removing paint from wheels

[metu]

Was wondering if the factory paint could be removed from wheels with a standard aluminum strip chemical? Are these wheels powder coated? I have removed paint and clear coats from auto wheels in the past and the result is a machined looks that really stands out.

[toneout]

You try it first. Worst comes to worst, just get your brother to paint them. They'll already be off. I still think painted wheels would look tough especially with the white walls. :o







Sorry, just in case anyone was wondering, he doesn't really have whitewalls on his M109R. :D

[ldgypsy]

What"s wrong with the painted wheels. Ive noticed they're easier to clean than polished wheels i've had in the past, especially if you ride alot.

[sledzep01]

Are they actually painted a color? or are they just clear coated to help them clean up?
Sorry for the silly questions but untill Tuesday I am still a "gonnabe" upgraded from "wannabe"
They look like a clearcoated metal to me.

SledZep

[HalGreenlee]

It is almost a battleship gray paint. Probably the only thing on the bike that was done wrong.

[vtxoak]

The bike that cobra did has polished wheels. I am painting the bike now and will be polishing the wheels while waiting for the clear to set up. Should have it done next weekend. Came up with a side mount plate and signals to clean up the rear end. No more plate hanging down.

[Jonce]

The bike that cobra did has polished wheels. I am paint the bike now and will be polishing the wheels while waiting for the clear to set up. Should have it done next weekend. Came up with a side mount plate and signals to clean up the rear end. No more plate hanging down.



Post some pic's when you get a chance.

[SpeedStack]

I like painted wheels better than polished in my opinion. My 2003 Buell Firebolt had polished wheels and they were a pain to keep clean! With painted wheels, I can wax them and the dirt washes right of with soap and water.

ps- Did anyone notice that the wheels are made by Enkei ? Enkei makes real nice wheels for car and are not cheap! Way to go Suzuki!

-Chad

[ldgypsy]

Yea,they've been making wheels for suzuki a while now. The wheels on my 2000 marauder were made by them. The 109 wheels are better though because i never have to clean chain lube off of them.

[toneout]

Not only did I notice that the wheels were made by enkei but I also noticed that they have "BMF" pressed on them. Just like Samuel L. Jackson's wallet in Pulp Fiction. They're the ones that have "Bad (I know work safe site)" on them. :evil:

[bob109]

Painted verses Polished.....having had a 02 VTX with bare aluminum rims I can vividly recall the long hours and large quantities of Mothers Polish, not to mention the sore fingers, which was the norm for maintaining those wheels.

One of the first impressions I had about the M109 was the "CLEAN" appearance of the painted or powder coated wheels. Not sure of the finish, but I do like the ability to simply wet a cloth with Windex and give the wheels a quick wipe.....presto, the wheels are clean. Having a 8.5 inch wide rear wheel is like having a waste basket for brake dust to collect, after every ride there is a accumulation of dust......less work cleaning wheels is more time in the saddle.

[BradBike]

Anybody know if they are painted or powdercoated.
Isn't powdercoating an electroplating process and if they are this the coating will certainly last longer than paint, won't it?
Bradbike

[GSXR_Drew]

I would gamble and say the wheels are powdercoated. All of the Suzuki sportbioke wheels are powdercoated as well. Paint is to soft, especially when it comes to changing tires. I'm thinking of doing something like a polished lip on the rim edges and doing a gloss black center rim....not sure yet. I will need to spend some time photoshopping it.

[metu]

I tryed applying some aluminum paint stripper to the hub in a place where it could not be easily seen to see what it would look like. It appeared to of had almost no effect. I then tried a small spot on the outer lip. It did remove a small amount coating. The base aluminum color is very close to the fatory paint color, just a bit darker. I am toying with stripping and polishing the lip and leaving the hub machined.

[metu]

I have now borrowed a friends used Hyabusa wheel to try a stronger chemical stripper and if that doesnt work I have an appointment with a sandblaster. One way or the other the paint is coming off. The finish on the Hyabusa wheel is black but underneath is a really nice machined surface. I will update.

