I could use your ideas on RIM color

Gohot229

Gohot229

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Well with a new front tire coming and having the wheel off It's now or much later to change rim color. What I intend to do is to strip the powdercoat off of the wheels and repaint them something besides the stock black. I just dont think the black does much for such a sweet looking bike really. It has no 'grab' to it, it just looks dirty weather it is or not. I strip the wheels using 'Permatec' gaskt remover down to bare mettal, it takes 2-3 cans for each wheel to completly remove all the old powderpaint. Then with naked wheels I can do one of two things....paint them or polish them. I have an industrial polisher with all the rouge and cutting compounds and enough wheels to do another pair, well I might need another pair of buffing wheels before its polished to my satisfaction, but anyway those are the choices. I'm leaning towards painting them a color, 'anything but black' This is what my bike looks like, basically stock with a can and tank guard, thats it. So some of your thoughts on colors would be apreciated, I figure you guys and gals have an eye for 'trick' so I'm up for suggestions....................................thanks ...Rich
 
For stripping your rims, try this: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Aircraft-Stripper-Quart-KLSQAR777-Category/dp/B000BHPXWM]Amazon.com: Low Odor Aircraft Stripper Quart 6/case (KLSQAR777) Category: Automotive Paint Strippers: Automotive[/ame]

As long as your work area is at least 70* F this stuff works very well.
I've always had good results.

As far as color, how about a light or dark metallic silver? That will pic up some color from the fork and other bright bits.

You could also paint the spokes and polish the edge of the rims for a two-tone effect. I did that to the wheels on my '02 VFR and I loved it.

Have fun with the project.
 
I'm leaning your way with the Z1000 esk polished rim. I'v done the strip before and have the gasket remover on hand as we speak, thus I'll use it up, it works very well by the way. About 1 1/2 hours per wheel. A titanium color was a thought.
 
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polished wheels are a pain to keep clean... and if you don't keep them polished at all times, they'll start to get pitting going on... my bike has polished lips when I bought it... after 1 winter in Boone, they were FUBAR... So... had to buy a new set... when I put the stock black wheels back on the bike, they actually looked custom.

Paint will come off with every rock, cleaning and tire change... if you're going to change the color, strip them, and have them powdercoated.... they're doing some real neat textures and stuff with powdercoating right now... also, they make a GORGEOUS "black chrome" podwercoating..

Just some food for thought.
 
I've a Kobalt socket set in black chrome.....that would look sharp for my present setup...

@Rich....I cannot recall ever seeing a pic of your wheels, post up to inspire the creative juices flowing.....
 
Based on the color of your bike I would go with a silver that matches the one on some of the other parts of the bike. For durability and ease of maintenance powder coating is the way to go.

If you want to see what gold wheels would look like go here and scroll down to the FZ1.
 
Gohot229 said:
mmmmmm.......Black chrome......
Click to expand...

Here ya go... you can drool on this...

Black-Chrome-Aluminum-Alloy-Wheel-Rim.jpg
 
Oohh Aahh.

NJFZ1 said:
Based on the color of your bike I would go with a silver that matches the one on some of the other parts of the bike. For durability and ease of maintenance powder coating is the way to go.

If you want to see what gold wheels would look like go here and scroll down to the FZ1.
Click to expand...

I like the RZ 500 in the corner. I wonder if my boss would mind if I parked next to my desk? Of course I would never get much accomplished staring dreamily over at the beast all day and watching the clock! Seeing that collection I bet Ivan would like my old girl.
 
Oldschool said:
I like the RZ 500 in the corner. I wonder if my boss would mind if I parked next to my desk? Of course I would never get much accomplished staring dreamily over at the beast all day and watching the clock! Seeing that collection I bet Ivan would like my old girl.
Click to expand...

He told me the story about that RZ last time I was there. He bought it in Canada brand new and then brought it into the US. The thing is mint. He has plenty of bikes in there that make you go :drools:
 
Trade

NJFZ1 said:
He told me the story about that RZ last time I was there. He bought it in Canada brand new and then brought it into the US. The thing is mint. He has plenty of bikes in there that make you go :drools:
Click to expand...

Well if he were to come up here with all the goodies and tune my bike up I would trade him parts and services rendered for the old girl. Not many like her in stock, or good shape around anymore.

Oops! sorry about the highjack. We now return to our regularly scheduled thread: Rims What colour? A little Help.
 
two cents

Gohot229 said:
Well with a new front tire coming and having the wheel off It's now or much later to change rim color. What I intend to do is to strip the powdercoat off of the wheels and repaint them something besides the stock black. I just dont think the black does much for such a sweet looking bike really. It has no 'grab' to it, it just looks dirty weather it is or not. I strip the wheels using 'Permatec' gaskt remover down to bare mettal, it takes 2-3 cans for each wheel to completly remove all the old powderpaint. Then with naked wheels I can do one of two things....paint them or polish them. I have an industrial polisher with all the rouge and cutting compounds and enough wheels to do another pair, well I might need another pair of buffing wheels before its polished to my satisfaction, but anyway those are the choices. I'm leaning towards painting them a color, 'anything but black' This is what my bike looks like, basically stock with a can and tank guard, thats it. So some of your thoughts on colors would be apreciated, I figure you guys and gals have an eye for 'trick' so I'm up for suggestions....................................thanks ...Rich
Click to expand...

Me personally I like your bike the way it is. But a Blue stripe (to match the paint) on the wheel edge, (like on Tony's white wheels with the red stripe) to give definition between the wheel and tire would look good. Be a cheap but effective mod. Sometimes it's the subtleties that set you apart from the masses.:2cents:
 
I havn't yet stripped the wheel as the tire isn't here from UPS yet, and I was busy installing more lighting in my little shop. I think for now I'll use the Duplicolor Anodized looking paint with a couple coats of an epoxy clear-coat. It's a toss-up between Gold and Blue, leaning towards the blue. The advice of the rim-strip is a good one and has a valid point of breaking up the wheel/tire. It's just not in the works yet. With the paint, if I decide I dont like it, I can just get some acitone and redo it with actual powercoating. I keep the FZ indoors when not riding and find cleaning and polishng a relaxing pastime, so accumilation of 'crud' is unlikely. It just seems that bikes have ignored the wheel/tire look of bikes so much that they have become quite generic looking in that area. In my opinion, contrast is desireable, it seperates and emphasizes the componants.
 
Oldschool said:
Me personally I like your bike the way it is. But a Blue stripe (to match the paint) on the wheel edge, (like on Tony's white wheels with the red stripe) to give definition between the wheel and tire would look good. Be a cheap but effective mod. Sometimes it's the subtleties that set you apart from the masses.:2cents:
Click to expand...

I agree about the stripe. I would try that first since it's relatively cheap and easy to do. Just takes a bit of patience to put that stripe on there more or less evenly all around the wheel. I did that with my FZ1 and it looks good. Here's a pic of my finished product:
 
My bike is the 05 blue with black trim. I considered gold accents, for a minute. You know, golding all the silver bits. That was until I saw the bike blacked out, now I really like that look. For now, I'll leave it the same. Some kind of gold on the tire rim might look all right.
 
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