[Moto] Art Project: Making a $100 Bike Look Priceless

[The_Dragon]

Wow this is looking really cool, cant wait to see the final product.

 

[Geno RR]

It's all about the prep work!! Proud of you Daniel San

 

[Spec-ECU]

I have to remind myself from time to time that this doesn't have to be pristine. It's not going to be a show bike or a museum piece, just moto a moto model in my living room. So it just needs to be clean, and shiny enough.

 

[GAJ]

I have to remind myself from time to time that this doesn't have to be pristine. It's not going to be a show bike or a museum piece, just moto a moto model in my living room. So it just needs to be clean, and shiny enough.

You look like you're having a ton of fun on this piece of art!

 

[Spec-ECU]

You look like you're having a ton of fun on this piece of art!

I have! Pretty much from the start, every step I've taken to date has been a first time for me, from bike disassembly, to the engine teardown, and right down to spray painting.

I think the $100 I spent on the bike was really $100 spent on the experience.

 

[stangmx13]

i like the contrast of the copper & chrome on the engine

+1 to auntie about cheap rattlecans. uve seen how much i paint w cans. 1 day is always a risk. plus, that type of color prob isnt the type of paint that is supposed to be cleared, so u gotta wait even longer. 3 days might do it, a week prob will, 2 weeks def will... or u could just not clear it. and sanding cheap paint, eck.

 

[Spec-ECU]

Actually, sure enough after what auntiebling wrote, I re-read the back of the spray can; it said not to use clear coat on it.

I think I thought to clear it just cause I assumed you need to on every paint job.

i like the contrast of the copper & chrome on the engine

Me too! Though I've come to the realization that I may not do the two-tone on the entire bike like I originally planned, cause I think it would actually detract from the contrast and just come out too gaudy. I'm now leaning on mixing some black to the rest of the parts I haven't painted yet (like the twin rear shocks, forks, and wheel rims).

 

[auntiebling]

You may not be able to clear it but polishing might be an (evil) option. Spray some on a piece of metal you don't care about and use it as a test panel.

If the weather gets hot again put the stuff out in the heat and sun to encourage curing

 

[Spec-ECU]

When I finish this bike, and if it does make its way in my living room, I'm just anticipating it getting beat up by my (really) young ones, so I think clear coating it was my idea of protecting the paint. But if it cures right anyway, it should be a bit resistant, right?

At the very least, it's relatively easy to touch up if I feel inclined to.

 

[OldMadBrit]

So I had a realization while I was in attendance at the BARF Quincy Rally, which was probably spurned on by watching shows like Cafe Racer and What's in the Barn? in my 5-star suite. I thought:

"If this is my art project, why am I going to hand it off to someone else to color it?"

As in, why pass it along to the powdercoater or metal plater to actually put the finishing paint on it? I didn't build this bike, so if I'm not the one that's going to (re)finish it, what good was I?

That didn't sit well with me, so I decided to scrap the idea of either plating or powdercoathing any parts of the bike. I decided to refinish the bike myself. Obviously, I don't have an oven large enough for the chassis, so a DIY-powdercoating route isn't feasible for me. I could've just bought some metallic spray paint in copper color, but no. I've decided to try a different kind of finish that I found accidentally.

That's a part of the swingarm that I've de-tabbed, and in doing so, I realized that the grinder left that part of the swingarm textured, yet glossy. It gave me an idea.

So I grabbed my paintbrush...

...and I went to work.

I'm really digging the kind of finish I'm turning out with on the steel chassis, just by skimming it with the grinder in various long and short strokes, leaving varying rows of grinder marks, which plays with how the light hits it as you view it around. And the textured finish adds a really raw feel to the chassis.

A couple of problems I foresee with this kind of finishing though; even with a small rotary tool fitted with the smallest grinding wheels I can find, I have a feeling that there are just going to be some nooks and corners that I can't get a grinder into. On the upside, save for the swingarm, the majority of the chassis will be hidden under the tank, seat pan, and a bit by the engine anyway. We'll see. maybe I can even brush paint any small parts I can't grind in silver or something.

