I've heard of a clear coat over steel, but I don't know how it would be done. I did strip and spray paint my bike, 4 coats, 2 of primer and 2 of gloss black and 1 of matte black in the middle with a fade out. I followed the directions on the company's website. It looks great and is quite durable. I would suggest 3 coats of each though, but keep each thin. THere are a very few places on the bike I under coated and the paint scratches off a bit easier there.