North Customs In Murfreesboro, TN - Motorcycle Parts Paint Shop

[Uncle Phil]

Have you ever had something done and the vendor went way beyond your expectations?
BlueBelle is my custom painted ST1100 that I bought and it has an 'interesting' black/blue metal flake color on certain parts.
I contacted Mike North at North Customs over in Murfreesboro, TN to see if he would be interested in painting some parts for me.
I visited with him back in November and he looked over what I needed and said he could get to it toward the end of January.
I got a call on February 7th telling me he had them done.
I had 4 saddlebag lids, 6 mirror covers and 6 mirror spacers painted.
When a ST1100 tips over, it usually takes out the saddlebag lids and the mirror covers so I wanted some matching spares.
They absolutely match a very difficult color and look better than a lot of factory paint jobs that I have seen.
He also said he was sorry that he was a couple days late on getting them done.
He is not inexpensive and has pretty good backlog of work but his quality is well worth the wait and the expense.
Finding somebody that would even consider painting motorcycle parts nowadays is a real challenge but that is what he does.
He has tons of motorcycle show awards from his work - normally all on V-Twin stuff.
But he is fine with painting 'metric' bodywork as he calls it.
So I can happily give him the 'Uncle Phil Good Seal Of Approval' if you need some parts painted.
His website is www.northcustomscycles.com
It's hard to see the quality in the pictures but here they are -

 

[oude geit]

Glad to see you planning some riding and getting some positive progress.....but.....Lets stay on top of the bike so we don't need spares Phil.....

 

[Uncle Phil]

Glad to see you planning some riding and getting some positive progress.....but.....Lets stay on top of the bike so we don't need spares Phil.....

Well, I reckon it's sort of like my 'rainsuit analogy' - if I have 'em I hopefully won't need 'em!

 

[Al st1100]

Paint has gotten very, very expensive. Brandy Wine base coat 1 qt, $146, color coat $90 a pint, $65 for a quart of clear coat. House of color prices but even other brands for custom or factory colors are not that far off. Now you start adding in epoxy primers expensive sand paper buffing compounds and it get real expensive to get that perfect look. That's why vinyl wraps are getting more popular.

 

[Erdoc48]

I assume that’s just a reflection that looks like a white band on the case covers- all black, right?

 

[mello dude]

Looked at NorthCustoms website gallery. The guy does some awesome work!

 

[Mophead]

Metric bodywork versus two fenders and a tank can be quite a challenge for the V twin painters. Many more intricate corners, curves, and prep work. It is getting hard to find someone who wants to do small jobs but they are there if you look hard enough. Recently went to a body shop that had done work for me before on a top case cover and they now do not work on anything that is not an insurance case.
Well you can go ahead and screw me over as if I'm an insurance company to do the paint. Nope, not interested. And people were just sitting around with no noise coming out of the shop.
Glad you found a good guy Phil. You're correct, with spares on standby you won't need them.

 

[Uncle Phil]

I assume that’s just a reflection that looks like a white band on the case covers- all black, right?

Not just 'black', black with blue metal flake - it's the 'shine' from the incredible clear coat that he did on the parts.
It looks like 'liquid' glass was poured over them perfectly.

 

[Sadlsor]

So nice to see a positive review on a small business these days.
We are sadly accustomed to poor service but worse, poor attitudes.

 

[Weaselinsuit]

There’s always a tipping point but I’m happy to pay a bit extra for work done well by a small local business.

 

[Uncle Phil]

We discussed the 'approximate' price before the work begun and he came in pretty close.
This was not just a 'shoot and run' paint job but a very custom piece of work where he had to figure out how it was done then try to match the various layers.
And he also had to take care of various 'imperfections' on the various pieces before he could paint them.
As I said, he did an amazing job that made these old pieces of bodywork look like they just came new from the factory!

 

[ST Gui]

As I said, he did an amazing job that made these old pieces of bodywork look like they just came new from the factory!

Seeing high quality work that is beyond your expectations mitigates that discomfort from the jump. That new factory look lasts a lot longer than any discomfort of having the contents of the wallet extracted.

