Has anyone on here had their bike ceramic coated. My mate has recently had his done, and it looks great. Apparently now when the bike is dirty you just spray it down with a hose pipe as dirt doesn't stick to it. Anyway, has anyone on here had it done, is it worth it, are there any possible problems, and how long does it last. My mate had a 5yrs coating ?
Ceramic coatings for bikes, there's a can of worms!! If you're talking about paint protection, it does have some advantages over say a conventional polish or wax, but it is not a solution that will last 5 years without help... Like polishes or waxes, ceramic coatings add a layer of product on top of the paint's clearcoat to protect it from the environment. The coatings chemically bond to and fill (or level) the clearcoat in a similar way that a wax will (not chemically though) but simply put, lasts longer. Ceramic coatings require extensive prep work and must be applied to an extremely clean surface and this is where the costs come in to play. Actually applying the coating is relatively simple if you have knowledge of the product and a proper environment to apply it. But if you want a high quality finish with a wax, you should also prep the paint. Ceramic's require maintenance. Paint work should be maintained with pH neutral products and "boosters" are required in the lifetime, something like every 6 months depending on the manufacturers recommendations. If you fail to use their products in the way they recommend, by a professional (approved) company, there goes your 5 year warranty. A high quality wax will last 6 months if you look after it in the same way, so really, is there a difference? Don't get me wrong, ceramic coatings really do have their place and I would say they provide a higher level of paint protection than a wax (ceramics will not protect your paint from abrasion), along with higher gloss and better hydrophobic results that will make it easier to clean your bike. With regard to using it on non-painted bodywork, let's call it engines, cases, pipework etc by air gun etc then the longevity will be significantly less. The coating will not be able to bond to the surfaces as well as it would paint, but it will offer a degree of protection against dirt and to a degree, corrosion too. ACF50 or XCP will do exactly the same thing, but in a different way. Remember though, unless your bike is new (as in straight from the dealer), there will be a degree of oil/dirt/film that must be removed for any protective material to work properly. Personally, I like and use both ceramics and waxes, they both have their place on paintwork and non-painted surfaces. I'm sure plenty other folk on here have better knowledge of it, but that's my view.
I’d ceramic coat a car, not sure I’d bother on a motorbike as there’s far less “bodywork” to benefit. You still have to wash and dry the thing, you don’t just spray water and leave it at that unless you like the look of residue from droplets
Yes. My gsxr was done by my good friend. He’s an ex professional racing driver and does a lot for Mclaren etc (I’m always happier when I know my stuff is with a fanatic) I can put you in touch with him if you’d like
If you don’t want to ceramic though. I also use a really good sealant on my road cars which I follow up with a wax. seems to work very well and the sealant is alleged to last a year ! Cheap too...
It's not so much the fairing and panels I'm thinking of ADK, their relatively easy to stay on top of. It's the hard to get at nooks and crannies I was thinking of. I was thinking if the ceramic coating does what they say it can do, all I'd need is a good hose pipe instead of using old toothbrushes and the like. They had my mates bike for three days and apparently a heck of a lot of that time was spent detail cleaning it. By the way it cost my mate £400 to have done.
Ouch. Yeah it’s not cheap! it’s totally up to you. I use nano sealant all over mine. On literally everything. And also a coat of acf here and there
I’ve recently started using Wowo’s Chrystal Sealant and their 121 contact wax over the top mate. I’m very impressed with it thus far. It’s easy to use as well.
I think were talking about 2 different types of ceramic coating....i had the header pipes coated on my RSV4 which lasted about.....an hour...as soon as some road dirt/oil/whatever stuck to them it got baked on and never came off....total waste of money....i think the above lad is talking about some sort of bodywork coating....of which ive never tried anything apart from a can of Mr Sheen or WD40 silicone wax....
Cerakote and Xylan (when i can afford it).....in fact here the head from my old mans 400/4.... Picked it up earlier this week...
