Paint - Reality Check

[JW113]

I need a reality check on how much it takes to repaint a bike these days.

Bike: 1992 Softail Heritage, two tone turquoise & white

The last bike I had painted about three years ago was single color on tanks/fenders. Total cost was $1700, the job was pretty decent except could have done a little more color sanding on the sides of the fenders.

What I am looking for is bone stock factory paint job, including tank logos and pin stripes at the color seams. I already have the factory decals. I got two quotes:  $4000, and "not to exceed $5000". Wow, that is about twice what I expected.

Is that really the going rate these days for paint?

thanks,
JW

[Hybredhog]

   I'm sure being in California adds to the tag with all the chemical laws/ regulations. Here in Montana a friend is getting a basic black with straight body work is going to be $1k plus a couple decals. The body shop is ligit but a small 2 man operation, so the overhead is low.

[Hossamania]

I would say that $4000 isn't too far off the mark.

[SixShooter14]

Separate but related issue...

Why is it so expensive to paint a couple relatively small pieces? I've gotten quotes to repaint trucks that were between $2k-$4k. And that's a full size pick-up. A couple fenders and tank aren't anywhere near the amount of surface area to prep and paint.


I get the 2-tone and striping that add price. But even $1700 for basic black seems pretty steep to me. 

[JW113]

The $1700 job I had done was not basic black, but House of Kolor candy cobalt. So a two part base/clear system. And in general, motorcycles tend to get a lot more paint coats with a lot more color sanding and polishing than your typical auto paint job. A "custom show car" paint job can run 20K or more. So yeah, I can dig it is expensive, but damn. A paint job that cost more than the bike did? The shops that I had quote are also very small operations, I think what leads to some of the cost differential compared the rest of the country is the basic cost of living in California. And for "custom" repaints, they get around the EPA requirements for the most part, whereas your typical auto collision repair places can't.

-JW

[SixShooter14]

The $1700 job I had done was not basic black, but House of Kolor candy cobalt. So a two part base/clear system. And in general, motorcycles tend to get a lot more paint coats with a lot more color sanding and polishing than your typical auto paint job. A "custom show car" paint job can run 20K or more. So yeah, I can dig it is expensive, but damn. A paint job that cost more than the bike did? The shops that I had quote are also very small operations, I think what leads to some of the cost differential compared the rest of the country is the basic cost of living in California. And for "custom" repaints, they get around the EPA requirements for the most part, whereas your typical auto collision repair places can't.

-JW

OK, yeah, I can certainly see custom colors and custom craftsmanship costing much more than standard auto-body paint jobs.

[calif phil]

There is no way it's even worth $4000   $2000 should be plenty. 

[Hossamania]

Trying to handle those "small" pieces is a pain in the ass. When color sanding and polishing a car, it's not sliding all over, trying to fall off the bench and hit the floor.

[JW113]

All of the guys that I've used in the past that specialize in motorcycle paint have fixtures that mount the parts, so they don't move around while doing the painting and sanding.

Phil, I hear ya. That was what was in my head, maybe $2500 tops. I'll keep on the look out, but not getting my hopes up though. Might have to live with a tired old paint job for a while.


-JW

[Hossamania]

All of the guys that I've used in the past that specialize in motorcycle paint have fixtures that mount the parts, so they don't move around while doing the painting and sanding.

Phil, I hear ya. That was what was in my head, maybe $2500 tops. I'll keep on the look out, but not getting my hopes up though. Might have to live with a tired old paint job for a while.


-JW

Or, learn a new skill!

[Coyote]

Or, learn a new skill!

  That's what I did. 

[attach=0]

[JW113]

I'm actually pretty handy with paint. They call me the Rattlecan Rembrandt.


The problem is the facility. I have no where to paint, especially to do a flawless job not loaded with dirt, lint, bugs, and cat hair. Or get overspray all over my other bikes. To do a decent paint job you need either a paint shop, or very big garage. Neither of which I have.

-JW

[1workinman]

There is no way it's even worth $4000   $2000 should be plenty.

[Coyote]

I'm actually pretty handy with paint. They call me the Rattlecan Rembrandt.


The problem is the facility. I have no where to paint, especially to do a flawless job not loaded with dirt, lint, bugs, and cat hair. Or get overspray all over my other bikes. To do a decent paint job you need either a paint shop, or very big garage. Neither of which I have.

