Matte finish, matte black/grey coating, paint job

Hello!

Let's put this question out to the group:
You often see vehicles these days that have a matte finish.
Black is the most common color, but I've also seen mouse gray.

Somehow, I let myself be persuaded to have my motorcycle partially painted matte black.
It sprays very nicely and without any problems, and I'm happy with how it turned out. Also, it looks really good visually.

I haven't given it much thought yet.
Is it possible to apply a touch-up coat or paint later on, like you can with regular car paint?
Can it actually be polished?

I'm just saying, if my motorcycle tank gets scratched, I can easily repaint it in one afternoon; it's not a big deal.
But when I see those cars in matte finishes, especially Mercedes, those huge SUVs,
Is that a reasonable choice for a matte finish?
Or does a small scratch suddenly cost €3000?

You can forget about applying a topcoat to a matte finish. If you want it to look good, it would usually require a complete re-coating of the part. Especially for motorcycles, I'd like to suggest considering powder coating. These coated surfaces are more durable than paint.

Matte finishes cannot be polished. You can remove fingerprints or grease/oil stains with a degreasing cleaner. Be careful, matte finishes are prone to scratches!

Large SUVs or similar vehicles that are completely matte black are usually wrapped with vinyl film. Besides the unique appearance, this has the advantage that after removing the film, the original paint is typically revealed underneath. This is particularly useful for leased vehicles.

Hello!

Thank you for the response.

Yes, the powder coating is a great thing. I even had some parts for my motorcycle powder coated.
In the neighboring town, there's a workshop for people with disabilities that does this work to a great standard at a very low price. It costs less than buying high-quality paint for doing it yourself.
Unfortunately, I forgot to bring the fuel tank for my motorcycle. I had the foot brake lever, license plate holder, and tank bracket powder-coated; it looks fantastic and is very durable. I also got a stand (with a chrome finish) powder-coated.
Regarding the fuel tank, I might consider having it powder-coated in the winter if necessary, but the workshop for people with disabilities is now so well-known that there's a waiting time of at least 6 weeks.

Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

"Further question:"
The rear fender/mudguard is a "handmade" creation of mine. It's made from several welded-together parts, including the seat bracket, etc.
I had to work with sheet metal and body filler.
Can something like that be powder coated?

Steffen G wrote:

I had to work with sheet metal and body filler. Can something like that be powder coated?

Hi there,

Since the powder initially holds together due to static charge (before sintering), anything that is conductive will not cause a problem.
I've repaired and had aluminum rims powder-coated several times before.
There is a special type of filler that contains aluminum particles or powder.
"The coating specialist also recommended this product to me, and it worked perfectly."

Standard epoxy-based filler material tends to act more as an insulator in that situation.


Regards,
Mpire

Hi!
So, it seems that it actually works .
Okay, I'll take care of that then.
Because I also need to make a modification/improvement to the fender in the winter, which would require a new paint job anyway.

I always thought that the burn-in temperature would damage the filler material.

Hi there,

I've always used this one.

Aluminum filler from PRESTO, manufacturer's part number 600351.

The cured product has a softening temperature of 480°C, which is not reached during powder coating (approximately 200°C depending on the powder). However, I cannot say how other traces of filler material might behave beneath the "new" layer.
I always completely sandblast the aluminum rims and then only repair any imperfections with this filler.

Another option would be a 2K polyurethane coating. This is very hard and comparable to powder coating, and it's available in all RAL colors, as well as in a completely matte finish.


Regards,
Mpire

Hello!

I used a 2K polyurethane acrylic coating. I'm quite happy with the result. How stable it is remains to be seen. I somehow get the impression that the curing process takes relatively long. After 1-2 weeks, the coating seems more stable than it did the day after application.

And again, regarding the aluminum rims:
The workshop for people with disabilities also produces a lot of rims, including aluminum rims. I can see what's on the shelves there.
Years ago, they told me that aluminum rims last longer because they don't want to or aren't allowed to irradiate them.
Reason: The presence of numerous stress concentrations creates a risk of crack formation.
They have it chemically stripped (or blasted). So, if I understand correctly, they remove the paint chemically. However, they can't do that themselves.