Perhaps the most important tip for motorcycle powder coating is to isolate the parts of the motorcycle that are to be powder coated and clean them thoroughly. Make sure all grease, lubes, dirt, and grit are off the parts, as they can slow down the process and even affect the final coat of the powder coating. Motorcycle powder coating can be done to many parts on the bike, so if possible, remove those parts of the bike and clean them separately; they should be powder coated separately as well to avoid powder coating from getting on parts of the bike that were not intended to be coated.
Grease, lubes, and dirt can prevent motorcycle powder coating from adhering properly to the metal. Once the parts are cleaned sufficiently, they should be isolated for coating. Motorcycle powder coating will require all the necessary powder coating equipment as well as an oven large enough to hold the components to be treated. It is important to not use a home oven that is used for cooking, as the chemicals can contaminate the oven and render it useless for cooking in the future. An oven is necessary to melt the powder coating and allow it to run, coating the entire component.
Remember to choose and properly mix the motorcycle powder coating color before removing components from the bike. Try powder coating a scrap piece of metal before working on the motorcycle components; if the color is not quite right, this affords the powder coater the opportunity to adjust accordingly, whereas spraying directly onto the components can potentially ruin a powder coating job. Only powder coat metal components; the components themselves must be grounded in order to allow the charged powder to adhere to the metal, and materials such as fiberglass or plastic cannot be charged sufficiently.
Motorcycle powder coating services are available, so if the motorcycle owner is not sure how to powder coat or does not have the proper equipment, he or she can consult a powder coating company for advice or for services. Such companies often have large heat curing ovens that can fit the large components of a motorcycle, and they have a variety of powder coating colors to choose from. It may also be a wise decision to rent equipment rather than buy it if the motorcycle owner is not going to be doing a significant amount of powder coating. Some powder coating companies may even rent out their space for an hour or two.
