Do you have to disassemble the fork tubes to have the lowers powder coated? I know I could just paint them on the bike but paint chips!

 

Yes. The prep process for powder coat requires THOROUGH degrease and cleaning, as well as media blast. Besides that, the parts will go into an oven to cure the powder that requires the metal to reach 400 degrees. That would ruin the seals and cause the fork oil to leak out and destroy the finish.

 

I explained the differences between powder coat and liquid paint in another thread; https://www.hdforums.com/m_2851610/tm.htm.

Getting the legs powder coated requires more work and a little more money, but anything worth doing is worth doing right. Good luck with your decision.