Eastwood Extreme Chassis Black Paint | MC TESTED

For decades, motorcycles were built around tubular-steel frames, and they were almost always painted satin black. Over the years those finishes got scratched, developed rust, and lost their luster. So what's an owner to do if he wants to spiff up his bike's frame or other chassis parts? Having the parts professionally powdercoated is the ideal solution, but for DIYers, you can get excellent results with Extreme Chassis Black paint from Eastwood.

ECB is formulated to resist chipping, cracking, and solvents and contains three times the resins of normal spray paints so it lays on thick. It comes in 14-ounce aerosol cans, as well as larger quantities for use in spray guns, and is available in gloss black and a satin black that’s a near-perfect match for many classic bikes.

As with any painting project, preparation is key. Parts need to be sanded smooth (but not necessarily down to bare metal) and clean. For steel and other ferrous metals I’ve found that cleaning the parts with acetone yielded good paint adhesion, even without the use of primer, but to get good adhesion on aluminum parts I found I had to use Eastwood’s PRE cleaner and ECB self-etching primer.

I used five cans of ECB to completely repaint the frame and other parts on a Kawasaki AR80 I restored. The paint goes on thick and is fairly resistant to sagging. Multiple coats can be applied while the paint is tacky, yielding a thick covering that helps hide surface imperfections like rust pitting or scratches. Once dry, ECB looks just like powdercoat and is nearly as durable. It’s proven impervious to gas spills and high temperatures (I painted the engine cases and cylinder with it), but it is vulnerable to brake fluid, so wipe up any spills quickly.

PRICE: $20 per 14-ounce aerosol can
CONTACT: eastwood.com

Verdict: Pricey but easy to use, it works as advertised, and it’s a good match for classic bikes.