I want to paint my bike satin black using spray cans. What brand of paint is fuel resistant or do I need to use a urethane satin topcoat. Help Please

No one jumped in on this yet so I'll just say most spray paint is NOT fuel resistant and yes, you'd need a top coat of something that is.

They do make satin finish clear coats.

Ron/lance328 recommended *Rustoleum Professional High Performance High Gloss* as the best rattlecan paint available for touch-ups or total repainting of the bike`s frame. Perhaps Rustoleum has a similar product with a satin finish. Ask the paint specialist in your favorite NAPA or other auto supply store who mixes custom paint for the body shop painters, what is compatible?, and what he recommends as a base and clear coat?

I wanted to have my Sportster repainted that same satin black two years ago. I was told that it is one of the hardest paint jobs to accomplish because when you apply clear coat it tends to show all the imperfections. I tried four shops that said they wont do it and a fifth that does that style for hot rods but it would cost over $4,000.00!!!!!!! AND, take 8 to 10 weeks.......I stuck with my pearl white but would love to hear how others have faired with that color as I love the look of it..............

I really like the look of satin paint for most things. Not sure about the whole bike but then I haven't seen one either. I used satin black on my hard bags and found that they scuff VERY easily. Almost everyone that rode as my passenger left their mark and I did myself a few times. Musta touched them up 4 times this summer. I used Krylon Fusion thinking that since it was made for outdoor plastic the durability would be good. I don't recommend it for bikes. Maybe since they're really fiberglass I chose the wrong stuff who knows. Still learning when it comes to paint. Good luck tho.

Search "Painting your motorcycle" on You Tube. You could also Google it. There is a wealth of information out there. I guess I know because I am thinking of trying it myself.

Mcneuby

I paid 150 for 1 quart base and 1 quart clear hd denim black. It is a PPG paint rebranded as HD. I will let you know how it does when I get off my ass and paint my bike.

All the rattle can satin black paint I've ever seen is EXTREMELY easy to damage. I have seen a lot of Harleys painted satin black, and they don't seem to have that problem. I always wondered how they avoided it. I have seen a lot of fairly new Harley engines where the matte black paint had already turned gray.

I am not a fan of clearcoat. Never have been. I was going to have my Vulcan repainted in a non metallic color without clearcoat, until a near mint condition '97 red/gray tank and red fenders showed up, now I'm going to use them.

Clearcoat has two serious problems. On motorcycles kept inside, it is very soft, much softer than the color coat, and scratches so easy I swear a feather would scratch it. It quickly develops a hazy look because of this, unless you just never touch it.

On cars, at least here in AZ, the clearcoat will literally burn off in 2-3 years on a NEW car. It leaves a horrible looking blotchy paint job that can only be fixed by repainting. I have seen 40 year old cars with their non clear coated baked enamel paint still in excellent condition. When it fades, it can be buffed out, and is thick enough to do a lot of buffing. New paints simply do not hold up this well. They can look better when new, that old paint had kind of an industrial look to it, but it doesn't stay looking new long, and unlike the old stuff, there is no way to buff it out. Metallic paint also tends to fade out in spots.


I have also seen VERY expensive ($200,000+) cars with the same problems, apparently their paint is no better than cheaper cars. In fact, Mercedes seems to have some of the worst quality paint out there.

Most of the cheap rattle cans won't be fuel resistant. I've been told that thoroughly cured rattle can paint jobs can hold up to periodic fuel exposure. I'd imagine part of that depends on doing a superior prep job and not rushing the parts back into service.

Personally, I'd go the safe route and use a catalyzed paint.

Good luck,
Hippie

Problem is, catalyzed paint requires skill, experience, and the right equipment. Nobody gets it right the first time, or the second time either. With rattle can paint, you basically have 2 choices. Enamel and lacquer. Krylon makes good enamel, and I have painted bikes with it. It is fuel resistant to some degree after it has cured for a couple of weeks, if you do not clear coat it, and if you wash off any spilled fuel immediately. Yep, carry a wet rag to the station, or use their windshield cleaner stuff. Lacquer is in non way fuel resistant. You can do a beautiful paint job with it, but gasoline is a solvent for lacquer, and will take it right off. I have had excellent results with non clear coated gloss Krylon enamel. But by it's very nature, flat and satin paints are textured, and very easily damaged. I built a cruiser bicycle a couple of years ago, red wheels, wide whitewalls, matte black paint, it looked really cool. Within weeks the paint was light gray and badly scratched and stained.