How much does it cost to paint a motorcycle?

While a full motorcycle respray costs in the range of £300 to £750, prices vary depending on which parts of the bike you want done, whether it's a single-colour change or you want to add some real flair with customizing sections of it, etc. Paying an expert to handle the work will cost more but you're likely to get a better finish; however if you're particularly handy with a paint can then you may elect to do the job yourself. Below we discuss some pros and cons to both options, as well as costs.

Before you decide update your motorbike's look, keep in mind that painting your motorcycle usually counts as a "modification" for insurance purposes. You should notify your insurance company before painting it in case they want to charge an extra premium—modifications very often increase the cost of motorcycle insurance, but it's important to pay this as not doing so could invalidate your insurance.

Cost of paintwork

The obvious factor when deciding on whether to paint your motorcycle yourself or call a professional is cost. There are many auto-shops and customisation specialists that will perform the work for you but they don't come cheap. Doing it yourself could save you a pretty penny but the work may suffer in terms of quality.

If you are looking for heavy customisation with airbrushed graphics, skulls, hearts, guns, or other logos the cost will increase. Here is a summary of cost estimates for painting, powder coating, and customisation tasks on your motorcycle:

Try calling around a number of local shops and get quotes for the work that you would like doing. You may find that different places charge varying amounts and the overall work may not cost as much as you first thought.

How much to paint an entire motorcycle?

The cost to repaint a whole motorcycle ranges from £300 to £750 for a full respray. Your model of bike and the complexity of the paint job needed will affect the overall price as will the paint selected. One colour resprays are cheaper than two or more colours and special paint finishes like pearl or metallic will also increase the final costs.

How much is it to paint a motorcycle tank?

The cost of a motorcycle tank respray starts around £100 for a full one colour spray and the price will go up with the addition of special paint, lettering, or graphics. A large number of motorcycle riders like to add their own unique style to their ride by painting or adding custom graphics to their motorcycle tank. Motorcycle tank painting is very common and there are artists and customisation shops that specialise in providing original and unique airbrushed graphics.

How much is it to paint a motorcycle helmet?

Motorcycle helmet spraying can be as little as £75, but if you need complex designs that require computer rendering you could be looking at £300 to £500. As part of customising their motorcycle, many riders opt to also have their helmet sprayed or have similar graphics added to match their bikes. Most paint shops that perform bike painting services will be happy to do the helmet too for an additional fee.

How much to powder coat motorcycle frame?

The cost to powder coat a motorcycle frame will run between £150 and £300, depending on the size of the bike and the company performing the work. Powder coating is a popular option for achieving a nice finish on motorcycles. This offers a harder and more durable finish than painting, and will better resist chipping or scratching and is much used on motorcycles.

How much to powder coat motorcycle rims?

You can pay as little as £15 per rim for powder coating. Motorcycle wheel rims are also often given the powder coating treatment. Finishing wheels in this way is very common as the powder coat gives much in the way of protection from road chipping and scratches obtained by normal riding and wear and tear. Prices differ from company to company so it is worth shopping around but some businesses will perform powder coating on motorcycle rims for as low as £15 per wheel.

Powder coating DIY

Powder coating can be done at home but you may want to use a professional for reasons of safety. The process can get quite complicated so unless you are really confident in what you are doing you may want to leave this to the professionals.

As with most tasks, power coating can be done at home if you have the right tools and ability. There are a few steps involved so it may be best to start small with rims or similar parts of your motorcycle if your plan is to perform all of the work yourself.

If you decide to give it a try, you may want to invest in protective equipment and watch a few online videos before attempting to powder coat your bike's components. The power is applied then cured by heat so you will need to ensure that you have a large enough area to cure the parts you are working with.