Powder coating - what to do, what not to do
Moto Guzzi V700, V7 Special, Ambassador, 850 GT, 850 GT California, Eldorado, and 850 California Police models
Updated:
Opinions vary widely on this issue. At the end of the day, do whatever you want. But, here is my advice. Powder coating is a wonderful process. It is very durable and lasts a long time. Powder coat is good for the following things:
- Frames
- Swing arms
- Side and center stands
- Top and bottom triple tree plates
- Fork lowers
- Battery trays
- Battery hold down brackets
- Front foot pegs
- Frame to rear brake drum stays
- Seat pans
- Voltage regulator brackets
There is a definite draw back to powder coating (beside the fact that you pretty much have to bake it or blast it off). I would NOT choose to do it on any of the sheet metal because it shows tiny scratches very easily. I'm not talking about scratches that go to the metal, but very light surface scuffs that come from washing, waxing, etc. I would go with regular paint for the sheet metal because you can always polish out those tiny scratches. My only exceptions to this rule are the seat pan, battery tray, and voltage regulator bracket. These pieces are rarely visible and highly susceptible to rust...so I choose to powder coat them.