BMW 1150 RT Art Bike

[Brucifer1150]

BMW does art cars, do they do art bikes?

Have all the plastic off for the muffler swap and was thinking about doing something custom in the paint sense.

 

Any suggestions or ideas? More than likely will be rattle-can, but I could check around for a professional if the concept was right.

[wbw6cos]

You could always PERUSE THE GALLERY for some ideas inspiration.

[Dave P]

Bruce, I saw this on Pinterest once upon a time. They vinyl wrapped all of the painted parts! Not cheap I imagine, but certainly unique! Dave

[Miguel!]

I don't spend much time on FB but have spent a good amount of time on Pinterest. It's good resource for inspiration. I'd start with customs BMW R1100RT R1150RT custom paint and go from there. Miguel

[Brucifer1150]

9 hours ago, wbw6cos said:

You could always PERUSE THE GALLERY for some ideas inspiration.

The Gallery on this site or the one in your link?

Most motorcycle mods are mechanical in nature and not paint-based due to the limited paintable surfaces. I could go with a unique solid color, but I was hoping to find something a little more multi-hued and abstract.

[Brucifer1150]

7 hours ago, Dave P said:

Bruce, I saw this on Pinterest once upon a time. They vinyl wrapped all of the painted parts! Not cheap I imagine, but certainly unique! Dave

Kinda reminds me of the Jeff Koons' art car.

I had a brief flash of doing something like a Frank Lloyd Wright prairie window, but it might be mistaken for the Partridge Family bus.

Jackson Pollock might be interesting, but it would take some effort to make it look right.

[Hosstage]

I have ideas for art and paint, but they're not your ideas. You must have some idea of what you'd like to do, decide if you want to try and learn new techniques from simple masking tape and rattle cans to technical airbrushing, or if you can afford to pay someone to do it. (Hint: good paint jobs are NOT cheap)

If possible, try and print out some raw or bare pictures of bikes, grab some markers and crayons, and start filling in spaces. Or just start doodling on a blank page with colors you like and work on a scheme. Some of the graphics programs make it pretty easy to design schemes on top of existing pictures.

The custom Harley world is full of every type of paint job ever dreamed of.

Go to bike meets and shows, peruse the internet, anything similar to what you want to do is probably out there, find your art!

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/cwx5rGWw4DQtvotB8

 

[wbw6cos]

The link I posted was for The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show.   It was a FB page, but I could not find photos on the Revival Cycles while using my smart phone.  While on my PC,  I looked into it a little more and found some more pictures to look at -> HERE

 

I thought you asked for suggestions or ideas so I figured you could look at the photos in the links.   The gallery on this site may take you a while to look at a lot of photos that may, or may not, provide you with any ideas.  

 

 

 

[Miguel!]

Those are fantastic bikes. Thanks for posting. I'll send more time with it tonight. Cheers. Miguel

[Dave P]

I just did an ebay search for vinyl wrap patterns, found some cool stuff! See pics, some of these have me thinking about doing something custom too. Dave

[Brucifer1150]

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10219765107535156&set=gm.10159087992378300

 

 

[Hosstage]

Just because it can be done, doesn't mean it should be.

[Bud]

When I had a Yamaha scoot I went to the local wrap place, told them I would bring in the parts off the bike. $500

 

Went to the local body shop. parts off bike. $400

 

Seems to me they really didn't want my business OR I'm just another cheap BMW (Bitch, Moan, Whine) kind of guy. Dunno 

[Hosstage]

1 minute ago, Bud said:

When I had a Yamaha scoot I went to the local wrap place, told them I would bring in the parts off the bike. $500

 

Went to the local body shop. parts off bike. $400

 

Seems to me they really didn't want my business OR I'm just another cheap BMW (Bitch, Moan, Whine) kind of guy. Dunno 

If the $400 at the body shop was for paint, that's really cheap. If it was for a wrap, that is also very cheap. I think I see a theme in your life.........

[Bud]

Guess I'm just an old phart that remembers gas at $0.25 a gallon and Micky D's hamburgers and fries at $0.15 each.

 

But a scooter doesn't have very many SQ to cover or paint, and I offered to do the prep work at the body shop and they would only have to shoot paint on it.

 

Grrrrr  You kids get off my lawn. 

[Bud]

Since I don't have any idea, how much to wrap a 2021 Full Sized pickup?   $X,XXX ????????

 

[Hosstage]

2 hours ago, Bud said:

Since I don't have any idea, how much to wrap a 2021 Full Sized pickup?   $X,XXX ????????

 

Anywhere from $1500 to $5000 or more.

 

"How Much Does it Cost to Wrap a Truck?" https://www.jdpower.com/cars/shopping-guides/how-much-does-it-cost-to-wrap-a-truck

[Warren Dean]

9 hours ago, Hosstage said:

Just because it can be done, doesn't mean it should be.

