses are poisinous. 8O