[OYChoppa]

That is the one thing missing from the 109'er, chrome wheels. If it is possible, someone chrome their wheels and I'll clean them with drool!!!!!
www.hellrisercustoms.com/oychoppa

[WickedRican]

Was wondering if the factory paint could be removed from wheels with a standard aluminum strip chemical?Â* Are these wheels powder coated?Â* I have removed paint and clear coats from auto wheels in the past and the result is a machined looks that really stands out.Â* Â*


Chrome!!!

http://www.classiccomponents.com/pricing.htm

$500 per set including freight back to you... Some folks I know from other boards have used them and they are very happy!

[Seabee68]

I personally think that chrome is the way to go. Will match perfectly with the rest of the chrome engine parts.

[OYChoppa]

PAINT????? What kinda mullet-head would paint his rims? :confused: Don't tell me you want your 109'er to look like a Yamaha Warrior. If you must go, you must go chrome!!!!! I've seen chromed wheels on all kinds of sportbikes and they go well with the look. The 109'er, to me, looks more like a crotch rocket than a dressed out cruiser, with chrome to boot. Chrome dem bad boys!!!!!!!! :bigthumbsup:
www.hellrisercustoms.com/oychoppa

[Latinbid]

Has anyone seen a m109r with chrome wheels? Any pictures in the net?

[phaed]

Has anyone seen a m109r with chrome wheels? Any pictures in the net?

here's a pic of the baron's custom

http://image2.frappr.com/pix2/i/20060407/e/b/5/eb5814bf93e50e56759b425e27fa0cec0

the cobra custom has polished wheels

[OYChoppa]

I saw the Baron's bike in Houston at the International Motorcycle Show earlier this year. I don't really like the paint job but the chrome was even worse. There were little bubbles in the wheels and the chrome had small flakes in it. Make sure you use a good plater and do the research before you commit to plating. But, chrome wheels sure beat the factory ones.
www.hellrisercustoms.com/oychoppa

[metu]

I beed blasted my test wheel over the weekend. I was concerned at first because the finishe was really rough :(

However after a multi step process, it is looking great and I will be applying this method to th "M" wheels soon.

I will post pics and the steps I used to get these results

[toneout]

Spelling looks like you finished a couple of Jameson's already. :bigthumbsup:

[bdsbigzrx]

the finish is powdercoated, as are most OEM wheels. You need the "Aircraft" brand stripper (light blue & white can, has a rendering of an airplane on the label) It's available at most auto parts stores (Pep Boys, etc). I've tried most of the other brands of paint stripers, and, well, they suck!

You need warm wheels/warm weather/no breeze for this job, in addition to some seriously heavy duty rubber gloves. Strip ALL the parts off the wheels (bearings, rotors, tires, etc) and lay the wheels out in the sun for a while. Once they are good and warm, spray the stripper on them and let them continue to "bake" in the sun for 10-20 minutes. Use steel wool to help "loosen" the powdercoat but only AFTER the 10-20 minutes has elapsed. Rinse with laquer thinner/reducer or water, dry them, and repeat.

Aircraft stripper overspray will destroy painted surfaces in a heartbeat. DO NOT do this in close proximity to your car! If you get this stuff on your hands, you WILL know about it in 30 seconds or so. Rinse with water at that point only helps a little bit.... :o

[toneout]

bdsbigzrx, sounds like good advice. I looked at your webpage, those are some nice paintjobs! :bigthumbsup:

[metu]

The rim I have borrowed had Airplane Stripper applied to it which had almost no effect (per the rim owner). I will try some Tal-strip before I go to the beedblaster again. Later I will add pics later.

[metu]

wheel before polishing.

[metu]

Wheel after beedblasting, sanding with 220 wet, 400,wet, 600 wet, 1000 wet, polishing compound, and then Mothers aluminum polish. I focused on the lip for the test wheel.

[bdsbigzrx]

"The rim I have borrowed had Airplane Stripper applied to it which had almost no effect (per the rim owner)"

Trust me, the stuff needs to be applied correctly under the correct conditions, or there will be no effect! I've stripped plenty of wheels with the stuff. Not as fast as sand blasting, but not as hard to polish out, either!

toneout, the new website is still under construction, there's 3x as much content that still needs to be added. Hopefully in a week or so we'll be done.....

