Thinking about changing color when I get a dent fixed on my R90/6, any suggestions?

[mcoulter57]

It's Havana Gold now, tried to get it painted last year and I had a hard time finding someone to do that color. When I found him, he said it was really an expensive because it was a rare color. I'm thinking I might try another color, any ideas?

[Red1974]

black

[jlsmith37804]

If I ever won the lottery, I always said I would buy a new Vette, and paint it camo, just to aggravate the faithful.

Same principal applies here, paint it what you like, regardless of the correctness. Its just paint, like a change of clothes for metal. And, in spite of many's opinions, they did make more than one.

[mymindsok]

It's Havana Gold now, tried to get it painted last year and I had a hard time finding someone to do that color. When I found him, he said it was really an expensive because it was a rare color. I'm thinking I might try another color, any ideas?

That makes no sense at all...

In general, within any manufacturers given paint line, all of the metalic colors cost about the same these days. Add in the fact that Auto Finishing Suppliers can come very close to whatever you have by using the computer analysis/mixing machines... Well, if a painter told me that the cost depended uppon the supposed "rarity" of the color, I'd keep looking for an honest, no bull**** painter.

OTOH, if you want the "real deal" German paint, you can choose a color and purchase the kit direct from Holt and hand it to your paint guy. Thats what I did and I got exactly the color I wanted. Just don't expect to get a quality job done cheaply. Most bike painters around here charge $1500 and up for prep and paint. If the job gets complicated, it can get expensive. Like $10,000 expensive!

PS: Bike colors are so personal that, not knowing you, I wouldnt suggest a color for your bike anymore than for any other stranger.

YMMV...

[Kirbster919]

I've never painted anything, but some hot rodders claim that certain cars just beg to be painted a certain color. You know your bike.... does it have any input on the matter?

[barryg]

Well you've already done Havanna gold, maybe Castro Red. ;)

[Rod Sheridan]

Seems I just saw a great Airhead paint job on the cover of ON....Rod.

[alkoivisto]

Just painted my '81 RT similar color to your existing. Always seemed good bike color to me. Fits well with black frame and typical BMW alloy parts IMO. Ever try painting youself? Doing my RT cost me about $150 USD in materials. Some of the rattle can material is actually quite good these days too.

[tommcgee]

I'm thinking I might try another color, any ideas?

I'd do red, but it's your bike.

[Na Cl K9]

I have a friend who painted his RS a kind of 'warm' gray. REALLY a very pretty color and it looks good on the RS too however once out on the road, his bike disappears on cloudy days. Because the gray is a very neutral color and shade it blends in to the pavement and the background making him virtually invisible. Not a good thing at all. Another guy in the area painted his RT bright yellow. It is visible from about two miles away. White is a good conspicuous color too. Motorists see a white bike and automatically think Police and behave themselves for a moment. I guess if you don’t have a favorite color and you have to ask to get ideas on paint I would personally suggest visibility as a criterion. Otherwise, the R90/6 came several colors including Black.

A quality automotive paint may cost around 100.00 to do basic R90 body work and with no repairs needed in the preparation, it should only run a few hundred dollars (3 - 4 hundred maybe?), to have someone spray it. That gets you a nice base-coat / clear coat paint job that will last 10 years or more.

I picked up an R100RS (1977) that had just been re-painted with the correct paint from Holt. The body work restoration was very minimal but the paint and labor came to almost 2000.00 and its beautiful! Its probably safe to say the more you pay, the more you get up to a point of course where its just another robbery using a paint spray gun instead of a .38 .

[PGlaves]

Lime green with orange pin stripes would look better than any other possible choice.

[Na Cl K9]

Lime green with orange pin stripes would look better than any other possible choice. Or how about wide diagonal day-glow yellow and black stripes...kind of like a barricade. (Continuing with the idea of a conspicuous paint job).

[PeoriaMac]

Something like this, mayhaps......

[PeoriaMac]

OK, that was not the picture I intended to send...but I'm being told I can't send the correct one....so....imagine a garish bike!

[axlray13]

I've found that the stock Pearl White is pretty striking. I've had 2 black airheads and they seem to get a lot of notice. Just my $.02...

[HankPfister]

If you are going to remove all the parts for painting, and do the re-assembly then it shouldn't cost all that much for a good painter to prep and paint the parts. I recently paid $900 for /5 paint parts. I delivered tank, 2 fenders, battery covers, headlight, ears, and a set of Wixom bags to the painter. I took the tank to a paint shop and they color matched the Currey color. No need to go with the expensive Glasurite paint, unless you are doing a concours restoration, IMHO.