-JW

Yeah it's a PITA without a proper booth. I redid several pieces when I painted mine do to crap in the clear coat. I even built a temp hut outside that was closed off on all but one side.

[92flhtcu]

That would be $1500 to $2000 tops around my area, there is one guy that would charge $3500 and take a year to do it, he's one of those "artist" guys........

Our main guy, I just picked up a set of Road King tins, two fenders, side covers, tank, vivid black was $800 and it was flawless

[Boe Cole]

When I painted my 06 RG, I did it myself at home.  Built a paint booth using 2" x 2" wood for an 8' x 8'x 8' booth.  Put a good aircondioning filter up high on one side of the booth and a cheapo box fan down on the other side of the booth working as an exhaust fan so paint fumes and overspray went out onto the grass.  Covered the booth with cheap clear plastic from lowes.  Total cost for the booth, fan and filter was less than $100.

Have a good paint gun and compressor with moisture separator capable of supplying air as needed.

Hung the parts that needed hanging from coat hangers suspended from the 2" poles over the top of the booth.

Got a really great paint mask from lowes that while painting, did not even smell fumes.  This is extremely important as the paints used for cars, etc. will paint your lungs and that is BAD!!!  Don't go cheap here - you only have one set of lungs and the paints will ruin them.

Did primer, and several coats of blue over black.  put sparkles into the clear coat and sprayed it - really made the paint pop!!!  Did a few more clear coats with sanding as necessary to get rid of the orange peal.  Followed it all up with 3m compounding and polishing.

Came out great - many compliments. 

Paints set me back around $300 if i recall properly.

Don't want to knock the pros but if you are willing to put in the time and elbow grease, it can be done cheaper.  Two tones are easy with masking but if you want to do skulls and other fancy graphics - see a pro.

[rhuff]

Minneapolis in 2017 was about $2500-3500 for a good paint job that wasn't just one colour.  You could find less money, but the 2 painters I knew quoted me in that neighborhood for a 2015 RGS. 

I don't think you're too far off.  A tad high, but you're not going to get a $2K paint job in Cali IMO.

[rigidthumper]

Sometimes I see complete paint sets on Ebay  for a decent price- only caveat would be shippers might scuff stuff.

[Mule]

These were painted on a stand in front of an old tractor barn...

[cbumdumb]

No expert by any means but I mix paint for customers at our parts house.some colors are near impossible to recreate. Certain shades of any color can be quadruple the price of shade two color chips away . With no lead and other components, colors that where cheap years ago are now very expensive . Colors that were once single stage now are multiple stage translucent paint that has to specific color sealers.

Before going into the service many years ago I painted my 72 240Z Porsche Guard red I paid 150 bucks for a gallon of Imron . When my 13 rgu got creamed was going to paint same color was shocked to fine a pint of close to the same color was almost a grand my cost .

[92flhtcu]

Wasn't the painter on here that did killer work fairly priced SeattleDyna or something like that?

[Buglet]

   Yelp he did a repair on a custom paint that Harley had 1 of 200. It came out excellent and still looks like new today, that was about 10 years ago. I had to sent it across country had no problem shipping it except the cost to ship it, but it was worth it. I talk to a lot of painters including my own two painters I use and when I talk to him , he was the only one that said just send it I take care of it. I wish he was closer. 

[JW113]

Wasn't the painter on here that did killer work fairly priced SeattleDyna or something like that?

Yes, I was referred to him by another HTT member. I called him, he is no longer painting motorcycles. He did, however, mention that these days in California, $4K is not out of the ballpark for top quality materials and lots of coats of paint applied.

-JW

[92flhtcu]

JW, ok, thanks, his work always looked killer

[rbabos]

No expert by any means but I mix paint for customers at our parts house.some colors are near impossible to recreate. Certain shades of any color can be quadruple the price of shade two color chips away . With no lead and other components, colors that where cheap years ago are now very expensive . Colors that were once single stage now are multiple stage translucent paint that has to specific color sealers.

Before going into the service many years ago I painted my 72 240Z Porsche Guard red I paid 150 bucks for a gallon of Imron . When my 13 rgu got creamed was going to paint same color was shocked to fine a pint of close to the same color was almost a grand my cost .

Ah, Imron. I was likely the first to use it in my parts back in the 70s on Trucks. Entered the isocyanate age with it. The next generations of the urethanes followed for just about everything else today. Most don't even know what an Alkyd Enamel is these days.
Ron