[metu]

I hope the stripper will work and have a can ready to go as soon as I get the wheels off the bike.

I have an old Dunlop that I applied the stripper to directly (in sun sunlight) and let sit for 2 hours. I then hosed off the tire and was unable to see where the chemical was applied. Is it really necessary to remove the tire when going through this process?

And thanks for the tip of leaving the rim in the sun to heat the factory paint, makes sense. I may also hit it with a hair dryer.

[bdsbigzrx]

the big thing is you don't want a breeze to move over the parts once the aircraft stripper is on the surface. If you use the hair dryer, use it only to warm up the parts prior to applying the stripper. The hotter the surface (within reason) the better the stuff works. You'll need several cans, BTW.

I've done it with tires on the wheels before, and I can't say that the tires seemed to be bothered at all by the process. It's just easier to do a nice job with the tires off the wheels....

[vtxoak]

the big thing is you don't want a breeze to move over the parts once the aircraft stripper is on the surface.Â* If you use the hair dryer, use it only to warm up the parts prior to applying the stripper.Â* The hotter the surface (within reason) the better the stuff works.Â* You'll need several cans, BTW.

I've done it with tires on the wheels before, and I can't say that the tires seemed to be bothered at all by the process.Â* It's just easier to do a nice job with the tires off the wheels....


If you have not checked out his web (bdsbigzrx )


sit take a look at his work and I think you will see the he know what he is doing. We have been following each others paint work for a long time now and I look forward to getting to where he is already at.

[metu]

What is your web address again? I would like to see some of your work.

Two questions: have you ever used a product called Tal-Strip? It is supposed to be a little stronger than airplane stripper, and you said that you sprayed on the airplane stripper? Does it come with a spray nozzle? It seems like it would just run off of the wheel.

[GSXR_Drew]

I have also heard that once you put the stripper on the wheel, cover it with saran wrap. That helps keep the stripper on the wheel and keeps the chemicals from evaporating...in other words, the stripper may work a little quicker covered with saran wrap.

[metu]

Okay, I applied stripper to the rear wheel first. The paint was laterally was falling off the wheel as I was applying the first coat. I sanded and polished the wheel to my desired level and was really proud of myself. :P

Then I began on the front wheel. I Found out quickly that you need a special wrench to remove the wheel that my local dealer says "that there is a special order item!". So I borrow a wrench from a local independent Bike shop and off comes the wheel. I set the wheel out in the central Florida sun for 30 minutes and then apply the stripper. After 20 minutes there is no results at all. I use a Brillo to help remove some material but its not really working. I repeat the process 3 more times with little or no results. Can someone advise why the rear wheel stripped in seconds while the front is not effected? And yes, I used all the same materials....... >:(

[phaed]

wow, wierd...

[Twin00]

I hope the stripper will work and have a can ready to go as soon as I get the wheels off the bike.
smart move putting the stripper to work....they can't just get by dancin' around all nekkid for their entire lives! haha ;)

[metu]

By the time I am done with this I will need a trip to the stripper bar! :o

I am half way through stripping the front wheel (one side at a time). The finish is ten times tuffer then the rear wheel but it is slowly coming off. I hope to have the polishing done next week, the rear fender/mud guard removed, and a side mount installed. I will post pics the week after next if all goes as planned. ::)

Maybe I can get Toneout and Doughboy to help? :bigthumbsup:

[bdsbigzrx]

"Two questions: have you ever used a product called Tal-Strip? It is supposed to be a little stronger than airplane stripper, and you said that you sprayed on the airplane stripper? Does it come with a spray nozzle? It seems like it would just run off of the wheel"

It comes in aerosol and liquid form, I ALWAYS use the aerosol variety. I have tried the Tal-strip, and IMHO it does not work as well as the Aircraft brand. Nothing does.





"I have also heard that once you put the stripper on the wheel, cover it with saran wrap. That helps keep the stripper on the wheel and keeps the chemicals from evaporating...in other words, the stripper may work a little quicker covered with saran wrap."

