I just finished painting my 1200 with spray cans. Now don't get excited, cause I researched this very carefully. I've painted all my Harleys with House of Kolor basecoat clear coat system with a gun and compressor. But now I'm older and much more lazy and didn't want all the work mixing , measuring, and stiring, etc. So I found House of Kolor paint can be found in spray cans on the internet. The color choice is very limited, but they had the color I wanted; kind of candy apple red. So I bought two 12 oz cans and that was enough for the fenders and tank. Now the nozzles spray a nice fan pattern just as a gun would. Now the neatest thing is the clearcoat in a spray can. Some genious figured a way to put the hardner in the can and keep it separate from the clear until youre ready to spray. Then you break the seal and shake well and youre ready to spray. Again the nozzle puts out a nice fan pattern and the clear goes on great with little or no orange peel I would always get from a gun. Then color sand with 2000 grit and buff out and it turns out great. I got a couple hundred dollar custom paint job for eighty bucks. I'm so excited!!! I will attach pics if I can figure out how to do it.

 

Great !
Everyone should get involved in their bike.

 

Yes, post up some photos. Before, during paint, and after would be awesome. Good work.

John

 

Way back, maybe in the 1970's, I painted a few gas tanks with spray cans.
Don't recall the brands, but store shelf bought, solid (no clear) colors.
My trick as sanding and polishing the color.
I recall the finish was smooth and glossy.

I would love to see pics of OP candy apple project.

Thanks for the memories.

 

great job. I did the same with my 1200XLCH. First time out I used the clear you can buy in pep Boys - mistake. Gas spill takes it right off. resanded and painted, this time with clear I bought on line, for about $27 a can.No mmores problem with gas spills. Looks like a pro job in the light.
Arnie

 

Yeah, that new clear with the hardener built in is really great, and as you say expensive. I wouldn't want to do an entire car with it, but for a bike its great. And I cant figure out how to post pictures on these threads. I tried to follow the instructions but the screens wont open up like it says. If someone can point me in the right direction I will try again.

 

I took a little different route than you did painting my 1977 XLH 1000. My 07 Dyna is Vivid Black, my Wife's 04 1200 Custom is Vivid Black, so I painted the 77 Vivid Black with double silver pinstripe to mimic the 04 Custom. Ace Hardware Gloss Black spray paint is a perfect match to HD Vivid Black. Used Kustom Canz 2K Clear Coat to finish it off. Total cost of my paint job was $40. Kucsom Canz messed up and sent me 2 cans of 2K clear coat. Took it to a Custom Car & Motorcycle Show . . . took home the Best Motorcycle Trophy!

 

Looks real neat, that 2K clear coat is great. Easy to work with and leaves a professional gloss.

 

Great job. How did you get the pinstriping? I would like to do the same to my bike.
Arnie

 

ajay1976, got the double pinstripe tape at Auto Zone.