Ducati Monster Forum

Hi everyone, brand new 696 Dark owner (newbie), it rocks.

Has anyone painted their stock silencers?  Was thinking about using some high temp paint, black of course but not sure how that would look.

SC [evil] [moto]

Go for it, haven't seen it on a 696 yet, but shouldn't be much different than any other bike.  Lots of people do this with their monsters...here's my last one after I chopped and painted the cans:

(http://thumb12.webshots.net/t/69/569/9/38/91/2881938910060770372ktDKbe_th.jpg) (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2881938910060770372ktDKbe)

I was thinking about painting it myself as well but I also like the idea of wrapping it with ThermoTec.

I painted mine with Rust-Oleum High Temp BBQ paint. I only painted the aluminum outer sleeves though. Don't know if the outer muffler sleeves are aluminum on the 696 or not, but if they are just rough the surface up really well & evenly with some medium steel wool, wash with soap & water, then use alcohol to give it a final wipedown and apply several thin even coats. I put 6 or 7 coats on mine and 'polished' it after it was dry & cured with a lint-free napkin of some sort(fast food or restroom type) to get the unbound pigments off and it seems like a pretty solid and even finish, almost like a matte gray-to-black ceramic coating. I'd post pics but bike's in the shop.

Thanks for the comments.  I'm in the process of painting, post some pics in a few days.  The cans seem to be alum and rough enough so I'm going for it.  Friend of mine did up a photoshop for me and it looks pretty cool. Also considering a red pinstrip on the wheels and changing the monster letters to red.

Yes, please post some pics when you can. Thanks!

I think I'm gonna need to do the same thing.  I really like the look and I think it will pacify my desire to get aftermarket pipes for my bike.

After my Photoshoped pic I think it's def the way to go:

(http://www.mysimplelife.com/monster/stock-cans.jpg)


(http://www.mysimplelife.com/monster/black-cans.jpg)

Ya need to photoshop out that udder. [thumbsup]

 [laugh] I sure do...you got $2600 I can borrow?

Ill loan you $2600.00 but you have to let me borrow your bike or 2600 hours  :P i like the look of the black mufflers, but can you photoshop the whole exahust system (udder and all) black?

I would have but the other day I found this pic online (not my bike)

(http://www.mysimplelife.com/monster/Monster-1.jpg)

And I gotta say I don't like the painted headers/udder so if I do paint the cans it will only be what I Photoshoped above.

You don't need $2600 to get rid of the udder.

QD EXHAUST Mid-pipe: S4RS,S4R '07+   (http://www.motowheels.com/italian/myproducts.cfm?parentcategoryid=660%7CDucati%20Exhaust&productID=5299&showDetail=1&categoryID=671|Monster%20Exhaust&vendoridtodisplay=0&filterFor=&collection=168%7CEuropean%20Motorcycle%20Parts) : $425

(http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e344/Motowheelscom/QuatD/QDmidS4RS.jpg)

Cool - I'll create a new post and ask questions about this. I don't wanna hi-jack this thread.

My first attempt was not very successful.  I used a hi temp primer, then painted with VHT Flame Proof Flat Black (SP-102).  One can for each, umm, can.  As you can see from the pic, it looks like crap.  This was several hours after painting.  It just came off when touched or bumped.  So I strip it back to the metal (that took a while).  Going to try with different paint next week - Cool It Thermo Tec Hi Heat Coating. I used it on the heat shield and it turned out really good.  I'll post more pics when I have them.
(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/scossio/IMG_0340.jpg)
(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/scossio/IMG_0343.jpg)

Doh!  You were not kidding, that does look pretty bad.  Please keep us posted when you try out the next paint.

Looks great. But why hasn't anyone taken off the passenger pegs or at least painted them black (perhaps you use them idk)

I'm getting my rearsets powdercoated right now. I'll post pictures asap. Scossio can you please post some other picture angles of your mirrors on the 696? I've been thinking of getting those and wanted to see how they look on the dark bike. How do you like them? Those are Rizoma reverse retro, right? Thanks!

