I use a lot of urethane acrylic base coat in my shop. That on top of a good urethane primer, you can't go wrong. Then, top it off with a good clear(high solids), sand and polish , you're good to go.

 

Both are single stage acrylic is more foregiving. However if you can shoot that you can shoot 2 stage, much better finish when done. Deeper luster and will hold up better no rain spots etc.

 

I agree but I don't want to pay (I'm cheap) $150 for a quart of base/clear. $45 for single stage. That wound up being the deal -breaker. Although I may wish I had in hindsight.

 

wow $150 is alot of money for just a qt of paint and clear who is the maker of the paint you are interested in?i like nto use dupont brands

 

Whomever was selling you the paint didn't take much time to talk to you about it. For the base coat, you don't need their top of the line product. Most of the cost there is in the color match documentation and the lifetime warranty - neither apply to you. The next level down is likely the same product, perhaps slightly different.

As an example - Sherwin-Williams Automotive top of the line product is Ultra 7000. You could easily pay $150 for a quart. The next step down is their Dimension line. The same quart could be $45.

The big cost difference between a single stage & base clear would really be in the cost of the clear. If you buy a quart of Dimension as a single stage, the cost is a little higher than buying it as a base coat. With the base coat, you have to buy the clear (and hardener). A decent, but inexpensive gallon of clear runs right around $70 (catch it on sale).

The *big* difference between the two is the quality of the paint job when you're done. The base clear will hold up much longer and look better longer due to greater chip resistance and UV protection.

Personally, considering how often you paint your bike, I would tend more towards spending a bit more money for the paint products. It ends up being well worth it for many reasons.

I'd budget somewhere between $200-$400 for paint & associated materials (hardeners, reducers, etc.).

Depending on your bike, you can cut a lot of cost by not buying too much to begin with. When I paint a set of tins (2 fenders & a tank), I end up mixing & shooting about 1/2 pint of base coat & clear (and I tend to lay it on pretty heavy).

 

That's about what I paid for everything too. I still have more than 1/2 the quart of base left but went through a full quart of clear. Let me tell you though, my garage floor has a nice deep luster where I knocked the full mixing cup off the table!

 

Well, I shot the color last night. I'll be sanding and maybe re-doing it. Got alot of runs and some orange-peel. First time and I learned alot. I'm pretty sure I laid it on too heavy. I got 3 good coats so maybe sanding will take care of the runs and repaint won't be needed.

 

Yup. You might be surprised at how much sanding it's going to take to dial it in. I use a 1500 grit stone on runs, works much better than sandpaper. You can also use a run razor to shave off the runs, or do it very carefully with a single edged blade.

 

Well, I learned another lesson. I tryied to cut off one of the runs on the front fender and the paint hadn't cured. Rolled off a big chunk with a razor blade. The front fender will need repainted. I'll not make the same mistake with the tank.

 

Oops. If you have the time and you're up for the learning experience, take everything all the way down and start over. Or, take most of it down to get everything perfect, then shoot another coat or two over that.