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painting wheels R100S
- Thread starter b4udoo
- Start date
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- Tags
- wheel finish wheel paint
stevenrankin
Active member
I didn't
I had my wheels powder coated silver. To be honest, if they are cleaned properly and you want to I would think any sort of good paint would work. St.
I had my wheels powder coated silver. To be honest, if they are cleaned properly and you want to I would think any sort of good paint would work. St.
jad01
New member
I used silver duplicolor wheel paint. I prepped them by cleaning with diluted simple green, light sanding and scotch bright pad to promote adherence, and then sprayed with duplicolor surface prep-spray. It's been three years and still looking good.
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stevenrankin
Active member
Looks good
Hey Jim, the job you did looks as good as my powder coated wheels and I bet other than your time and elbow grease cost a lot less. LOL, I was too lazy to make the effort with my wheels. St.
Hey Jim, the job you did looks as good as my powder coated wheels and I bet other than your time and elbow grease cost a lot less. LOL, I was too lazy to make the effort with my wheels. St.
lee
Debbie's Servant
When I had to paint my 1984 R100RT wheels I used Wurth Silver Wheel Paint.
Back then I bought it at a BMW motorcycle dealer.
https://www.autogeek.net/wurth-silver-paint.html
Back then I bought it at a BMW motorcycle dealer.
https://www.autogeek.net/wurth-silver-paint.html
jad01
New member
Thanks! For the semi-gloss finish on the RS' snowflakes, I'm happy with it. On my /7, I did have gloss black powder coat applied to the Lester mag wheels- the powder coat is thicker. Hard to tell from this photo, but the gloss finish is really pretty on those Lesters.
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nevadaslim
New member
Wheel Paint
I had my wheels painted by ACE Cycle in Las Vegas (as seen on TV). They're no longer in business.
I'm not sure what paint they used, but Ace did complain about the primer. He said the aluminum soaked up the
primer like a sponge. Apparently, they had to put multiple coats on. Just an FYI.
.
I also had my lower fork tubes vapor blasted and clear powder-coated. It helps protect the tubes, and gives the
tubes a nice natural appearance of silver paint w/o the maintenance of cleaning the raw aluminum all the time.
PS: I sure hate those inconvenient air valves!
I had my wheels painted by ACE Cycle in Las Vegas (as seen on TV). They're no longer in business.
I'm not sure what paint they used, but Ace did complain about the primer. He said the aluminum soaked up the
primer like a sponge. Apparently, they had to put multiple coats on. Just an FYI.
. I also had my lower fork tubes vapor blasted and clear powder-coated. It helps protect the tubes, and gives the
tubes a nice natural appearance of silver paint w/o the maintenance of cleaning the raw aluminum all the time.
PS: I sure hate those inconvenient air valves!
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stevenrankin
Active member
Remember
I remember what a great custom painter said to me a long time ago, "Preparation done well and with a lot of effort makes the paint job and the painting easy". Good luck, it will turn out good. St.
I remember what a great custom painter said to me a long time ago, "Preparation done well and with a lot of effort makes the paint job and the painting easy". Good luck, it will turn out good. St.
jhall
BMWMOA #24809
Paint Wheel Beads?
I was wondering the same, also wonder if it's a good idea to paint the beads and inner surface. It's hard to avoid scratching / scarring during tire change, especially with snowflakes. Seems like a paint chip on a bead may cause a slow leak.
stevenrankin
Active member
chipping
One of the things I have heard about paint versus powder coat is it is easier to repair scratches and chips in painted parts than in powder coated parts. It kinda makes sense as paint doesn't need as high a hat to cure nor does it need the electrostatic charge to be applied.
Still, a lot of people powder coat wheels, I did because frankly I was lazy and didn't want to spend the time properly prepping the wheels and I am one heck of a sloppy painter to boot, It was far easier to take the wheels to a powder coat shop, let them do the work and finish.
If there is a shop who does painting at a reasonable cost, I would have just as easily gone there. If it had been cheaper or same cost as powder coat and just as good a finished look, it would have made me think about which method in the long run is more durable and chip resistant? My unscientific knowledge of powder coat gives it the edge in chip resistance but as I say it is only my experience. St.
One of the things I have heard about paint versus powder coat is it is easier to repair scratches and chips in painted parts than in powder coated parts. It kinda makes sense as paint doesn't need as high a hat to cure nor does it need the electrostatic charge to be applied.
Still, a lot of people powder coat wheels, I did because frankly I was lazy and didn't want to spend the time properly prepping the wheels and I am one heck of a sloppy painter to boot, It was far easier to take the wheels to a powder coat shop, let them do the work and finish.
If there is a shop who does painting at a reasonable cost, I would have just as easily gone there. If it had been cheaper or same cost as powder coat and just as good a finished look, it would have made me think about which method in the long run is more durable and chip resistant? My unscientific knowledge of powder coat gives it the edge in chip resistance but as I say it is only my experience. St.
When you get stuff powder coated it also all about prep. The only bad thing about powder coat is once it starts to corroded underneath it really destroys the metal and you won't see it until its to late. If you have anything power coated ask how many steps they take. If its a good powder coated they will tell you, if not they just stare at you. Most just do a 3 step a good one does 6 or 7 step process. They are hard to fine. As good as power coat stands up most of the time I will go with paint.
stevenrankin
Active member
Yes
Oh for sure, prepping powder coat is just as time consuming and tedious as prepping for paint. I am lucky, I have one of the best powder coat guys available. Yep, cheap is not always the best. St.
Oh for sure, prepping powder coat is just as time consuming and tedious as prepping for paint. I am lucky, I have one of the best powder coat guys available. Yep, cheap is not always the best. St.
jad01
New member
Based on my airhead valve covers, I'd say powder coat is far more chip resistant. However, if someone changing a tire at home with tire irons has a clumsy moment
, the powder coat can certainly be chipped from the edge of the wheel. 
As far as painting or powder coating the inner surface of the wheel, both the Lesters and snowflakes are tube-type wheels, so it shouldn't matter there. But tubeless-type wheels are typically painted inside and out, so I'm not sure it makes a difference in practice.
I personally haven't found much difference between the two. I've scratched valve covers on the /7 from tip-overs (and wheels during a clumsy moment with the tire iron/bead protector
), and touched them up with the appropriate gloss paint using the usual painting prep techniques for the touchup and it looks as good as touchup on a traditionally painted surface. In my view, the powder coat's advantage is in the durability on areas that see a lot of exposure to rock chips or similar high-wear areas. But even then, it will wear through over time (e.g., the pannier frames where the bags contact the frame).