Did you scour the cans with scotch-brite or something first?  You need to rough up the surface of the aluminum a little before you paint so it sticks.  Also be sure to use a self-etching high temp primer.  This method should work fine.

I'm certainly no expert, but I did just paint the cans on my 695.  Try holding the rattle-can about 8 inches away from the surface you are painting, and make long even passes along the length of the exhausts.  Rotate the exhaust (Or move around them) spraying the whole time.  Keep the rattle-can moving at all times, and get a good even coat.

After the first coat, let them sit for an hour.  Apply another coat in the same manner, with special attention to any areas you may have missed the first time.  Wait an hour, and do a third coat.

I used up most of a can of high-temp paint, but I did manage to get a solid 3 coats of paint on both exhausts.

Also, as a personal note on aesthetics: Remove the mounting bracket before you paint.  Keep those nice and shiny; it makes a nice contrast to the painted exhaust.  Pictures of the finished product can be found here:  http://www.nemha.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=153 (http://www.nemha.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=153)

Thanks for the all the advice.  Funny thing is that the primer looked perfect, and only took one can, heck I still have some left over.  Maybe I didnt shake the black enough to mix the paint?  Not really sure but I'll make sure and take my time for the next painting session. Now I have to wait two weeks...  Man, this work thing really gets in the way. [bang]

Yeah I make use of the passenger pegs, well she makes use of them when I stop long enough for her to jump on.  ;D  But now that you mention it, I might consider painting those too...

696 Duc Drive - here are a couple of more pics for you.  Yes those are Rizoma's.  They sit on black Rizoma bar ends/sliders - you should get them, it will save you the trouble of discovering that you cant move your controls in on the handle bar.  You'll notice I tried on some red Rizoma grips in one of the pics, I ended up taking them off, didnt like the look.  Plus the throttle side was noticeably shorter, exposing what seemed like a mile of chrome.  In general I like the mirrors, they are solid, don't vibrate at speed and offer a good field of view.  I would caution that it takes some time to get them in the right place and they are hard to move, so take your time.  Suggest you use both hands on opposite ends when adjusting, makes it easier.

I've got the tail chop on order, I'll post those pics when I get it installed in a few weeks
 
(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/scossio/IMG_0334.jpg)
(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/scossio/IMG_0327.jpg)
(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/scossio/IMG_0330.jpg)
(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/scossio/IMG_0347.jpg)

 [moto]

Thanks for the pics. Your bike looks really good!

What kind of paint was the VHT and primer?

You cant mix enamel based paint and lacquer.

you can put the lacquer first, let it dry and spray enamel on top. But you have to let the lacquerfully cure (few days) If you put the enamel first then lacquer its gonna just get messy.

Sorry to threadjack but how much do you want for the grips?

Here they are after a new paint job and installed:

(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/scossio/IMG_0413.jpg)
And
(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/scossio/IMG_0416.jpg)
And
(http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq269/scossio/IMG_0415.jpg)

Must have had a bad batch of paint the first time.  This turned out great, smooth and consistent.  Took two cans to cover the cans and heat shields.

SC

Awesome job zLoki !! The came out great, I really like it.  So what are the details on the paint and prep work you did?  Post up man.

Thanks, here are some details;

The heat shields:

These guys are easy to take off, just be careful of the washers.  Do not paint them and be careful of when they get stuck to the metal/paint, you might rip them if you are not careful.  Use finger nails or a thin blade.  And don't tighten to much or you will crush them.

I used a degreaser (Simple Green) and mild soap (hand soap) and water to clean, let them dry for about an hour.

They take the paint pretty easy with no other prep.  I did four coats every hour or so.  Pay special attention to the edges, these will chip easily so add a fifth coat on them if needed.  I also applied two coats to the underside.  Let these dry for 24 hours before using.

The Cans:

These were a royal pain on the first try but this new paint was much better.  I did five light coats

Clean with degreaser and mild soap and water. 

