VR Paint Job.

[NLAlston]

I know that many of you had elected to do your own paint jobs, on your VR's, and I wish that I could do the same. I, however, do not have a heated garage and (during the off-season) I would really like to have my bike repainted. First off, I don't really like this 'off-pinkish & red (trunk & saddlebags) paint, and would like to have it painted black, with maybe some silver accents. To be honest, just having it painted a solid black would be fine. At some point, later on, I could probably do the accents myself.

 

But I wondered if anyone here knew of a good place (somewhere near Amherst, NY) where I might be able to check out. Also a price for same, providing that information is also known.

 

Thanks.

[Carbon_One]

Not from your area but I'll offer up this suggestion. Go to several auto body shops and see what they'll charge you to paint your parts. It may not be too much if you're willing to disassemble/ reassemble the bike yourself. With being a single color just about any decent shop should be able to do the work.

Larry

[Guest Vermincelli]

I 2nd the autobody shop. Labor is where they really hit you in the price so if you can strip the parts down yourself, you can get a good paintjob done for a good price that lasts longer than any you can do yourself.(unless you have all the right gear and skill to shoot it)

 

I've already got a bodyshop lined up for the 85 I'm fixing up. It will be going in for a bright yellow single color job this fall/winter.

[SilvrT]

It may not be too much if you're willing to disassemble/ reassemble the bike yourself.

Larry

 

You may get a shock... body shops here wanted around $700 and that was with me delivering the parts prepped for paint already. I wound up doing it myself.

[NLAlston]

You may get a shock... body shops here wanted around $700 and that was with me delivering the parts prepped for paint already. I wound up doing it myself.

 

700 bucks? Good googla-moogla. 'and with the parts already stripped off? That seems downright criminal .

 

Such a cost, for that, is truly a prohibitive amount, for me, which means that I will now HAVE to try to do it myself. Being somewhat of a woodworker I do have some experience with the technique of spray painting, so methinks that I shouldn't do too bad of a job with it. The one problem would be within not having a heated garage, and this would translate into my having to undergo such an endeavor during an 'in season' time.

 

Another problem for me would be within disassembly of the parts to be painted. The only part that I can see which would raise a big problem for me, is removing the fairing's cover. Is there anything, in these parts, which explains/illustrates the procedure for doing so?

[GigaWhiskey]

And I though $1200 would have been cheap, $700 would be great!

 

I had quick quotes of $1800+.

 

But then, I want it close to original. Kinda like the brownie.

[NLAlston]

And I though $1200 would have been cheap, $700 would be great!

 

I had quick quotes of $1800+.

 

But then, I want it close to original. Kinda like the brownie.

 

You know, if I 'had it like that' I wouldn't mind shelling out the $700 (or so) smackaroos for a solid color repainting of my bike - providing, of course, that I had confidence IN my 'Red Stallion'. The fact of the matter is that I don't. Some issues are beginning to exhibit themselves which, thus far, haven't been TOO bad on me. If the movement keeps going in this direction, though, there could be something which might translate into a BIG TICKET repair job. I would LOVE to have my bike looking real nice, with a fresh, professional paint job done on it. But, under these circumstances, the cheapest way (for me, anyway) is the best way.

 

One day, though .

[Paul]

$700 is pretty fair I think. When I did mine over the winter I had over $500 just in materials and that is dealer cost. Plus if I remember right there were 26 individual parts that got painted which translated into an unbelievable amount of time. I had well over 100 hours into doing mine, granted it is a lot more than a single solid color but the work is the same less the extra pinstriping and masking for the other colors. When you have your bike all tore down with all the peices laying on the floor then you will actually realize how much work there is and how labor intensive it can be.

Paul

[calperin]

I can tell you, I had same colors and I get from 950 to 1400$ quotes.

 

Now, I got someone that will do that with some plastics repairs for around 600$. Still I don't know if I'll do original colors or may be grey honda & black.

 

Winter task, plus rechrome some parts.

 

Regards

[payntor]

 

The only part that I can see which would raise a big problem for me, is removing the fairing's cover. Is there anything, in these parts, which explains/illustrates the procedure for doing so?

