Brooklyn Gangsta V1. Frame no.018

http://prollyisnotprobably.com/2013/01/why-clear-coat-over-raw-steel-doesnt-work/

Didn't know that about Armourtex, shall have to ask them..
I agree with what you said about the orange, was one of my main issues with it. Also I'm not sure when BMW will be producing new black/white decals so she'd have to go naked for a while..

^interesting read, cheers.. Gives me something to think about!

some insight in the comments too:

You usually sandblast a frame before you powder coat a it. But in doing so, you remove the texture or color people want to see in a "raw" frame. So many people don't sandblast the frame before a clear powder and it never sticks to the frame, causing it to rust.

Yeah, I'd have to ask how they would clean/coat it and what they think of the whole process.. I've always found them really helpful so think I'd have to go with what they recommend.

So Armourtex do clear powdercoats but only after they apply phosphate. Apparently it makes the frame a bit darker but preserves it better. The guy did say that he doesnt really recommend it though as the rust rate is way higher than normal and he's had a lot of bikes come back because of it.. Signal orange then..?

like this?

I actually really like this one too:

Yeah kinda like the top. Always loved Austin's original one...

I'd be keeping the forks matt black though..

what's up with the wheel being on the edge of track ends? surly needs to take a link out.

mud clearance?

what's up with the wheel being on the edge of track ends? surly needs to take a link out.

Bigger chainring would fix that

I thought that due to the perforated (for lack of better word) finish of powder coating, regardless of colour, a frame will rust lightly beneath the coat. The only difference with clear coat being that you can see the spider webs of rust developing?

Anyway, I've got a clear coated bmx I've had for more than 10 years and the sub-coat rust really adds character, doesn't semm to have weakened it...

Anyway, I've got a clear coated bmx I've had for more than 10 years and the sub-coat rust really adds character, doesn't semm to have weakened it...

BMX frames have much much thicker tubing though. Most BMX companies offer at least one of their frames in just clearcoat as standard.

As far as I'm aware the early Gangstas were made with BMX tubing, Supertherm or something like that.

Surely that would make them ridiculously heavy. A bmx frame is around 2300g just for the frame, size that up and it must be pretty hefty

The early bmws i felt were no lightweights by any standard.

Think the V1's were straight gauge 4130 or something and that was pretty solid. Think my frame is just over 2kg and forks 800g odd if I remember rightly. Shall weigh it all once it's stripped etc.. Still can't decide. RAL 2005 (safety orange/fluro) is looking decent too..

Safety orange, man. Do it!

Mine's a fucking tank, haha!

Armourtex do a flouro orange that I was gonna get mine done in. It's cool because they use a white coloured undercoat which kinda shows through on welds and sharp edges. They have an example of it there, I think you'd like it.

They're made of 4130, same as bmx material, and no, they're not light at all

^^ sounds nice, I'll definitely check it out then. I was wanting to keep it as close to the original orange as possible but because I can't precisely figure out which one it is I'm likely to diverge down the more flamboyant route!

^this

For anyone interested the weight of a powdercoated V1 frame and forks (forks with cantis) is:

Frame: 2580g
Fork: 1180g

Weightweenies it isn't!

How in the blue fuck did I managed to get it down to 8.8kg?

2580g? what size is that?

It's the 46cm one. Maybe the V2's use different tubing? Or my scales are seriously stuffed!

RAL 2008. Job done but nervous to see the results!!