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Color matched inner: Buy or Paint?

9K views 39 replies 25 participants last post by  SIC_26 
#1 ·
What's the general consensus on this? I've got a Big Blue Pearl. I can order a painted inner from HD ($1049 MSRP; about $840 discounted); or I could have it painted locally.

I just worry about someone being able to match the BBP. Thoughts?
 
#2 ·
depends on how good your painter is.Better they are,more they tend to charge,so with that color,buying it might be the way to go.

another advantage to vivid black,anyone can paint that,including me!
 
#3 ·
Consider the cost of paint if you want an exact match. Ask the painter how much paint it will take, and if they can get the Harley Paint. I had a friend with a 2006 Cobalt Blue, impossible to match and the smallest quantity available from HD was a Quart. I think the painter said it would take less than a pint. It cost about $280 for just the paint. I did mine in Vivid Black, and the guy kept that on hand since it was so commonly used. He only charged me for the paint used.

Bottom line, I did mine in Vivid Black for only $175.00, including paint.
 
#5 ·
Most times with painted parts, you would be money ahead just buying the factory paint unless you can do it at home. The reason being is doing things like a painted inner fairing is not cheap if your having someone else remove and install it, prep it, prime and paint. You could have $300-$500 of materials wrapped up in it before you know it, and then hope the guy did it right and it won't ever crack or lift. Not to mention getting the paint matched perfectly.
Now if you buy from Harley, you can pull off the stock one and install your painted one pretty much at home. Then you have a box ready, so you can sell your stock one and recoop some cash, usually spending less in the long run then you will just having your stock one painted.
 
#7 ·
BBP is only available from PPG as a factory order only at $250 a pint, it is a Tri-coat color and goes over plain black base.

The parts I have painted with it matched perfectly when you have a side cover to use as a sample to get the right amount of flake on the part.

So with primer, base layer, effect layer, urethane clear and polishing supplies a fair amount of $s goes just into the finish!

Also, when you buy the paint at the dealer parts counter it rarely if ever matches! A PPG auto body supply store is the best source for HD colors.

Most of the new HD colors are PPG factory mix only and are $250 a pint! Repairs and painted fairings, lowers and tourpacs are going to be a bit spendy for awhile
 
#11 ·
Yep, I always encouage the guys to check that out first!

Had a customer come up over the weekend with a 2013 Ultra with 300 miles on it, the batwing outer fairing got damaged when the bike fell over, it is a BBP bike with pinstripes.
A new from HD outer painted to match is $640 so that is what he is going to get, then we will do his inner in Vivid Black which should look real good on that bike.
 
#12 ·
Well, that's another option I'm thinking of, going with a contrasting color, like Vivid Black, or maybe some kind of Black Pearl. Then I could have it done locally, since I'm wouldn't have to worry about it matching.

Hmm... decisions.
 
#13 ·
I just read a thread on the HDForums where a guy had the CVO rear fender and extended bag bottoms done - BBP. It matched perfectly.

This all boils down to the painter you choose. The painter I use paints the CVO bikes and several other tin sets for the sheet metal exchange program for HD - Gunslinger Custom Paint, in Golden, CO.

On my FLHXSE, I had them shoot my inner and it matched perfectly - stock was vivid black ($425). They also repainted my 2003 Heritage Springer, as the silver that year has never been released - perfect match ($1000). And they'll be painting my RG front end on my conversion project ($?????). Hope to have them the parts after this weekend. They don't buy qts of paint - they mix it to match, and prep/shoot as many times as needed to get it perfect.

Bottom line, if you can find a good painter, you should be good to go. Even if you have to ship out, you can find it done. Gunslinger gets parts in for paint from all over the US and Canada too.

Also, IMHO, with that BBP, you should match the inner to the rest of the bike. That is such a beautiful color - black looks good with it, but not like black does with red or orange. All that BBP would be awesome.
 
#15 ·
Well, I might have a line on something here. I just talked to a guy here in town. He's a really good airbrush guy. I had him paint a metric bike of mine a few years ago.

He claims he can match the paint for my inner, and I also talked to him about changing up my ugly baby blue stripes. I'm going to try to get over there and talk to him one day this week.
 
#16 ·
Painted Inner

If you do not want to go with a local painter... buy from a discount internet place like Horny Toad and then sell your unpainted inner on Ebay to defray the cost.
 