Amen.   

[Warren Dean]

3 hours ago, Bud said:

Guess I'm just an old phart that remembers gas at $0.25 a gallon and Micky D's hamburgers and fries at $0.15 each.

 

But a scooter doesn't have very many SQ to cover or paint, and I offered to do the prep work at the body shop and they would only have to shoot paint on it.

 

Grrrrr  You kids get off my lawn. 

 

 

Shooting small curvy surfaces is MUCH harder to do well than large flat surfaces. 

[Bud]

3 hours ago, Hosstage said:

Anywhere from $1500 to $5000 or more.

 

"How Much Does it Cost to Wrap a Truck?" https://www.jdpower.com/cars/shopping-guides/how-much-does-it-cost-to-wrap-a-truck

so $1500 for a whole truck and $500 for 4 scooter parts? All the more reason I didn't bother.

[Hosstage]

Just now, Bud said:

so $1500 for a whole truck and $500 for 4 scooter parts? All the more reason I didn't bother.

I doubt you'll find it for $1500. And that's one color, probably flat or matte. 

[Hosstage]

2 minutes ago, Bud said:

so $1500 for a whole truck and $500 for 4 scooter parts? All the more reason I didn't bother.

Are those 4:scooter parts mostly flat, or many compound curves?

[Hosstage]

Bud, I'm afraid you're not in the demographic for new paint on a perfectly good bike or truck!

Don't ever do a restoration, you'll cry when you get the paint bill!

[Bud]

5 minutes ago, Hosstage said:

Bud, I'm afraid you're not in the demographic for new paint on a perfectly good bike or truck!

Don't ever do a restoration, you'll cry when you get the paint bill!

You are right. First of all I have no interest so that pretty much rules it out. 

 

I own a boat so I'm not throwing stones at people who make different choices on how to spend their fun money.

 

Have owned as many boats as I have Beemers so...............................

[Hosstage]

1 minute ago, Bud said:

You are right. First of all I have no interest so that pretty much rules it out. 

 

I own a boat so I'm not throwing stones at people who make different choices on how to spend their fun money.

 

Have owned as many boats as I have Beemers so...............................

You really are a glutton for punishment....

 

[Bud]

I know, I know but it keeps me out of the tavern. Oh, time with my CNC machine helps. Having nothing better to do, I just designed a coaster.

 

 

[Hosstage]

Nice!

[taylor1]

Bud , If your taking pre-orders , I'm in !

[Bumwah]

In the 60's John Lennon had his Rolls Royce painted all psychedelic... Rolls Royce went nutz but couldn't do anything aboot it.

Wrapping a motorcycle, not painting it, is LAZY.

[Hosstage]

10 minutes ago, Bumwah said:

Wrapping a motorcycle, not painting it, is LAZY.

I can't disagree with that.

But it is cheaper.

[Warren Dean]

On 11/4/2021 at 12:02 PM, Hosstage said:

I can't disagree with that.

But it is cheaper.

 

 

Besides...it's what the cool kids do...   

[Hosstage]

Removable wrap paint

 

For when you don't know whether to paint or wrap, do both.

New idea comes to you? Bored with it? Peel it, spray it again,  amaze your friends!

[Brucifer1150]

8 hours ago, Hosstage said:

Removable wrap paint

 

For when you don't know whether to paint or wrap, do both.

New idea comes to you? Bored with it? Peel it, spray it again,  amaze your friends!

Also works for conflicting accident reports.

[szurszewski]

On 11/1/2021 at 5:23 PM, Bud said:

so $1500 for a whole truck and $500 for 4 scooter parts? All the more reason I didn't bother.

 

 

There's no way you're getting a decent wrap on truck for less than a few thousand. The last time I bought material to wrap a car - which was almost a decade ago now - I got a really good deal on the vinyl itself, and that alone was $500. This was for a large-ish coupe, so you'd need more for a truck, and it was also basic black. For a quality wrap now, in one color, on a full size car or SMALL truck, I'd expect to pay $3000. It's pretty time intensive to apply and you really do have to know what you're doing. 

 

I think a good ball park is to expect it to cost maybe 25% less than a paint job of comparable quality (which is to say, you can get a crappy paint job or a crappy wrap if that's what you want). The main benefit of a wrap is that it's easily reversible, but it also will not last as long as properly cared for paint job. 

 

All things considered, I think your two quotes are representative of the market - not cheap, but a little cheaper for the wrap. 

 

PS- wraps also require body prep if you're not starting with a pristine/smooth surface; any imperfections will show up right through the vinyl. 

 

 

[Brucifer1150]

For sale in the East Bay, California:

 

[Hosstage]

That one is a little hard on my eyes.

