Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Generally speaking where do people go for body work on a bike? My dealer does not deal with paint, just replaces everything. I have a slightly scratched tank on one side but no dents. Nothing else needs to be replaced or repaired.

Do I try calling around auto body shops? What should I ask them other than if they have done any bikes before and what type of work was it?

For a partial spray of a tank, what would the price range tend to be? What needs to be done is easily gotten to.

Thanks for any tips.

most car body shops don't mess with bikes. The ones that do, make sure they have done them before, and that they can match the color. Most bike colors are candies or pearls, that car painters don't deal with on a regular basis.
What color is the tank?
How deep, or bad is the scratch? some minor scratches can really be buffed out. Usually if you can grab an edge of the scratch with your fingernail, it won't buff out.
Do you have any decals or graphics under the clear?

I would reccommend finding a bike painter, someone who paints mostly motorcycles. You would probably have better luck. As far as a price, depending on the condition of the tank, and the cost of the color, a tank could run between $200 and $500. There are many factors that affect price. shop around, and ask lots of questions.

Plain Black color, It has a plastic wing that I will remove as its held on with double stick foam like tape. I'll also remove the left over glue.

So they should only have to match the ordinary black color. Scatches are light to medium as you cannot see any metal. Size of scratch area is about 8 " long and 3" high and only on the side, no top or bottem of tank.

The bike only came in black, like the model T. Its a '07 VN 500

Hope this is of some help.

That should be no big deal for most any shop that sprays a quality paint. PPG, Dupont, something like that. Solid black (no metallic or pearl) is an easy match on bike parts. Should even cost a little less, somewhere around $150 to $175.

Good luck

Thanks for your help