wheels

[somainevent]

i want to make my stock alloy wheels black. is that something i can do myself with some ease, or it that a shops job, maybe just get it coated? if so how much would it generally run for both wheels to get them pro. done?

[The CyberPoet]

(A) You can do it yourself. I'd suggest considering POR-15 Hardnose paints, which is a viable alternative to powdercoating for such an application.

(B) The cost of having a shop do it is directly dependent on the amount of prep work done before the shop gets it, and the cost of the coating & method of application, plus level of post-application handling and clean-up required. I.e. - whether the paint costs them $40/quart or $150/quart, they're going to pass that on to you. If it needs to be acid-dipped or sandblasted first, the cost of that will also be passed on to you. Powdercoating costs more than spraying paint, but is normally a far harder coating and usually has better results because the application method gives a perfectly uniform coverage.

(C) Prices vary highly depending on location. An area that just has to filter the air (say southern Arizona) is going to have less overhead than a place that has to heat or cool, dehumidify and filter the air. Areas with high rents will charge more than places with low rent (i.e. - usually cost more in greater NYC than in rural PA). Etc.

(D) Shipping costs will play into it if you have to send them off.

All that said, I doubt if you're going to find a concrete answer to what it will cost you without getting written quotes.

Good Luck!
=-= The CyberPoet

[somainevent]

hmm.. well i wouldnt mind buying new wheels all together, but i couldnt find just normal black wheels for less that $1,300 a pair. just looking at the wrong sites or what? dont need mag or anything, just black

[The CyberPoet]

Wrong ballpark. Those kind of prices are for custom-designed wheels, or special light-weight materials (such as magnesium or carbon fiber). The lightweight materials would put a huge improvement on handling/braking/acceleration, but $1300's overkill (you'd get a bigger improvement by selling your bike, adding $1300 to what you get and buying a faster bike).

If you were to order brand new Suzuki replacment wheels for a 2003 or later Kat 600 from RonAyers, the rear wheel runs $379 and the front runs $327 (these are the stock wheels, precoated black for '03 and later if I recall correctly). Still, for that kind of money ($720), you could have your existing ones shipped out, prepped, plated or powder-coated, and returned to you and still have a few hundred left over at least. I'd say get quotes, or scour eBay.

Investigate the POR-15 solution instead. You could do it for $300 - $400, easy, even with someone else sand-blasting them first ($75 - $140), and then spraying them for you (you provide the hardnose paint, so you know what you're getting).

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[somainevent]

alrighty, thanks alot

[Wingspan]

If you want to pay someone to do it, have them powdercoated. You should be able to have the pair done for about $100. Note, if you do powdercoat them, you'll have to remove the bearings, which will probably require new ones when you reinstall, but bearings are cheap (maybe $40 total for both wheels)

DO NOT PAY $300-400 to have them painted. I don't care what paint they use, that's just absurd for black.

If you want to go the budget route, you can get good results with a spray can, provided you do a good job pf cleaning and prepping the wheels first.