Customizing your moped

by Casey Jones
Moped riders know that their bikes are just like people—they have their own personalities and attitudes. Most frequently, they both are stubborn. But mopeds and their riders are similar in other ways, too. Like people, years of wear and tear can add a noticeable unattractiveness. With the sight of rust or scratches, many people who come across an old bike would normally just buy a $0.97 can of spray paint and erase the scars away. One thing they overlook is the simplicity of taking a little extra time to personalize their newly found possessions. With a few spare hours, you can ride something that shows your pride and uniqueness, which is something about which many riders feel strongly. If you glance through the custom pictures, you’ll see some wild and amazing modifications—from choppers to sissy bars. But some of the simplest modifications start with a layer of paint.

I have to thank flannelman for most of the technical information below. His seven years of auto body painting really help those who know very little about painting. These might be small additions to this article, but they are important ones. I don’t recommend this for bikes that have their original decals or original paint in mint condition. Painting lowers resale value if your bike could be a valuable collector’s item. I’m talking about doing this to rust-speckled or paint-chipped mopeds. Your taste dictates how detailed or extreme you go.

If you want to paint your frame, side covers, or other metal components, I suggest getting some automotive sandpaper—lower number grit for stripping away paint, higher number grit for detailing or taking off top clear coat. An electric palm sander is essential unless you want to do all of this work by hand! You’re going to need a can of automotive primer. All these items can be purchased at your local automotive store or Wal-Mart.

Flannelman mentions, “If there is rust on your bike, you’ve got to seal it because primer won’t do the trick. If you use primer, the rust will come back in a couple of months, or the next day it will start to bubble up. The best way to is to buy this stuff called ”Extend.“ It works great. Another way is to use primer that has a rust inhibitor to stop the rust. It also is a very bad idea to take a bike down to the metal because the acid in your skin will start the bike rusting. Salt in the air can do the same. It is best if you use higher grit sandpaper just to take off the clear coat and, in the rust spots, to take it down to the metal for at least 2 inches around each rust spot. Seal it because this will stop the rust from ever coming back. If you take a bike down to bare metal you could open a big can of worms, plus the factory paint acts as your third coat of primer. After spraying your bike, the first coat of primer should be sanded with a high grit sandpaper and then wiped down with a damp rag and a second coat should be sprayed, just to be on the safe side. I don’t know about you but I hate it when rust comes back on something that I just painted not more than a year ago.”

The hardest part of this process is taking your bike apart. Depending on your model of bike and what you are painting, it is usually simple for someone with mechanical knowledge to remove the fork and motor. Make sure you burn up all your gas first and don’t forget where everything goes! Label, sort, label! Take pictures if you need to. Just don’t forget. If you don’t feel comfortable taking apart your bike, then get extra masking tape and some old Christmas wrapping paper to protect the areas you don’t want painted. You could also read further for other less tedious options. I am going to assume further that you will be removing the fork, tires and motor. Take the time to sand correctly and prime. More time spent equals a more professional look. Don’t forget to cover and protect your VIN ID label with some tape!

Paints can be purchased anywhere. Make sure the paint is automotive and get a can or two of clear coat sealer (IMPORTANT). Stencils work great, as do paint pens for touch ups and details...but you’re going to have to play with them to get the effect you want. Serious artists can get an inexpensive aerosol airbrush ($20). Just be sure to seal it afterwards! Find a nice, windless day to take your part outside to mark and spray your desired colors. Mask the design off and dust on until lightly covered. Allow time to dry. Most aerosol paints take about 15 minutes to do this. This is the minimum. You need to allow time to cure, or let the paint attach and dry. The last thing you want is to get a run in the paint and have to stop and repeat the process. Don’t leave in direct sunlight, or the paint will bubble from heat. Put on your lighter colors first—this way your darker ones won’t bleed through. Wait until painted parts are fully dry before applying tape to them. While this is happening, you can get a SOS pad and remove rust from chrome areas. Work in circular motions. Be careful to notice if trims are chrome or silver paint, because scrubbing silver paint will only strip it off! Painting a frame can be hard work when more detail is involved.

Let’s say this is too much for you, and you just want something simple. Put a design on your engine covers! Draw flames on the fenders! Do something custom...something original! You can do this very easily and it’s not necessary to strip paint and primer, or to remove parts. Get some acrylic paints and a paintbrush. Make sure the paints are acrylic; oil paints just won’t dry or work correctly. You could also use paint pens. Again, take your time, draw your design and look it over before painting. This paint will take a while to dry, so be careful handling the painted parts. Remember, acrylic will PEEL off, so it’s very IMPORTANT to apply a couple of aerosol clear coats on top the next day or after the paint has dried. It is likely that this won’t stay on forever, so touch – ups might be needed. Use a paint pen to touch up. When washing, don’t force water on these areas!

For finishing up, Flannelman mentions the following. “After you have painted it and clear coated it you should wait a week before you let the bike see any kind of water. This will give the paint time to ”cure.“ After the week is up, you should put a light coat of wax on it. (I know, you’re thinking it says, ‘Dries in 15 minutes,’ but it really doesn’t. It might feel dry to the touch, but the paint really has not had the chance to harden properly and if it gets wet it may bubble up and the rust is back.)”

For racing stripes, pin stripes, etc., use some automotive vinyl tape. This can really sport up a bike and increase your reflective visibility as well. This is inexpensive and is easy to apply. In addition, clear coats are not needed. Just make sure the surface to which you are applying tape is clean and dry. Mark with a pencil and ruler to get straight guidelines.

I hope this gives you an idea on how to dress up your favorite toy. The sky is the limit! Just be creative, and have pride in what you are riding.

–casey jones