GEdwardJones Posted January 14, 2004 Report Share Posted January 14, 2004 Thisa one's a little off topic, but I figure some of you have probably done it and a lot of the techniques are transferrable... My nephew e-mailed me last night. A couple of weeks ago he bought a new motorcycle. Of course, his helmet matches his old motorcycle. He was just going to spray it himself, then he remembered that my wife and I are into all sorts of goofy design things (me more design, her more paint) so we could probably do a better job than him. Having painted a helmet once and having it gone badly (but I did learn a lot), and having a grand total of one chapter in one book on the subject I ask. Can anybody help a brotha out? Any tips would be greatly appreciated. danke, g Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGM Guitars Posted January 15, 2004 Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 GEdwards, The best advice I can give you, is use ALL Urethane paints. PPG, DuPont etc. I've painted many many helmets, the only ones I didn't have problems with are the recent ones where I used Urethane. It's the most durable out there. Also, it won't actually hurt any of the helmets, but no helmet will pass inspection after being painted, so if he needs to get it re-approved, tell him to do it before any paint is on it or DOT/MOT won't approve it. Prep it by sanding with 400 grit, and fill any imperfections or scratches with a polyester filler (bondo type) Prime with a Urethane primer, and do all your paint, then clear with Urethane. Just be sure to use all Automotive base/clear urethane, not the minwax crap. Also, take the whole helmet apart, lining out and all that ****, or you'll probably be cursing when you go to clear and you're trying to keep it off all the seals and stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted January 15, 2004 Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 Why don't they approve it after it's been painted ? Seems kinda crazy. I mean the helmet would still protect your head as well. Or are a lot of DOT/MOT officials closet art critics ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGM Guitars Posted January 15, 2004 Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 Because there is a chance (however slim it might be) that the solvents in the paint will break down the resins in the fiberglass or the structure of the plastic in high impact plastic helmets. It's lame, if the resins can be attacked by the solvents in the paint I would think it's a pretty poor helmet anyway, but it's gov't so who knows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEdwardJones Posted January 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 Because there is a chance (however slim it might be) that the solvents in the paint will break down the resins in the fiberglass or the structure of the plastic in high impact plastic helmets. It's lame, if the resins can be attacked by the solvents in the paint I would think it's a pretty poor helmet anyway, but it's gov't so who knows Even lamer when you realize that a couple of major helmet manufacturers (I know Bell and Arai do, I don't know about the others, but I'd think they do as well) sell primered helmets just because they know that so many people will get them custom painted anyway. Anyway, I'm going to Wal-Mart and buying a cheap Bell full face helmet this weekend to practice on. I was reading the Monster Garage How to Customize Damn Near Anything book and it had some helpful hints (like get rid of as much of the gel clear as you can and then use a compatible primer, otherwise the waxes in the clear will screw everything up.) It's off to work I go.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotrock Posted January 15, 2004 Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 My advice would be NOT to paint it at all. It might only be a slim chance that the helmet will be faulty after it is painted, but when it's your nephews head we're talking about...... I thought that the problem with painting it was what the paint and fumes do the material inside of the helmet, which is the important stuff (sort of dissolves it so I'm lead to believe, but I could be wrong). I'd tell him to buy a new helmet, as you really should replace it every few years anyway. And this time tell him to buy a helmet that matches his leathers, that way if he sells this bike his helmet will still match (you can thank my mother for that top tip, her helmet didn't match her bike either). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEdwardJones Posted January 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 I'd tell him to buy a new helmet, as you really should replace it every few years anyway. And this time tell him to buy a helmet that matches his leathers, that way if he sells this bike his helmet will still match (you can thank my mother for that top tip, her helmet didn't match her bike either). Well, given that his helmet is six months old (there's a whole big story here, where I owe him a smack upside the head, 'cos he bought an F4i as his first bike, then traded it in on a CBR 954 six months later. oy, teenagers), he's not quite at the "few years" mark, but yeah, the suggestion of selling his old helmet on eBay and just buing a new one did cross my mind. It's funny that you mention matching his leathers, because my wife and I bought him those for his birthday. They're black and gray because at the time he was trying to sell his old bike to buy a new bike and we didn't know what color he was going to end up with. so we bought him Black and Gray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotrock Posted January 15, 2004 Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 Teenager on a CBR. That works out quite well as he'll need a new helmet when he falls off . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEdwardJones Posted January 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 He laid down the F4i two weeks after he got it. Landed on his shoulder. His helmet never touched the ground. he got nasty road rash on his arm, tho. He laid down the 954 36 hours after he got it. He wasn't wearing a helmet (in PA you don't have to wear a helmet if you're over 21 or on a private road. He is only 19, but he was on a road in his father's office park). He got a severe ankle sprain and a big cut on his head. Good thing he landed in snow. His mom (who's been riding motorcycles longer than I've been alive) refuses to even sit on the 954, even though she rode the F4i a couple of times just to say she did. Before he bought the 954 I kept telling him that he didn't need a literbike. That the F4i was already, realistically, way more bike than someone with no riding experience needed. When he was shopping for bikes I tried to talk him down into a Suzuki SV650S. Does anybody listen to uncle George? nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotrock Posted January 15, 2004 Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 You wanna try getting my folks off of my bike. They've packed theirs up for winter so they keep looking at mine every time I see them (mum being the worst). I've only been riding for about 6 months and I have to get something faster now. My Aprilia tops out at about 100mph (but gets there fast). Hopefully be changing jobs in a few months and most that I'm being considered for are further away, which is a perfect excuse to buy a faster bike (that way I wont have to get up earlier) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGM Guitars Posted January 15, 2004 Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 I thought that the problem with painting it was what the paint and fumes do the material inside of the helmet, which is the important stuff (sort of dissolves it so I'm lead to believe, but I could be wrong). That's not a problem if you do what I said and be sure to dissassemble the entire helmet first. As for aria and bell selling primered helmets, I can see that as they would undergo inspection after priming anyway, but it's a stupid thought that the primers and paints will ruin the helmet anyway, as I said, if the resins in the helmet aren't cured enough to withstand some solvent, I wouldn't want it on my head Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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