Sandpaper - Use at your discretion.  I very lightly roughed up them with 250 paper (I know, I didn't have finer, but like I said, lightly!).  Go the length of the cans.  You should barely see the scratches.  Don't forget to clean them off after this, a microfiber cloth works great here.

Tape the edges - When doing the edges, try to get the masking tape into the spaces, that way you can paint the edge without fear of run off.  This takes a bit of patience.  Note, clean the parts you'll mask well or the masking tape wont stick.  After covering the edges, use a paper towel to cover the holes and the rest, tape these to the edge tape, this should keep it in place.  Careful when lifting, get a good grip or you'll rip the tape right off and have to start over.  Masking does take a bit of time so be patient here.

Paint - The fun part, go in long strokes, the length of the cans.  Go light the first time, dont worry if you can still see silver, you should.  Cover both cans at the same time and let dry for about an hour.  Same for the second and third coats.  Be careful to not start spraying on them, spray to the side and move the spray on to the cans.  Careful when you change directions also, if you spray the same place (usually the bottoms/tops) to many times, you'll get a run or two.

After the third coat, examine and apply the fourth, focusing on areas you may have missed.  Apply a fifth/sixth if you wish.

Make sure you got the edges too by spraying down in a circle on both ends.

Let them sit for 24 hours and carefully remove the masking take, reattach, dont over tighten and you're done!

The tools:

The tools you need to get the cans and heat shield off
Three cans of Cool IT Thermo Tec Hi-Heat Coating (I only used two, third is for touch ups)
Degreaser - any will do, I used Simple Green
Mild soap and water
Paper towels
Microfiber cloth (optional but very useful)
Latex gloves (optional but keeps the hands clean, girls don't like paint under your fingernails) - Careful with wet painted parts
250 or finer sand paper (optional and you really should use 400)
Paint mask - trust me, you'll need it
Masking tape
A place to paint
Lots of newspaper to mask things you don't want sprayed
Patience that you wont get to ride her for a day or two

Total cost: Less than $50 (Paint is about $10 each at an autoparts store or online)
Total time: About 6 hours excluding 24 hour drying time


The pin strip.  Reflective red but they look a bit orange (when reflecting) if you ask me.  I have a second set of dark reds that I might try but those are not reflective.  I'm changing the 'monster' sticker to red to balance out the colors.  If it all looks good, I'll probably paint the strip on, for now I'm just trying out the look.

I got these from here - http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Reflective-Wheel-Rim-Stripes-Ducati-Aprillia-Buell-F4i_W0QQitemZ200251315808QQihZ010QQcategoryZ35593QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Reflective-Wheel-Rim-Stripes-Ducati-Aprillia-Buell-F4i_W0QQitemZ200251315808QQihZ010QQcategoryZ35593QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

Pros:
Easy to put on, they come in strips
You get extras in case you mess up
Cheap
Easy to take off

Cons:
Hard to keep straight, look closely and you'll see mine are jacked up.
A bit brighter than I expected
A bit more orange than red when reflecting
Not sure how durable they are

Great job on the paint job!  [thumbsup] I have a question for you. Where did you get the pins for you center stand? Did they fit without alterations? Thanks.

Thanks!  I'm not sure what you mean by center stand, I don't have one on the bike....

ZC

Sorry, I meant your rear stand. The pins that are sticking out of your back wheel.

Ahh, got it.  I got them here http://www.motovationusa.com/mvstore/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=394 (http://www.motovationusa.com/mvstore/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=394)

Took all of about 2 min to install.  No mods needed, slide right in  :)  They look to be of high quality and the Motovation site says all kinds of wonderful things about how good they are, etc.

I have front axel and frame sliders from Motovation also.  Frame slider was a bit tricky but took about 15 to install.

http://www.motovationusa.com/mvstore/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=394 (http://www.motovationusa.com/mvstore/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=394)
Motovation Rear Axle Sliders

Got it. Thanks!  :)