Color Change / Paint options

[Tantrum]

Just unexpectedly upgraded my 2006 Grey RT to a new 2016 Blue as a result of a breakdown on a 4 day trip through New England. Love this new bike BUT, I really like the color option of last years Matte Grey. Does anyone know if the body panels are interchangeable between model years? Is BMW the best source to order new complete body? Option 2 would be to custom Paint. Just trying to figure most cost effective solution. There is always the possibility that I'm just a little left from center as well.
Look forward to you shared expertise.

[guest2360]

Replacing all the painted parts with new ones, which haven't changed in design Im sure, would cost you an arm and a leg.  If you must would go for repainting what you have.  Down the line UK dealers would knock a chunk off its value in a part exchange.

[T6pilot]

Exchanging body panels would cost almost as much as bike, reference upper right fairing panel lists for $700 us
Your only two real options if you want to keep bike are, exchange panels with someone else who doesn't like his or her color bike
Or remove all panels and prep and paint them the color you want, this option will decrease the value of your bike when time to sell
There is a third option, not cheap though, have the bike wrapped, I have seen some done and if the installer is good looks very good

[guest2360]

We have all forgotten one of the most important things about changing it to grey.  It's a known fact grey ones are much faster.

[richardbd]

We have all forgotten one of the most important things about changing it to grey.  It's a known fact grey ones are much faster.

especially when compared to blue ones...

[Peter Baker]

Not sure if anyone offers this near you but a good option on cars is "wrapping" them, taxi's use it places like Germany too make them yellow and then you peel off back to silver to sell...  Anyway hope that gives some ideas...  Peter

[Methos1979]

Just curious - why would a quality and attractive paint job decrease value? With the available color palette from BMW on any given year being so... bland, I would think that if someone had a professional paint job done in a tasteful and attractive color scheme it would not lessen value but be the or perhaps increase the values since it would make the bike truly a one-of-a-kind.


I had not considered a custom paint job but it might not be too cost prohibitive since the colored panes are relatively few. Hmm... Now you've all got me thinking!

[wethead]

Here is my option for paint


But it was a Witch with a capital B when I tried to trade it in for a wethead cause the dealer thought it might have been wrecked, the paint wasn't OEM, it had runs...whine whine whine...


But its pretty...to me!


and BTW, stats show white vehicles get in the least amount of accidents.

[David.]

Just curious - why would a quality and attractive paint job decrease value? With the available color palette from BMW on any given year being so... bland, I would think that if someone had a professional paint job done in a tasteful and attractive color scheme it would not lessen value but be the or perhaps increase the values since it would make the bike truly a one-of-a-kind.

Have seen brand new bikes in a local BMW dealer with paint jobs, particularly Motorrad colour schemes, they probably ask for a premium when selling.

Some RT's had an option of two-tone paintwork at a cost of around £500, don't think, come trade-in time you'd get £500 more over a single colour bike of the same age & mileage.

[wethead]

Just curious - why would a quality and attractive paint job decrease value? With the available color palette from BMW on any given year being so... bland, I would think that if someone had a professional paint job done in a tasteful and attractive color scheme it would not lessen value but be the or perhaps increase the values since it would make the bike truly a one-of-a-kind.


I had not considered a custom paint job but it might not be too cost prohibitive since the colored panes are relatively few. Hmm... Now you've all got me thinking!

For one thing, there is a lot of suspicious feedback about a re-painted bike that it might have been on a wreck. When I traded my white RT the salesman spend hours making telephone calls and looking in the internet to verify that my white RT was not wrecked. I was in the shop all day.


Secondly, sales people want to sell a bike as is from the manufacturer. Any time you personalize a bike in any way, it makes it less marketable because people never come into a bike shop looking for a bike that does not look like the model they expect from BMW.


Moreover, when you sell a bike is best to take all the farkle out because, they don't give you anymore for it, you can make money selling the stuff, and hardly anyone wants what someone else put on their bike. People rather farkle their own.


I learned this lesson the hard way and now I am contemplating hard whether or not I wanna paint this 2016 wethead white also.

[Methos1979]

I understand the point that you would most likely lose your investment - much like farkles.


I don't buy the accident argument, at least here in the states because everything is tracked by Car Fax. You could easily tell if it was in an accident.


I do remove all the aftermarket add-ons I can when selling. I removed and resold almost $2k of stuff from the Harley! The think about the RT is that there's just not that much I will put on it. It'd doesn't need much of anything in my opinion. It's that good. Near perfection!

[wethead]

One could wreck a bike, and fix it yourself in which case there would be no tracking records of in car fax nor anywhere else. I think that's what the shops are afraid of when they see a 'painted' bike.


I am not trying to sell any argument, so you don't have to buy it. I am merely telling you my experience with painted bikes.


One interesting thing would be to ask a couple of salesmen how do they handle a custom painted bike in terms of trade ins...but you are not likely to find a salesmen that would give away trade traits secrets.


ultimately, ain't that big a deal.

[guest3091]

My vote is for painting it the scheme you want.  But if you're going to paint it.... go radical !!!  I thought about painting mine in the "We the People" style.  It might depend on how long you plan to keep the bike.  If you keep it long enough you get your money's worth of enjoyment out of it.  Put some flames on it or maybe even a laid back biker chick.


If you pull a panel you will see that they are all painted anyway.  Mine are white on the back side.  If you have the bucks you can buy an extra set of panels, paint one set and keep the other factory just in case you're worried about trade in value.  Lots of those RnineT's are custom painted and nobody seems to complain about that.


in fact... most Harley's look like crap with factory paint and much better with custom paint.


Paint it.

[wethead]

I like the way you are thinking here Barnes. Life is too short to worry about the small 'trade-in' stuff.


I might just paint my white. I like it simply white.

[richardbd]

I like the way you are thinking here Barnes. Life is too short to worry about the small 'trade-in' stuff.


I might just paint my white. I like it simply white.

Probably cheaper to trade it for a 2017 model - get the official white.  Or even that swish new Motorsport scheme...