am i about to get ripped off?

[naughty koolaid]

I know someone who does custom motorcycle painting and I talked to him about hooking me up with something for my bike when I get it. He's very talented and has had his work featured in some stuff. He told me he'd give me a good deal and an even better one if I recommended him to some other people. I did and the very next day one of my friends and him were talking business. I held up my end of the deal. He quoted me $1400 for this paintjob. Is this a "deal" or a fair price?

[speediva]

The price of a paint job is in the eye and wallet of the beholder.

[naughty koolaid]

haha so true but i have no clue what an average bike paintjob would run someone. and i understand that painting it pink, no matter how hot i think it is...most other buyers won't agree. so i don't want to invest a TON of money in a paintjob and the bike and then be able to get only like $1000 for it when i resell it.

[speediva]

Personally, I would not drop $1400 on a paint job... that's a whole new bike for some people! Or a new set of used plastics.

[S13Driftfiend]

$1400 does not seem too steep for that job, if i see it right its black pink AND silver correct? the price seems good, especially considering the frame and wheels are also painted (or are going to be.) plastics and body pieces are one thing, but painting the frame is quite a job. jw, what is his name or the name of his business?

[naughty koolaid]

his name is brian, he's from appleton, WI and idk if he's worked for a business doing it before or not.

and yeah that is silver in there. its gonna have shimmer too.

i haven't decided yet if i want to, or even will be able to spend around that much on a paintjob. it would definetely be nice but as always, its a matter of affordability.

[aussieidiot]

hmmm $1400 for that paint job......
to be honest and with intent on offending, its shit. it looks like someone grabbed an spray can and went nuts.

the only times you should paint a bike is if you have serious amounts of surplus cash or if you drop it and you need to repaint most of the bike any way.

the first thing any buyer checks is for a dropped bike. 1st tell tale sign is a repainted bike. it may not have been dropped but now it looks like it.

[richtazz]

I hope that pic is a photoshop computer rendered representation of the design you want (I don't like it but, but hey, everyone's different), not an actual bike. It looks like a 5 year old got loose with can of Krylon.

I agree with Aussie, leave it unless it NEEDS painting due to fading or an accident. It will hurt the resale value if that matters to you. Always remember, one man's custom is another man's UGLY!!!

[S13Driftfiend]

i believe its a photoshop...

even though im not a fan of the paint, its your choice..

also, keep in mind if the bike gets dropped, pushed over ect, thats alot of money in repairs. you may want to consider frame sliders.

[jeffcoslacker]

$1400 for a bike custom paint job is nothing...it's not that unusual to see cruisers with custom paint that cost $3000 or more and that's just the tins, tank, fenders and sidecovers, no frame, wheels, etc...

Prep on a bike is a lot more complex due to smaller areas, acute angles and curves, hidden dirt traps, disassembly, etc..and sportbike jobs require special formulation of the paint to work with the expansion and flex characteristics of the plastic, etc..a lot to screw up if not done correctly.

Personally I'd say it's a good deal for a pro job...

[naughty koolaid]

yeah it was a quick photoshop job by him, and the actual will be much neater and nicer looking. no one seemed to like it..was it cuz its pink or was it the actual design? any better ideas?

holding off on the painting is probably a good idea, being a new rider dropping my bike at least once sounds inevitable :/ and i don't want to fuck up a paintjob that expensive.

[speediva]

Be prepared for brutal honesty:

Even as a girl, I am not a fan of pink... I wouldn't buy a pink bike to save my life, either. For that matter, tribal/flame-esque designs are cliche and scream "noob" or at the very least "squid".

As a motorcycle consumer, if I see a custom paint job, I assume the bike has been down... at least once, if not more. I won't even test drive a bike that has a custom paint job because I don't trust sellers that spent that kind of money on looks rather than maintenance. More often than not, my gut is right about "those kinds" of bikes and sellers.

In addition, as a bike seller, you will NEVER get the money back out of the paint job, no matter how super-awesome-excellent you think it is. If you EVER plan on selling the bike (a month, a year, a decade from now), your best bet is to stick to easily removed graphics like sticker kits and custom grips.

[richtazz]

For me, it's really not the pink, it's the design. It doesn't really flow with the bike's lines, and is too "in your face". As Saturn said, it screams SQUID to me. Looks like the rider would wear matching pink flip flops and one of Don Johnson's "Miami Vice" white sportcoats and pastel t-shirts as riding gear.

[aussieidiot]

if you must have a paint job, then go a nice sedate pearl, metallic or candy color with the stock decals.

personally i'd go a candy black or red