 

nathan,

not that big a job. maybe an hour and a half.

instructions and blow-up from service manual. hope it helps.

jim

[SilvrT]

$700 is pretty fair I think. When I did mine over the winter I had over $500 just in materials and that is dealer cost. Plus if I remember right there were 26 individual parts that got painted which translated into an unbelievable amount of time. I had well over 100 hours into doing mine, granted it is a lot more than a single solid color but the work is the same less the extra pinstriping and masking for the other colors. When you have your bike all tore down with all the peices laying on the floor then you will actually realize how much work there is and how labor intensive it can be.

Paul

 

I did mine with spray bombs which were filled by an auto paint supplier. The "color coat" is the same as 2-stage. They also had ready-made clear coat in spray bombs. The color coat spray cans were about $21 each and the clear was about $23 each. If I were to add up all the paint, primers, sand paper, etc, etc.. I'd guess about $400 in materials. Now realizing all the "fuss and bother" involved in just the painting process, I should have spent the extra $300 and taken the parts to a shop. On the other hand, it was a bit of a "labour of love" coz I can at least say "I did it all --- my way!" LOL

 

Yes, the labour hours involved is a LOT!!!

 

Hindsight; however, is 20/20 and if I were to do it "all" again, I wouldn't use the spray bombs for the clear but rather, proper spraying equipment. Fortunately, I have experience with all of this... so many folks do not.

[NLAlston]

Thanks.

 

Someone, here, mentioned that there were twenty-some-odd parts to be dismantled, for a paint job. It doesn't look like near that many, but maybe he was referring to all necessary parts to be removed - in order to get the required parts, for painting, off.

[SilvrT]

Thanks.

 

Someone, here, mentioned that there were twenty-some-odd parts to be dismantled, for a paint job. It doesn't look like near that many, but maybe he was referring to all necessary parts to be removed - in order to get the required parts, for painting, off.

Parts to be painted...

Fairing left

Fairing right

fairing connector (underneath headlight)

fairing left lower

fairing right lower

fairing lowers front connector

air dam (if you have one)

headlight shroud

battery cover

gas tank lid

left side cover

right side cover

travel trunk top

travel trunk bottom

front fender

 

(following is '86 and newer)

left side bag lid

left side bag

right side bag lid

right side bag

lic plate bracket/mud guard cover

 

that's 20...what'd I miss??

[SilvrT]

to get all those parts "separate", there's a lot of other pieces that have to be removed.

[Guest Mortch]

+1 to Paul's Comments. But I figure 125 Hours for a Solid Color ( So I'm Slow). My color pick was PPG ( Make You Blush DBC Vibrance Cystal Pearl a Base Coat/Clear Coat) From PPG Vibrance Collection Color Chart. For Guns I used Sata Mini jet 3 and a Sata minijet 4. I did Epoxy prime Seal in Grey before Color was Shot. It turned out very Professional because I have a friend who had a Pro shoot his a similar color and could not see the diffrence. * Note: Do not remove the metal Band around the Top Box, just tape it. Supposedley its a Bummer to get off or back on.....Money amount of $1800 is about what my friend was charged with him removing the parts and taking to the paint shop.. Paint is not Cheap. Do not use cheap Paint by all means DO NOT USE A SPRAY CAN. If Your Serious about doing this. Practice first on a car fender and then practice some more and some more.... You can do this ! All you need is patience and determination and PRACTICE and of course sum BUCKS!

[SilvrT]

Note: Do not remove the metal Band around the Top Box, just tape it. Supposedley its a Bummer to get off or back on.....

 

Not that difficult... I removed both the top and bottom bands and got them back on without any trouble at all.

 

DO NOT USE A SPRAY CAN. If Your Serious about doing this.

and why not? Mine looks great and the paint is the same paint as that used in spray gun applications on any vehicle. Granted, it takes a lot more practise and patience to get a good, even coat and the clear I used required sanding with 1200 wet/dry and a good polishing to get that "wet glass" look.

[SilvrT]

 

that's 20...what'd I miss??

 

I remeber now... the cover for the adjustable passenger backrest.

 

total parts = 21

[rhncue]

Not that difficult... I removed both the top and bottom bands and got them back on without any trouble at all.

