Have you thought about giving your motorcycle rims a custom paint job, but you’re not sure how? With this easy to follow how to you can learn how to not only paint anything you wish, but also learn ways in which you can give your motorcycle a whole new look while saving yourself a ton of money.
Materials for this project
*Waterproof acrylic paint
*Paint brushes
*Paint gloss
*Paint sealant
*Socket Wrench
*Sandpaper
*Painters tape
*Microfiber towel
Prepping your motorcycle for paint
In order to prepare your motorcycle to be painted the first thing you are going to want to do is remove each wheel from the motorcycle. You can paint the wheel rims while they are still attached to the bike, but it makes it difficult when painting a design later on. Once you have removed the wheels you will want to sand off any and all paint that is already applied making the surface as smooth for painting as possible. After completely sanding off any and all paint take the microfiber towel and go over every inch of the rims to ensure that all loose material is properly removed before painting. Apply painters tape along the outside of the rims so that they are protected from any and all spray paint and to ensure that none of the paint makes contact with the tires.
Painting the rims
Before painting the rims of your motorcycle you need to decide which color you would like the base paint to be. It is best to choose black as it helps painted designs stand out, but any dark color will work as long as you change additional colors accordingly. Apply one coat of paint gloss to each rim and allow it to dry before applying an additional coat. For best results you should apply three to four coats to ensure that an even protective coat is present on each rim. Sanding with fine sandpaper in between each coat is not required, but it will help to leave a clean and smooth painting surface. Now that your gloss coat is applied you can begin to paint your design directly onto the motorcycle rims with waterproof acrylic paint. In order to prevent chipping and fading of your paint design, apply it once and use paint sealer over-top, repeating the process a second time once the first layer has dried. Once you have applied two layers of paint to each wheel rim and have allowed it to dry, run the microfiber towel over each rim to ensure a smooth finished surface.
Caring for your painted rims
When cleaning your rims use a soap that is none acidic to prevent the acid from corroding the paint. Rinse each rim repeatedly with water to ensure that no soap or cleaning material is left on the wheel that could cause discoloration or soap stains. In the winter time it is best to use a spray that will prevent ice buildup on the wheels and rims as chipping the ice can actually damage and remove the paint. Carry a can of deicer with you at all times so you can continue to apply it to your wheels and use it in case of an emergency where ice buildup has occurred. If you happen to run out of deicer or left it at home, holding your hand over the ice will slowly melt it and allow for its safe removal.
