Repaint silver plastics to matte black

[Philipp]

Just got the NC700x as my very first motorcycle. Very excited. Love the bike, however, really don't like the silver look. Wish it were all black. So here's my question:

How easy would it be to remove all the silver parts and hand them over to a body shop for painting? I think I read somewhere that a disassembly manual exists with instructions to take this bike apart? I contacted a few body shops but none of them work on motorcycles. One of them offered to do it if I were to bring in the disassembled parts.

Or do you guys have a better suggestion? Is there an affordable shop in Los Angeles that could do something like this?

Any ideas welcome!

Thanks,

Philipp

 

[Beemerphile]

How easy would it be to remove all the silver parts and hand them over to a body shop for painting? I think I read somewhere that a disassembly manual exists with instructions to take this bike apart? I contacted a few body shops but none of them work on motorcycles. One of them offered to do it if I were to bring in the disassembled parts.

Easy is a relative term and there is no way to answer this without knowing your level of experience with this kind of work, however, it is clearly feasible to do this. I would add these points:

1) Don't try it without the manual, even if you are a skilled mechanic because you will not know where the retaining fasteners and clips are or which direction to move them to release them. You may end up with a freshly painted bike with flapping plastic.

2) Get a box of ziplock bags and place the fasteners for each item in its own bag. Mark the outside of the bag with a Sharpie to indicate which part they came from. When in doubt, take a "before" picture.

3) Be sure that the body shop knows that the plastic material used by Honda is PA6 + PPE -GF10 which is a nylon 6 and polyphenylene ether blend with 10% glass fiber reinforcement. This affects the types of primer and paint that they should use. If they use the wrong paint or primer, it could bubble on you or fail to properly adhere.

 

[FlaNC700X]

I have to agree with Bemmer, I recently ran my power outlet to the front of the bike. Today was the first day in the sun and I see I did not get every piece back in the correct spot as gaps are showing. Not to count I had three screws left over? Just like when I was a kid I always had extra parts!

Bemmer, sure now you give advise for baggies!

 

[cyrano138]

I'm still kind of hoping Honda will make different colors available in the states by selling replacement body panels in white, black, or red. Of course, they'll probably charge about as much as buying a new bike, but it's something to fantasize about. I would have paid extra for the bike in white.

 

[Philipp]

Hey Beemer, thanks for the great advise! Amazing. And I actually have ZERO experience. Never done anything like this. Sounds like I shouldn't then. lol Hopefully there will be a local bike user in this forum that can point me to a body paint shop that works on motorcycles and can take care of everything for me. Would really love to have this bike in black.

 

[Rocker66]

I'm still kind of hoping Honda will make different colors available in the states by selling replacement body panels in white, black, or red. Of course, they'll probably charge about as much as buying a new bike, but it's something to fantasize about. I would have paid extra for the bike in white.

Sounds like a good idea. Ducati do something similar with the Monsters

 

[Hitandrun]

I have to agree with Bemmer, I recently ran my power outlet to the front of the bike. Today was the first day in the sun and I see I did not get every piece back in the correct spot as gaps are showing. Not to count I had three screws left over? Just like when I was a kid I always had extra parts!

Bemmer, sure now you give advise for baggies!

An old mechanic friend told me many years ago how to deal with leftover parts. He said to get a small glass jar, put the leftover parts in it, and put it on the shelf. Use the vehicle for a couple of weeks, and if everything works OK, throw the jar away.

 

[MZ5]

To add one more item to Beemerphile's list, make sure your paint shop 'flexes' the paint. There's a flexibility additive for the paint that will help it not crack at the slightest bending of the plastic. Any automotive body shop should already know to add this to paint they're shooting on plastic, but not all do unless you ask.

 

[wgwgoldwing]

I bought a red 2007 CBR1000RR. Wasn't crazy about red, so I priced out black factory replacement panels. That include the upper cowl, left & right middle cowl, top shelter, seat cowl, and front fender. Basically everything on here that was red:

Now this was a few years ago, but the total was $1414 USD. I grew to like red.

The NCX doesn't have near the bodywork so it would probably be a bit cheaper but with todays rising costs, who knows.

If you go the custom route and are looking for some color options, here are a few photoshoped samples:

And if you want to really go crazy:

WGW

 

[Philipp]

Haha whoa!!! Yellow actually does not look bad at all! I would totally consider that option instead of all black. Thanks for sharing! Now I only need to find a place in LA that does this type of work so that I can get it priced out.

 

[turbodieseli4i6]

If I could get that Camo, I would in a heartbeat!

 

[MZ5]

...The NCX doesn't have near the bodywork so it would probably be a bit cheaper but with todays rising costs, who knows.

If you go the custom route and are looking for some color options, here are a few photoshoped samples:

I knew I'd like them in yellow! I wish I knew how to do that color-swap stuff in an image editor. You wouldn't know of a tutorial for The Gimp, would you? Anyway, orange that yellow up some so that it's Honda's Sunrise Yellow from a few years ago, and I'm in!

 

[Philipp]

I knew I'd like them in yellow! I wish I knew how to do that color-swap stuff in an image editor. You wouldn't know of a tutorial for The Gimp, would you? Anyway, orange that yellow up some so that it's Honda's Sunrise Yellow from a few years ago, and I'm in!

Here is your tutorial for "The Gimp": How to replace all pixels of one color with another color using the GIMP - Andrés Mejía - Fantastic Ruby on Rails developer

However, if you happen to be on a Mac I'd recommend you have a look at pixelmator. Almost photoshop goodness for $29.99. Much easier to use too.

 

[MZ5]

Thanks! We do have an old MacBook around, but it's pretty much just for the kids to play with now. Apple's super-flat keyboards hurt my wrists & arms really bad, and it's battery is no good and the mouse button is very flaky now. So, I have a Windows install and a linux install.

 

[soggybottom]

I can't deside between camo, yellow or flag but I'm leaning yellow.

 

[daveyharr]

If I could get that Camo, I would in a heartbeat!

camo would be very easy. You can use the vinyl wrap they put on new trucks.

 

[Rocker66]

camo would be very easy. You can use the rap they put on new trucks.

I don't know first rap itrys to replace music now it wants to replace paint
Seriously I have seen some very good results on bikes using wrap instead of paint and the big advantage is that you can put the bike back to standard if you want to trade it in

 

[daveyharr]

I don't know first rap itrys to replace music now it wants to replace paint
Seriously I have seen some very good results on bikes using wrap instead of paint and the big advantage is that you can put the bike back to standard if you want to trade it in

I fixed my post. After seeing the pics I like the blue and camo. There is a detail shop in town that speacializes in vinyl wrap. I might have to get a price

 

[Cal]

Over on Stromtrooper the vstrom forum Greywolf painted his new 2012 650 yellow, and it looks great!

 

[Rocker66]

I fixed my post. After seeing the pics I like the blue and camo. There is a detail shop in town that speacializes in vinyl wrap. I might have to get a price

Now you have gone and spoilt my joke Not that it was very good one but I'm sitting in my control point between the last train coming in and the first going out so I'm board plus the wind howling and the rain lashing on the windows is depressing. Still only 3 hours to 06:30 and going home time