#18 ·
Been here...Done this...don't Bother...Big Blue Pearl is a PPG color HD had not released. That being said...everyone I spoke with said..."Real Tough to Match" with the depth of the pearl. Bought mine from HD....with all the nonsense...your savings would be minimal at best & that's if your the painter. There are some things that are just not worth trying to save on. As Chain Said...prep work from yours & the possibility of a lift....ugh...take it off again...re-finish...paint...now your knee deep. Either way..Good Luck...it looks great on an Inner Fairing...Don't do Black.....check the picks on my bike...
 
#21 ·
This won't help in Wichita - but I just had mine done yesterday. '13 Midnight Pearl Ultra. Guy in Jacksonville did it for me. He did my Street Glide, and three years later, still looked brand new. No fading, chipping. So I called him to see if he could get midnight pearl. He did, painted a fairing (he does exchanges), then came to me in Orlando and installed the painted inner.

Paint match - perfect. Came to my church, worked inthe parking lot, installed it while I was in church. Took about an hour and fifteen minutes. Maybe a little longer. Could not be happier.

Price: $475 installed, with him coming to me.
 
#24 ·
I just came back from my painter. He claims he can match it, for sure. I've seen a lot of his work, and like I said he painted a metric bike for me about 3 years ago. The guy's damn good, so I think I'll give him a shot. Might even have him do something with those damn baby blue stripes as well.

Due to things I've got going, I'm not looking for this to go down until mid-December, but I'll keep you all posted when it comes about.
 
#25 ·
My dealer just made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I have Big Blue Pearl as well and have been teetering with idea of buying painted inner from HD for quite some time. I'm down for a couple weeks having gallbladder removed.

Service manager just called and said they'd do the job for under 900. They got their hands on another inner and box lids (using my nacalle). Sending out to their painter (I've seen their good work, on BBP too!). They'll handle the labor too. AND...... they'll trailer my bike in tomorrow.

Since I had planned on paying full price for new I saw this as a win. And I dont' have to mess with it. Although I'm sure I'll pull off outer when Im healed to check all their wiring is how I like it .

Believe it or not my WIFE contacted them about the job. She said she'd keep me off the bike for 2 more weeks for my ab to heal. Damn this woman is slick!!! haha
 
#26 ·
Had mine done locally, painter matched very well. Charged $600 (that was including the paint) and had enough paint left over to do upper controls. If you plan on having anything else painted, my opinion is have it done locally. If you can tear it down yourself, more savings there too.
 
#27 ·
thought about getting a take-off from ebay,then having ti painted so I could just switch it out.There's a bunch of chinese made knock-offs on there but I think I'd want a take-off instead.

nice thing about vivid black,no worries about paint matching,bad thing,won't be that big of a change.
 
#28 ·
You should be beagle to get it done locally for much less even with buying HD paint it should be around 5 - 6 hundred. A substantial saving and you spend some local dollars to help out the small businessman.
 
#31 ·
I painted my inner black can up load some pics tomorrow. Any questions I can help you out did the complete job in house. I am a painter do stock and custom paint.
 
#34 ·
Gonna get the inner fairings painted on my GF's Street Glide (Big Blue Pearl) and my Roadie (Cool Blue Pearl). We are also having her king tour-pak done to match her bike. We kept it when she sold her Road King.
A friend has a custom bike shop and he can work us into the schedule yet this year.

Her inner and tour pak will be done in BBP. I am going to have mine done as a fade from CBP at the top into black at the bottom.

Can't wait to get them done. Only downside is that he'll need the bikes for a week - but they'll do the removal and re-installs.
 
#38 · (Edited)
Check into Fatbagger.com (FBI) for painted inner fairings. The last I knew Fatbaggers has the FLTR painted inner fairing for $500 it is a exchange program so you will have to return your old inner or pay the core charge if you keep your inner. I been to Fatbaggers and from what I understand the owner of FBI owns the HD dealership next door so he has access to all HD paint colors, I got my candy red sunglo painted inner from FBI and that is a 3 part paint and it was a perfect match. Other then that take your inner to a local painter and you should pay somewhere around $300 to $350 for the inner to be painted. The good thing about FBI is that you don't have much down time because when you get the painted inner you can swap out the inner fairing in a day and be back on the road, taking the inner to a painter it may take a week or two to get your inner back. By the way do the removal and installation yourself and save some bucks it is a easy job it just take some time.

Just check FBI web site and the painted inner fairing list for $959.95 this includes the core charge of $460.00 when you return your inner fairing your $460.00 will be refunded to you so your total cost comes to $499.95. There may be a additional charge for some colors so you would need to contact them if your color is not listed.
 
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