Yeah, its more like a bad enamel than powdercoat.
I know what you mean about the finish, I used to restore a few motorbikes back home and this finish is like a brittle enamel. It doesn't dent, it just flakes off. Their is this on the front brake where I screwed the bolts in, gently, and there is a flake off the chainstay as well, there is a giant flake off the rack mount where I had to clean the paint out the thread etc.
I would imagine its all to do with it being powdered with a clear over the silver. The metal flake is in a clear coat that goeas on over the silver. I would imagine that this goes on while the silver is still 'wetted' and then it all goes in the oven. I don't know but it is brittle and isn't adhered to the primer very well. The primer is beautifully flat and isn't going anywhere. You can see it underneath and its well adhered.
I took these pictures to send to them and say this is what's happening and this is before a wheel has been turned. I don't like its chances of longevity once I start hammering it along the coastline like normal.
I don't expect them to do anything but you never know. I don't even know whether I would want them to try again. I might just hammer it and then when its too bad paint it the original orange colour I was going to get. Get it done down south somewhere.
I know the job was rushed because their blaster was out of action and then they rushed it for Christmas, clearly too much of a rush.
The white that was on it wasn't too bad I suppose, it wasn't chipped or dented, I just wanted a change really and thought if I am going to do it, then I would do something different.
Jamie