[Lowndes]

Slumgullion here just sold his wrap business "Sticky Business".  Ask him what a reasonable price is.

[Hosstage]

On 5/21/2022 at 6:20 PM, Hosstage said:

That one is a little hard on my eyes.

I take that back, I didn't look close enough to see the scheme. My comment was based on the color from afar, not the meaning of the design.

[tallman]

Bud, that was a great price for paint.

When we had scratched saddlebags to fix it ran @$150 a bag.

Hope you're well.

 

[BigtowH8]

Custom paint scheme for '03 1150RT

 

This inspiration comes from yesterday’s 2022 Army Navy football game; the Army Black Knights uniforms honor the 1^st Armored Division https://oldironsides.football.  I’m thinking of painting my RT like Army’s helmet, olive drab fading to desert tan at bottom, and muddy splotches all over.

 

As a veteran of the U.S. Army, I really like it, but am not sure it would work for the RT.

 

During a lengthy texting exchange, my son, currently serving in the Army, suggests a paint scheme of a Messerschmitt Bf-109 https://fullfatthings-keyaero.b-cdn.net/sites/keyaero/files/inline-images/Bf109_LEAD.jpg.  IMO the 109s paint scheme works on the RT by using the mustard and olive drab over gray.  I really like and think it would be cool; could even incorporate a hint of red on the tip of the nose.  I would feature the Bavarian Roundel in  place of the white & black shield as seen on the fuselage.  However, let me be very clear on this point: I would NOT use in any fashion the Luftwaffe cross nor the Nazi swastika. Don’t take this out of context and suggest that I’m a fascist, nor am I looking to spur a discussion of political ideology.  This is a discussion of custom paint schemes for the RT.  That’s all.

 

Another paint option would be to incorporate the colors of the Black Knights football helmets and BMW's three stripes found on the RS & S models of the early 2000’s . 

Because paint is expensive & personal, I’m leaning towards the removable wrap paint; when I tire of the RT, resale would be difficult with any custom paint.

 

My final thought: leave the RT as is with OEM paint, saving the military paint scheme for the KLR or GS.

What are your thoughts on these painting ideas?

Bf109_LEAD.webp

[Hosstage]

Paint is personal, who cares what anyone else thinks, do what makes you happy and ride the hell out of it. The scheme posted looks good to me, if that helps!

A wrap does have its appeal as far as resale, ease of install and removal, and likely cost.

[lawnchairboy]

43 minutes ago, BigtowH8 said:

IMO the 109s paint scheme works on the RT by using the mustard and olive drab over gray.  I really like and think it would be cool; could even incorporate a hint of red on the tip of the nose.

I think that would look great.

[szurszewski]

1 hour ago, BigtowH8 said:

Custom paint scheme for '03 1150RT

 

This inspiration comes from yesterday’s 2022 Army Navy football game; the Army Black Knights uniforms honor the 1^st Armored Division https://oldironsides.football.  I’m thinking of painting my RT like Army’s helmet, olive drab fading to desert tan at bottom, and muddy splotches all over.

 

As a veteran of the U.S. Army, I really like it, but am not sure it would work for the RT.

 

During a lengthy texting exchange, my son, currently serving in the Army, suggests a paint scheme of a Messerschmitt Bf-109 https://fullfatthings-keyaero.b-cdn.net/sites/keyaero/files/inline-images/Bf109_LEAD.jpg.  IMO the 109s paint scheme works on the RT by using the mustard and olive drab over gray.  I really like and think it would be cool; could even incorporate a hint of red on the tip of the nose.  I would feature the Bavarian Roundel in  place of the white & black shield as seen on the fuselage.  However, let me be very clear on this point: I would NOT use in any fashion the Luftwaffe cross nor the Nazi swastika. Don’t take this out of context and suggest that I’m a fascist, nor am I looking to spur a discussion of political ideology.  This is a discussion of custom paint schemes for the RT.  That’s all.

 

Another paint option would be to incorporate the colors of the Black Knights football helmets and BMW's three stripes found on the RS & S models of the early 2000’s . 

Because paint is expensive & personal, I’m leaning towards the removable wrap paint; when I tire of the RT, resale would be difficult with any custom paint.

 

My final thought: leave the RT as is with OEM paint, saving the military paint scheme for the KLR or GS.

What are your thoughts on these painting ideas?

Bf109_LEAD.webp 227.23 kB · 1 download

Realistically, for a detailed multi color custom with graphics or designs like you’re suggesting, the cost is going to be close the value of your 02 RT. For that reason, I’d not worry at all about the resale value (because if you’re can’t afford losing maybe $1000 in resale value, you can’t afford the project) and just go for what you want and can afford.