If you want to stand out from the crowd, painting a motorcycle helmet is the way to go. Not all of us are big fans of the traditional solid color of a motorcycle helmet, you know what I mean, right?
Painting a motorcycle helmet is not as difficult as it may seem. With a little practice, anyone can learn how to paint a helmet. If you are new to painting, no need to panic. If you follow the steps mentioned here, hopefully, you’ll be able to paint your own helmet!
Getting Things Ready to Paint a Motorcycle Helmet
Before starting your magic with the brush and spray, you’ll need to get the helmet ready for painting. But, first, you must remove a few parts and prepare the helmet.
- Remove the face shield and other equipment such as a Com unit
- Remove the inner padding
- Clean the helmet firmly and make sure there is no dirt on it
- Let the helmet dry
- Make sure you do the painting on a clean surface or area
- You can wear protective equipment like goggles and gloves
Before you start cleaning, painting, or doing anything to your Bluetooth helmet, make sure you remove the Bluetooth device. You can also take care of the face shield; while you are at it, you’ll find a detailed guide for that as well.
Choosing The Color And Design
When you pick the design for your motorcycle lid or anything else, honestly, the sky is the limit. And it highly depends on your choice and taste. So choose the color and design you like the best and make your helmet look cool!
Here are some videos from youtube videos and Instagram accounts that we think did a great job with the design!
https://instagram.com/imagedesigncustom?utm_medium=copy_link
https://instagram.com/justhelmet?utm_medium=copy_link
Step By Step Guide To Paint A Helmet
Step 1 – Covering sensitive areas:
There are some parts of the helmet that you can not remove, and you can’t sand or paint them either. They are non-removable rubber or plastic parts, screw holes, and similar parts.
Step 2 – Sanding:
Sand the lid gently with 400 grid sandpaper. This is to make the paint finish attach to the surface. You can use some water when sanding, and it will help. Remember, don’t sand the helmet too much.
Step 3 – Applying primer coat:
Applying the paint directly to the sanded surface will create many bubbles and scratched areas even when you pained the helmet. We are applying a primer coat to the sanded surface to solve that. You can go for the Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover. It’ll give you a plain and smooth surface to paint on.
Step 4 – Making a Sketch:
Now that the surface to paint is secured, you can make a sketch using tape. A masking tape is recommended here. Again, you can cover the areas you don’t want to paint according to your picked design. Again, the simple design you choose, the easier it will be for you to paint your motorcycle helmet.
Step 5: Painting:
After marking all the areas, take the brush and color on the surface. Use a liner brush to dye the narrow design and the edges. And take a flat brush to fill the gaps. You can also use spray paint, but make sure those are quality paints such as Montana Spray Paint.
Step 6 – Applying clearcoat:
When the color is dried nice and good, apply 3-4 layers of clear coat spray to become permanent. Let the clearcoat dry. Congratulations! You’ve successfully painted your motorcycle helmet.
Alternative To Helmet Painting
Painting your head bucket with your design is a cool idea; it makes you look unique and artistic. However, dyeing a motorcycle lid is not always a piece of cake. There are many precautions to follow, so many steps. And most importantly, there’s no guarantee that it will turn out well if you attempt it for the first time.
If you are unsure if you should take the risk of painting your helmet or not, you can try out these simple tricks first.
# Stickers
A few stickers are all it takes to make your head bucket stand out from the crowd. They are easy to find and apply, and most importantly, you can easily remove a sticker if you don’t like it. There are tons of motorcycle stickers available both online and in your paint shop or sticker store. You can try these out; it’s just so convenient and easy.
# Light strips
Light strips are going viral these days; they just look so cool! They look awesome, especially at night when you hang out with your riding buddies or even on a short ride. The light straps are also pretty easy to install and control. So grab the JIGUOOR Rechargeable Light Strip, and get the attention on the night ride!
# Wraps
Helmet wraps can be a good alternative to painting. You can apply complex designs and art with the help of wrapping. And it’s also easier than dyeing the motorcycle lid.
Things To Watch Out For
# Legal Barriers
Helmet laws in the United States vary from state to state. Some states require you to use a certified helmet all the time, while some are cool about not having a helmet over your head. You can check which states require you to wear a helmet in Motorcycle helmet use laws by state from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
And in case the state you are riding in has a law that requires you to wear a certified helmet, you need to have the DOT sticker visible. So, do not remove or paint the certification stickers on your helmet.
# Quality of the helmet
A damaged or cracked helmet should not be coated; it shouldn’t even be used. A cracked lid significantly loses its strength and ability to protect your head in an accident. And covering up a crack or broken part means compromising your safety on the road, which is not good!
And restoring or repainting a too old lid is not recommended. Most helmet manufacturers recommend changing it once in at least 5-7 years. So, don’t use an old or broken helmet for color coating.
# Type of paint
The external shell of a lid is made with polycarbonate, fiberglass composite, or carbon-based things. These outer shell materials can be easily weakened by some chemicals used in some of the paints.
So, find out what type of material your helmet manufacturer recommends. Or you can use water-based acrylic and premium quality spray paint.
# Sanding
Painting a helmet with a glossy finish needs to be sanded to make the coat attach to the surface. However, sanding can backfire as well; sanding too much can weaken the shell’s strength.
It’s better to select a matt color helmet so that you don’t have to sand at all and repaint without a hassle. But if there’s no other way than sanding, be very gentle with it and go with softer sandpaper. Remember, you must remove the glossy finish and make a surface for the paint to grab. Sanding the hell out of the helmet is not the goal here.
What paint to use on motorcycle helmet?
Many different paints can be used on motorcycle helmets. The durability of the paint in terms of scratches and fading is the most crucial quality to look for. Other factors to check include the paint’s compatibility with the helmet’s coating, how easy the paint is to apply, and the cost of the paint. Overall, spray paint and acrylic paints are the best to use on a motorcycle helmet. This is because spray paints are beginner-friendly (most of the time). And you can use acrylic paints for the small detailed touches.
Conclusion
We often want to be unique, with style and artistic vibes. So maybe the typical solid or stripe colors of a helmet don’t look cool to you anymore. And if that’s the case, dyeing the helmet might be the solution.
However, painting a motorcycle head bucket is not as simple as it sounds. One mistake and the design can be ruined, or even the shell can be damaged. But this can be done so that you can dye your helmet.
Applying the steps mentioned earlier and being cautious, you shouldn’t face any trouble dyeing your helmet. Good Day!