The other thing is that this is pretty time consuming. But hey, now it REALLY feels like an art project to me.

Really cool idea. why not get the frame and swing arm sand/shot blasted first and the apply the grinder. I'm betting any nooks andcrannys that you cant get to will be invisible.

 

[auntiebling]

When I finish this bike, and if it does make its way in my living room, I'm just anticipating it getting beat up by my (really) young ones, so I think clear coating it was my idea of protecting the paint. But if it cures right anyway, it should be a bit resistant, right?

At the very least, it's relatively easy to touch up if I feel inclined to.

It'll never be as tough and hard as good automotive paint. This is not always a bad thing. As you mention it is easy tonyouch up. Google yourself the " $50 rustoleum paint job ". It is applicable to some extent.

 

[phocup]

What a cool build. Bet when you're done we'll all be rush out looking for $100 bikes on CL.

Double kudos for tackling something like this with 1 kid and 1 on the way.

 

[Spec-ECU]

So this happened:

A week later, and I started to dislike the copper on the chassis, and chrome on the seat pan and tank.

What happened is that I really, REALLY like how the contrast in the engine cases came out, and I started to feel like the same two colors on the chassis and bodywork was actually detracting from the finish on the engine. I know at the start of this I only talked about a dual color finish throughout the bike, but I really think that a third color to tie in the chrome and copper, simultaneously highlighting them, would do this project some good.

So I thought less chrome and more subdued colors throughout the bike, would do well to highlight the engine as I'd like.

I think between the two, copper would be a better dominant color than the chrome, and that the latter would be better use as a highlighter if anything. And speaking of highlighting and tying it all in, here's the chassis:

I went with flat black paint for this one to bring it altogether, and the flat finish to hopefully let the sheen in the rest of the bike really pop. I'm thinking of using the same flat black for the lower fork legs and wheels, with the spokes in chrome.

I swear, at this rate and how I keep changing my mind during, I may never finish!

But I can't wait until the paint dries and cure again, so I can mock everything up. But I am feeling pretty good about this latest call.

 

[wingnutthehutt]

This is an interesting project. I also have a '72 CT175. It was my first bike and I still have it. I have a title and had thought of putting on lights and getting it registered but my garage is small and has five bikes already. I wanted to turn it into a street-tracker but who knows what I'll do with it- probably sell it pretty soon to make room for something else.

Anyway, just saying it's a cool project. I'll be following it.

 

[Daks]

Man this makes me want to paint things. I did my bike all in urethane paints with a spray booth. It was so complicated but I loved every bit, even if the fuck-ups were frustrating.

Rattlecans are fine for a project like this. It'll be inside getting dinged up all day by kids. I spent ~500 dollars on paint, booth building materials, masks, tape, etc. Worth it for my street bike but there's no sense doing it on a $100 art bike, especially if it's just experimentation.

Mine was all planned out long before I even bought anything to keep costs low.

Can't wait to see the finished piece!

 

[Spec-ECU]

Thanks guys.

I can't wait to see it all together too, but the other thing this project has taught me is to be really patient. Even though I consider myself a pretty patient guy, waiting for the paint to properly dry and cure - even cheap furniture paint - has been a practice in even more patience.

 

[dustyrags]

I won't lie... this is a bit like watching someone take the skin off a bug. Sad to see the bike relegated to spray bombed art piece. Woulda loved to get that running again.

Eh, your bike, your choice.

 

[Spec-ECU]

I won't lie... this is a bit like watching someone take the skin off a bug. Sad to see the bike relegated to spray bombed art piece. Woulda loved to get that running again.

Eh, your bike, your choice.

Damn. That bad?

 

[Tydive]

I am enjoying the build & paint process.

 

[dustyrags]

I have a thing for old Hondas, OK?