 

[Uncle Phil]

Seeing high quality work that is beyond your expectations mitigates that discomfort from the jump. That new factory look lasts a lot longer than any discomfort of having the contents of the wallet extracted.

I knew pretty much knew the approximate price going in so it didn't bother me at all.
I was just tickled to find somebody willing to take on a custom paint job that would not be easy to match.
Standard colors are easy to obtain from Colorrite (though they are not cheap either).
But custom stuff when you don't have the color codes or the methods of how it was done can be very time consuming.
This wasn't a 'one color' - it is black with blue metalflake embedded in the paint under the clearcoat (which you can't tell from the pictures).
He used a saddlebag lid scratched in my Yukon get off to figure it all out and as I said he nailed it!

 

[skidlid1300]

Actually, I am surprised that more shops don't take on jobs like painting motorcycle bodywork. Here's what my brother and I have been working on to restore for my brother's wife's
'79 Triumph Spitfire. I think the funnest part of restoring, is the painting. Painting motorcycle panels is very easy and enjoyable.

 

[Uncle Phil]

Actually, I am surprised that more shops don't take on jobs like painting motorcycle bodywork. Here's what my brother and I have been working on to restore for my brother's wife's
'79 Triumph Spitfire. I think the funnest part of restoring, is the painting. Painting motorcycle panels is very easy and enjoyable.

What I've run into is that automotive body shops don't want to mess with it because it's usually not that much actual 'painting'.
They want the big 'insurance' jobs - tape it off and shoot it and be done and the all the colors are 'standard' off a chart.

 

[skidlid1300]

What I've run into is that automotive body shops don't want to mess with it because it's usually not that much actual 'painting'.
They want the big 'insurance' jobs - tape it off and shoot it and be done and the all the colors are 'standard' off a chart.

Yeah, Thats what I have found also. I was just stating that I have enjoyed working on bike parts, and I must say, have come out pretty damn good.
My '77 CJ 7...

 

[Uncle Phil]

Maybe you should open up a bike paint shop!
That's some mighty fine work from the pictures.
Of course folks who don't paint have no idea how expensive the quality stuff has gotten in the last few years.
BTW, if you get 'orange peel' in the clear coat, how do you deal with it?

 

[Sadlsor]

Here's what my brother and I have been working on to restore for my brother's wife's '79 Triumph Spitfire. I think the funnest part of restoring, is the painting. Painting motorcycle panels is very easy and enjoyable.

Suh-weet!!
I love the Spitfire (and the TR-6); I had a 1980 MGB.
I'd Like To Have That One Back.
--with apologies to George Strait

 

[skidlid1300]

Maybe you should open up a bike paint shop!
That's some mighty fine work from the pictures.
Of course folks who don't paint have no idea how expensive the quality stuff has gotten in the last few years.
BTW, if you get 'orange peel' in the clear coat, how do you deal with it?

Thanks Uncle Phil
I have learned from my older brother and grandfather, who between them, have had almost 80 years of experience. The urethane base coat / clear coat method is the easiest,
and the most user friendly to get a great paint job / restoration. What I have learned, is always use the "slow" dry clear coat. It will flow out and make a more smooth finish.
The CJ 7 I have pictured, and my brother's Triumph both have the "slow dry" clear coat. Really, no need for buffing. But, if there is, as long as there are 2+ coats, ( preferably 3 )
of clear coat, it can be wet sanded out, ( 1500 grit ) and buffed.

And you are right, paint IS expensive! Along with urethane primer, and other supplies, but what isn't these days...

 

[ST Gui]

Here's what my brother and I have been working on to restore for my brother's wife's '79 Triumph Spitfire.

That paint is really nice! Looks like someone has a thing for metallic paint. Done right in certain colors and it's really beautiful.

Years ago I remember seeing cars with single color paint that cost them $3-5K! But it was always gorgeous paint. Smooth as glass and a foot deep. Nothing like a lot of factory paint — no depth and orange peel no extra charge.

Good paint is a science. Great paint is science and art (actual artwork optional). I can see a certain Zen in painting vehicles.