 

 

and why not? Mine looks great and the paint is the same paint as that used in spray gun applications on any vehicle. Granted, it takes a lot more practise and patience to get a good, even coat and the clear I used required sanding with 1200 wet/dry and a good polishing to get that "wet glass" look.

 

Boy, I sure disagree here. Paint cans are either lacquer or enamel. Lacquer thinner melts plastic and Enamel needs baked to get hard. Few shops use either of these finishes any longer. Most now use a three part Urethane which is faster drying, harder, shines much better, is much more expensive and is deadly to use without the proper safety equipment and know how. I use this stuff daily. When rubbing out I start wet sanding with either 1000 or 1200 and work up to 2500 and then go to rubbing and polishing compounds.

 

Dick

[Thom]

you can save a lot of money by using paint shop by dupla-color , you can buy it at autozone for 19.99 a qt. use the primer , base and clearcoat very good stuff

ck out my pic. gallery

thom

[Gearhead]

I've always found automotive acrylic enamel to be a good way to go. Easy to spray, no clear required, shines nicely, durable. If it's still available...

 

Plan also some extra time to repair fairing mounting tabs. You WILL find broken tabs when you start removing stuff - I would bet on it!

 

Jeremy

[NLAlston]

A lot of helpful information on this matter, and I really do appreciate it. But I have come away from it all a little daunted, and have decided that it might be best for me to just continue riding my bike like it is. I mean, it isn't if I am trying to make a fashion statement . I, as already stated earlier, am not too sure of my bike. I bought it used, and it is old. There could be some 'sprouting' issues that my little money might serve a more meaningful, and more practical purpose. If I am able to continue riding, without event, then that money could be saved toward a new bike. You'll have to forgive me, but I honestly didn't know that a paint job on a bike would command such out-of-pocket expense.

 

We live and we learn .

 

And a very heartfelt thanks to each & every one of you.

[SilvrT]

Boy, I sure disagree here. Paint cans are either lacquer or enamel.

Dick

 

Either you didn't fully read my post or I didn't clarify it...one or the other so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. The paint in the spray can was "charged" by an auto paint supply store with base coat color (from 2 stage paint) used in all auto body paint shops. The clear coat is much similar to 2 stage clear except that it is 1 stage. Check the website for this product...

Clear #1- UV Resistant High Gloss Clear Coat

 

http://www.u-pol.com/countries/us/navigate.htm

 

Yes, "Lacquer thinner melts plastic" but if you use a good primer over the plastic and let it dry thoroughly, the lacquer won't affect the plastic (unless of course you lay it on so thinned out and with heavy coats that it's running all over). In fact, I used a lacquer based primer which didn't cause any issues with the ABS material. However, I didn't sand all of the original paint right off down to the bare plastic either...just a few spots on edges and where I did repairs.

 

"Enamel needs baked to get hard"... that's only true if it's not acrylic enamel. While the paint I used is neither enamel nor acrylic enamel nor lacquer, it was dry to the touch in 15 minutes and could be taped within 1 hour. The clear on the other hand, while dry to the touch quite quickly, required a few weeks to fully cure to the point that I could safely power polish it. The process of "baking" that shops use, in my opinion, is not a requirement but rather, it speeds up the curing process so that when delivered to the customer, it's already "cured" and there's no special care required by them.

 

I painted many vehicles with acrylic enamel and not once did I "bake" it, yet within a few hours after spraying it, it was as hard as nails. I've also painted with 2 stage and the clear coat requires a "hardener" which after spraying requires a bit of time to cure...."baking" speeds up this process.

 

These "spray bombs" I used required no special breathing apparatus, nor did I feel any ill effects from their use; however, high-volume spraying with regular spray equipment definately requires special breathing equipment because that amount of exposure is definately harmful and possibly even deadly.

 

Well, that's my "eggspeareance" anyway...take it or leave it.

[SilvrT]

Nathan, my bike was the 2-tone "blond" color... mello yellow and gold as I call it. I liked the color and probably wouldn't have repainted it just for the sake of painting it but I had a lot of cracks in the bottom and edges of the trunk and the side bags. There was also some scraping on the edge of the fairing where the previous owner dropped it. I needed to fix all of that and so I decided I might as well re-paint the whole thing. The original paint on these bikes is of such high quality that, if taken care of, will last forever.

