I'm thinking of re-painting the clutch cover, water pump cover and cylinder head on my 2012 sherco as some of the paint has chipped and worn and doesnt look good. What paint do you reccomend i use to give the most hard wearing finish possible? enamel? powder coating? any other paints?

Thanks.

Rattle can enamel generally works fine and is easier to retoutch but powdercoat is the most durable, yet hardest to retoutch.

I have played quite a bit over the years with paint and powder coat with my show cars and 3 concourse trophies for a motorcycle.

These days I despise powder coat as it is brittle and will wear just the same as anything else from a constant rub like a trials boot. If there is any movement like in a chassis and the powder coat cracks because it is inflexible, it will let moisture in and lift.

The hardest paint I have ever used is two-pack marine paint like Jotun. Some of the primers you can hit with a hammer and it will only mark not chip. My new motorcycle trailer has been done in this paint and it is long lasting and hard wearing. It will still mark with constant rubbing over time.

I'm with Copemech here.... take the wheels on my car I'm rebuilding they are done on industrial black enamel single pack epoxy. I can touch them up very easy with a scuff over and a lick with the spray gun. Takes a bit of heat as well... motor heat not exhaust heat. So I would do the cases in rattle can or spray industrial enamel or single pack epoxy and touch up every year.

Motor bits I do in flame proof at times. This would be good for the head. IMHO Don't use satin as its hard to get mud stain out of... use gloss its much easier to wash clean. Industrial enamel should take the head temps.

Chassis stuff is two pack marine all the way.

Mags

Edited December 6, 201411 yr by mags

Two part marine epoxy is probably the most durable, if you cant anodize. There is a primer process for marine epoxy such as Algrip. If the aluminum part is primed and painted with algrip it will take a beating.

I should add that those side case components are considered consumables on a bike thrown at the rocks! Replacements are inexpensive ant not worth a lot of work. If I want to dress up, I just save the old ones for spares.