tx750 special interest site

New paint recipe 2006

The more accurate one, but harder to apply:

to get the color to look like it probably looked when it was new, use House of Kolor:

(if you're starting from bare metal) 3 coats of HOK Primer KP-2CFA, and KP-2CFB (1 qt. each)
(if you're painting over a sanded stock finish, or as a second step over bare metal) 3 coats of KS-10 White Primer/Sealer (1 qt.)
3 coats of House of Kolor Solar Gold basecoat BC-01 (1 qt.)
3 coats of House of Kolor lite gold flake F-16 (6 oz.) mixed with SG-100 intercoat clear SG-100 (1 qt.)
3 coats of House of Kolor Kandy Tangerine intensifier KK-08 (1 qt.) mixed with above (SG-100)

though to get a color more matching what the good parts of my cycle look like, (and get it a little brighter) use House of Kolor Orion Silver basecoat BC-02 (1 qt.) and silver flakes F-15 (6 oz.) instead of Solar Gold.

so your shopping list would be:

Expect to spend at least $220 US on these supplies online, not including reducers, rags, tape, other expendables, paint sprayer and compressor. My price resource was HOKPaint.

A couple things about this recipe - it's going to give you the Orange part of the paint - it doesn't account for graphics. You're going to get an accurate reproduction of the paint if you do it right, but it ain't cheap, and you're going to have paint left over. ALSO, if you've never painted using a tri-coat system (candy color) get a video, and practice on something first. get a couple of sheets of metal from a farm supply store or somewhere and mix some small batches of paint. I have not accounted for the reducer (thinner) that's required. Don't be a tough guy, these products can be dangerous on many levels from fire to brain damage, so wear a mask and don't use them near any source of ignition. I am not responsible for anything that might happen as a result of your use or misuse of this information or these products.

GRAPHICS - House of Kolor makes striping enamel that can be used to deal with the graphics. You'll need a gold and a black color for the tank and a white for the emblem. Just mask off the graphics with a good masking tape, thin the enamel and spray it. You may want to invest in an airbrush (doesn't have to be really expensive) to spray the graphics and the emblem. An alternative to HOK for this would be 1-Shot lettering enamel which is less expensive, and has a greater variety of colors. It's also easier to track down at local art supply stores.

The easier one to apply, with acceptable results:

If you want to paint your bike with acceptable results but with less expense, use House of Kolor's Kandy Tangerine Basecoat over the primer - 3 coats then clear. You will have effectively saved yourself the gold or silver basecoat, the metal flakes, the kandy and the intercoat clear replacing all those steps with a single paint step.

If you were to compare the 2 above paint jobs side-by-side, there would be a huge difference to the discerning eye - especially in the sun, but if you don't want to spend a ton of time practicing a kandy job, or risk screwing it up after buying all that paint, I'd suggest doing the easier of the 2 and saving yourself some cash.

The previously recommended paint recipe

Can duplicate the 73 paint but it is gold candy over silver metal flake.

  1. apply Grey primer sealer
  2. apply silver base coat, apply 3 coats
  3. apply silver metal flake mixed with clear, about 3 coats
  4. apply about 2 coats heavy clear
  5. sand clear smooth because metal flake makes it rough
  6. apply about 3 coats of tinted clear (candy gold or yellow)
  7. let it dry, inspect it, wet sand with 600 or finer
  8. apply final coats of clear to all parts except the fuel tank, apply only one coat to tank
  9. lightly wet sand the tank
  10. paint the gold and black striping on the tank, don't have any stickers and paint is thinner
  11. apply 3 medium coats of clear to the tank
  12. west sand with 1200 grit and polish all parts
  13. mix huge glass of good tequila, get lawn chair, sit back and admire

So the 73 is lots of work and there is no way to match the original unless you paint it like original. Will paint two sets for myself and would consider doing some more. Shop material would be about $200 each for the paint and I estimate about 20 hours each of labor.

The 74 is also a candy paint but the paint match I came up with is acceptable, depends on how fussy you are. I'm glad yours looks "OK". Makes you feel better about the old bike when it shines.