[NLAlston]

Nathan, my bike was the 2-tone "blond" color... mello yellow and gold as I call it. I liked the color and probably wouldn't have repainted it just for the sake of painting it but I had a lot of cracks in the bottom and edges of the trunk and the side bags. There was also some scraping on the edge of the fairing where the previous owner dropped it. I needed to fix all of that and so I decided I might as well re-paint the whole thing. The original paint on these bikes is of such high quality that, if taken care of, will last forever.

 

SilvrT,

 

If I do wind up with a repaint (and that's a BIG 'IF', due to financial constraints) it will definitely have to be a project of my own doing, and will use the spray bombs that you've suggested. My compressor is a small pancake unit, which is good for powering my nail guns - but not sufficient enough for such as a spray unit. Then, too, there are other issues such as not having the proper breathing equipment, or appropriate space for doing the job as it 'should' be done. If this is repainting is indeed effectuated, it will have to be done - a piece at a time - in my small basement shop. With so much to dismantle, though, I worry some about not remembering how to get everything back together again .

 

My bike has to go back into the shop, tomorrow, for some things that need attention. I had already known of another visit, there, for the purpose of having the carb readjusted, after the recent rebuild. But there is also a leak, which has manifested itself, emanating from the two braided hoses at the bottom of the radiator. If no other issues (particularly major ones) crop up for the rest of the riding season, I will prepare the bike for painting.

 

Though I really don't like the main color of my bike, I think that I could live with it - providing that the entire bike was this color. But the trunk & saddlebags being a different color, from the body of the bike, has grown to be an eye-sore to me.

 

So, maybe next season, I'll be (God willing) riding about with a 'new looking' bike .

 

Thanks.

[rhncue]

Either you didn't fully read my post or I didn't clarify it...one or the other so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. The paint in the spray can was "charged" by an auto paint supply store with base coat color (from 2 stage paint) used in all auto body paint shops. The clear coat is much similar to 2 stage clear except that it is 1 stage. Check the website for this product...

Clear #1- UV Resistant High Gloss Clear Coat

 

http://www.u-pol.com/countries/us/navigate.htm

 

Yes, "Lacquer thinner melts plastic" but if you use a good primer over the plastic and let it dry thoroughly, the lacquer won't affect the plastic (unless of course you lay it on so thinned out and with heavy coats that it's running all over). In fact, I used a lacquer based primer which didn't cause any issues with the ABS material. However, I didn't sand all of the original paint right off down to the bare plastic either...just a few spots on edges and where I did repairs.

 

"Enamel needs baked to get hard"... that's only true if it's not acrylic enamel. While the paint I used is neither enamel nor acrylic enamel nor lacquer, it was dry to the touch in 15 minutes and could be taped within 1 hour. The clear on the other hand, while dry to the touch quite quickly, required a few weeks to fully cure to the point that I could safely power polish it. The process of "baking" that shops use, in my opinion, is not a requirement but rather, it speeds up the curing process so that when delivered to the customer, it's already "cured" and there's no special care required by them.

 

I painted many vehicles with acrylic enamel and not once did I "bake" it, yet within a few hours after spraying it, it was as hard as nails. I've also painted with 2 stage and the clear coat requires a "hardener" which after spraying requires a bit of time to cure...."baking" speeds up this process.

 

These "spray bombs" I used required no special breathing apparatus, nor did I feel any ill effects from their use; however, high-volume spraying with regular spray equipment definately requires special breathing equipment because that amount of exposure is definately harmful and possibly even deadly.

 

Well, that's my "eggspeareance" anyway...take it or leave it.

 

Here is what I responded to:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mortch DO NOT USE A SPRAY CAN. If Your Serious about doing this.

and why not? Mine looks great and the paint is the same paint as that used in spray gun applications on any vehicle. Granted, it takes a lot more practise and patience to get a good, even coat and the clear I used required sanding with 1200 wet/dry and a good polishing to get that "wet glass" look. __________________

(if a ball peen hammer won't fix it - silicone will !)

 

Mortch says that spray cans are bad and you contradict with a blanket statement that Spray Cans are the same that Body Shops use and I beg to disagree.

 

Dick