We tried that too, but to no avail. I think it needs to "breath" in order to work, but we could do more "testing" on this theory!




Some wheels coatings are easier to strip than others. Go figure, I don't know either!

[metu]

Yea, either way the paint is coming off. I am to the point were so much sanding is required that the process alone will remove what the paint stripper did not. I just hope I have finger tips left after all the chemicals, sandpaper, and compounds are done.

Anyone gonna attempt to polish the swing arm?

[metu]

Finally got bike back together. Attached is the wheel off the bike and then on. It's not chrome but costs alot less.

[metu]

Front wheel polished

[DoughBoy]

Looks Good.........Attaboy.....

:D

[metu]

Polished wheels back on the bike.

[DoughBoy]

Wow......Sweeet coolers......I mean nice job.......I've trained you well....You will soon be promoted to HEAD ASSISTANT...In Toneout's custom shop...



Lets see a pic of that lift you bought?

[metu]

Doughboy, I just called the bike shop and cancelled your bike.... I used my best German accent..... You are German right? :o

[DoughBoy]

I am missing the joke as to why I would be German?

You know what I am......... ::)

[HalGreenlee]

The problem with the wheels is that they are cast and tend to have little pit marks and holes in them that the chrome has a hard time dealing with.

[EAGLEFAN67]

Are you going to polish the hub as well...I think that would look nice.

[metu]

Probably will not polish the hub as it is a very ruff surface and would require alot of sanding. The finish you see on the hub area in the above pics are just stripped to the aluminum, sanded with 220 grit, high speed buffer with compound, and Mothers polish by hand. I like the contrast so for now it stays. Was thinking about polishing the rear trans housing though........

[phaed]

looks great. what type of equipment did you use to polish? drill? dremmel? where did you get the pads?

[EAGLEFAN67]

The tranny case would look great....next to the polished rim. I do like the contrast looking at it...especially the front rim....(pic of front rim off the bike).
I want either a polished or chromed myself...I'm just wondering how the polished look will hold up...one guy stated he was constantly polishing his wheels on another bike he had.

I keep my wheels wept down after every 2 or so rides with a mild cleaner and clean rag. How do you really like the new look...is it noticably nicer , does it look
more substantial ?

Would you do it over again...if so can you do mine ? :D

Thanks

[metu]

Posts: 83



Re: removing paint from wheels
« Reply #53 on: Today at 05:31:32 AM »

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The tranny case would look great....next to the polished rim. I do like the contrast looking at it...especially the front rim....(pic of front rim off the bike).
I want either a polished or chromed myself...I'm just wondering how the polished look will hold up...one guy stated he was constantly polishing his wheels on another bike he had.

I keep my wheels wept down after every 2 or so rides with a mild cleaner and clean rag. How do you really like the new look...is it noticably nicer , does it look
more substantial ?

The maintenance involved in cleaning the wheel is not much more than one would do with a sport bike that slings grease on a wheel. When you wash the bike you wipe on some Mothers polish and then wipe it off with a terry cloth rag. It will continue to get more shiny everytime this is done. If you just wash it eventually it will begin to dull. Honestly I went with polishing to save $$$ and it worked. On a silver bike (in my opinion) the look works well. With a dark color you may want more shine which can be accomplished with more sanding in the begining.

[metu]

"looks great. what type of equipment did you use to polish? drill? dremmel? where did you get the pads?"

Phead, I used a drill and a "Mothers" polishing ball and Dupont polishing puddy. Using a true high speed buffer (and more dry sading in the first stages) will also get a deeper shine.

[toneout]

Wow, that looks better than I had suspected. I thought you were going to do the whole wheel. I like that you stopped in the spokes following the natural contours of the wheel. That way I could still paint my hub/spokes black and then polish the lower spokes and rim. Very nice.

[metu]

Yea, turned out okay just know that it is a very labor intensive job. The affect will look even better on a dark colored bike like yours and Doughboys.

[EAGLEFAN67]

wow ! is all I can say.