CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE PAINT BASICS
Some motorcycle owners opt for the "do it yourself" route after putting in some time at a workshop or reading through one of the motorbooks. More than a few were less than pleased with the results but then a couple were pretty impressed with their work. The ones that were ok with the outcome seemed to have a new respect for the shop techs that do that kind of stuff for a living. This came once it became evident just how many hours it took to get a passable result. Their recommendation? Start by doing a little touch up paint and if that is not beyond your level of expertise, move up to paint a motorcycle helmet or two and so on and so forth. The lessons learned on how to do your own custom motorcycle paint jobs would be to start small and begin your graphics painting career on something other than your favorite Honda or Hawg.
This is not just paint after all, consider this the outward display of your bike's and its owner's personality. Choose a color scheme using classic or candy paints and the elements design that you wish to display and you're well on your way to telling the world a whole lot about yourself, so take some time to make these decisions. Custom motorcycle paint jobs are not cheap, so put some thought into what you fell that you will enjoy looking at and putting on display for a reasonable length of time. How often do you change your house paint? Well, you may want to change your sheetmetal more often, but you get the picture.
One suggestion I would offer to those who enjoy changing the look of their choppers on a regular basis is to take good care of their fenders and tanks. If you are very careful not to scratch, dent or otherwise devalue your artwork, you can resell your custom motorcycle paint jobs. Get a good deal on those ghost flames, show them off at the bike rally, sell them on ebay or at the local club meeting and start all over again! There's not a thing in the world with painting your motorcycle flat black, (although flat black with some glossy raven's wing black flames would look super cool). Of course color choice is a matter of personal taste. Whether you choose House of Kolor Black Cherry paint or House of Kolor Candy Brandywine, as long as it's what you love and can ride with pride, it's the best motorcycle paint around. Don't let anybody tell you any different! It's certainly desireable to employ some creativity and put something totally flashy, unique and different for our brothers (and sisters) to admire. There's some really great stuff that can be done with a simple black on black color scheme. Gunmetal gray with black looks pretty sharp, too. What I'm trying to say is there are understated options right along with stunning contrasts. Brighter colors and contrasting patterns can be interesting, but never underestimate the impact of an elegant and tasteful black paint job.
For more ideas on custom motorcycle paint and chrome cruise over to the homepage. That's where the real creative fires are burning! Once you master and complete a three phase paint job, you may want to try your hand at powder coat paint! |
