Ducati Monster Forum

I had an issue last weekend with some battery acid on the left side of my motor.
(http://mb-imaging.net/ducati/silver.jpg)

I figured it was a good excuse to paint that side black. I think it came out pretty good for BBQ grill spray paint.
(http://mb-imaging.net/ducati/black.jpg)

Looks great. You did a good job on the Ducati lettering too [thumbsup]

Did you remove them to paint?

Kept it on, used tons of masking tape and plastic sheets to cover everything else.

Looks really damn good! Even the seams where the cover meets the engine case.

Grill paint huh? I might have to try that.

The grill paint is awesome. I used it on my pipes coming from the engine. No issues at all with peeling or cracking. You can get it at Home Depot for about $4 a can.

Great! Thanks. At this point in my budget I'm looking for some more cheap DIY mods.

Did you paint the the right side cover as well? Got any pics of that side?

Oh, and hows the color match to the rear sets?

Sorry for all the questions.   ;D

I used a different paint on the rear sets, so the finish is slightly different. They need to be re-painted, so I'm just going to use the grill paint when I do them.
I did the right side of the bike a few months ago, I didn't do the whole side cover, just a bit of it.
(http://mb-imaging.net/ducati/blacked_sm.jpg)

I plan on painting some parts black today and I swear I was holding the grille paint in my hand about to buy it and then thought better of it.  Stupid me.  Might just have to go back and get it.  Did you put any kind of finish on top of the grille paint? 

Bike looks awesome!  [thumbsup]

I don't have any first hand experience with how durable the grill paint is but I have used it before.  Had some left over from something and used it on a rot iron mailbox post my parents have. It was just a quick fix to get it to stop rusting.  A year later it still looks like the day I painted it.  Best thing is how that stuff goes on.  I didn't care about the finish so I just spray it on thick but it cured evenly every time.  That stuff is so fool proof it's not even funny.  The one I used was by Rust Oleum.

If you are going to do exhaust though you might want to check out VHT.  It has a higher heat rating.

Nothing on top of it. The grill paint has an awesome matte finish. It almost looks like powder coating.

I did the exhaust back in May I think. I've put about 9k on the bike since then and it still looks as good as day one.

Great, now I gotta go back and get the stuff.  I'm starting to paint today, wish me luck.

Someone else mentioned VHT paint.  I'll second that.  For spray paint(rattle can) it has to be some of the best stuff out there.  I use their epoxy paint and a few others in their line.  Some of the paints you have to bake on after it dries.  Very durable finish and it goes on smooth.  I've used it on my restoration projects without fail.  Many major auto stores have it and you can always get it through Summit or Jegs.

Nicely done!!

Does the grill paint only come in that color?  I like it but I'd like to use a dark grey and a black if possible.

Rust Oleum High Heat Grill Paint (http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=112) - Black, Green, White, Silver, and Almond
I know the black is flat black, I would guess the other are too.

Rust Oleum High Heat Ultra Grill Paint (http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=108) - Black, Brown, and Aged Copper.
Looks like a nicer finish, almost trying to get a powdercoat look to it. I have no seen this one first hand though

VHT Flameproof Coating (http://www.vhtpaint.com/flameproof.html) Flat Grey Primer, Flat White, Flat Black, Flat Gray, Flat Silver, Flat Yellow, Flat Red, Flat Blue, Flat Orange, Satin Clear, Flat Aluminum, Flat White Primer, and Cast Iron.
VHT has a higher heat rating for exhaust. 1300ºF - 2000ºF

VHT Engine Enamel (http://www.vhtpaint.com/engineenamel.html) Tons of colors I am not listing them all lol.
Only rated to 550ºF but lots of different colors.

Hope that helps.

Great!  Thanks.

Stupid question time...what kinda prep did ya do before spraying?  Looks like a pain in the ass with it still on the bike but if it can be done...it will be done!!!!  Looks freakin awesome!!

I washed it down and sanded it a bit, nothing else really.

Suhweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Really looks good.  What did you do to get the letters like that?  Prep work or post?

That was done afterward. When I painted, I did the whole thing black, except for the little window that you use to find tdc. After it dried, I took a sanding block and sanded down to the metal on the raised parts.

+1 Nicely done guys!  [thumbsup]

Have you removed any road grime from painted area?
Easy to clean or is grime sticking?

I was staring at my bike in the garage yesterday and remembered this post and the "sanding the paint off the Ducati badge" trick.  Grabbed a sanding block and 10 minutes later had this:

(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa111/sejman/Ducati/036.jpg)

Love the brushed aluminum Ducati effect - it's subtle but makes that badge actually noticeable and pops at the right angle.  Easiest mod you can do and costs nothing.  Now if I could figure out how to get the grime out of all the nooks in that case...

Kerosene and paitence (a shot of brake cleaner now and then..just for sport)

I was using the VHT Epoxy Paint on my Fiberglass Fairing .

MAKE SURE YOU READ THE INSTRUCTIONS [bang]

I used a self etching primer first and then sanded that down (looked great, very smooth). Then I hit the fairing with a light coat of VHT Epoxy (looked great very smooth) [clap].

I let that dry for 24 hours, sanded with 1500 grit and hit the fairing again with the Epoxy paint.... WHAT A MISTAKE!

Immediately the paint started to bubble and crack!

The instructions call for two light coats within an hour, and then a medium coat. If you plan on applying a clear coat you have to wait at least seven days.

So, now I'm sanding all my work back down to the fiberglass... this Epoxy Paint IS TOUGH!!! Lesson learned, if you do it right, this is really good stuff...

ive read the instructions and always wondered why you cant recoat like laquer..... now i know. thanks. but sorry!

It was horrible.

After sanding the botched epoxy didn't work (that stuff is tough), I resorted aircraft paint stripper... it worked its way through 1 1/2 coats of epoxy, and 2 coats of primer in about 7-8 min.

question for the OP:

How is the paint holding up now? What type of prep work did you do to the surface prior to painting?

I would hit it with some krylon fusion UV matte clear coat. It will keep the black from fading in the sun and it will, ask me how I know. And it will help prevent rock chips.

The engine casings and pipes are still looking good. I need to re-do the belt covers, I scratched them while changing the belts, and the rear sets are worn where my boots hit them.

Awesome job!

Whats the name and brand of the grill paint? im in Hong Kong so might try to find it here or order it

What about prep on the pipes?  Did you just paint them as is?  Any chance you can get some more pics of the pipes?

Great tip! good job w/ the paint job