Inspirations and ideas

[huskyman510]

After breaking my leg in Feb and spending a lot of time in the shed doing this paint job, put everything back together just to see if it looks good and running well.....Ive decided to pull it all apart again and do things I should have done the first time.

Looking for some input on finishing touches that make these bikes look better than great, to me something was missing although I do like my paint job.

Ideas I have so far:
Wheels same colour as the orange
Highlight the scoop mesh and rear tail mesh in the orange
Perhaps carb covers and small detail around engine in the orange
Turn a lot of the chrome/aluminium to black

Other items such as new headers/exhaust and new rear shocks and upgraded fork springs will be happening also.
Very much on a tight budget but want it looking like a show bike.

Thoughts and any inspirations by all you good people out there??

 

[hellyear]

looks good dont over do it with the orange unk:Highlight the scoop mesh and rear tail mesh in the orange thats were i would leave it

 

[Fire-medic]

I like chrome & polished aluminum, that's me. I wouldn't do the carb diaphragm covers or the vanity covers below them, the plastic, "chrome" ones. I would leave those the way they are. Wheels in orange could be nice, or black wheels w/an orange band on the side rim. I actually like the natural aluminum for the wheels, maybe polished, but they take upkeep to stay nice. I wouldn't do the mesh, orange. I think a bit of contrast looks good. Do them silver, or leave them as they are.

It's coming along nicely!

 

[johnpclynch]

Looking good so far.. maybe paint the insets on the side covers?
and a quick splash of color on the computer will help give you an idea before you paint

 

[hellyear]

 

[hellyear]

Looking good so far.. maybe paint the insets on the side covers?
and a quick splash of color on the computer will help give you an idea before you paint

View attachment 44621

i agree not to much culour

 

[V-Four]

i agree not to much culour

I agree.

I do Like the paintjob though.

 

[huskyman510]

i agree not to much culour

Thanks for the photoshopping!!, I like firemedics idea of black wheels with an orange bead, maybe all orange wheels would be too much.
orange mesh looks good,I guess if you could buy orange led lights to fit behind mesh for night time running they would be illegal??

 

[Miles Long]

Looking good so far.. maybe paint the insets on the side covers?

Agreed.
When I first purchased my bike, I was an out-of-the-closet Chromosexual - but over the years, I became like you, a fan of the blacked-out look - it suits the bad-*** Max well. Also MUCH easier to keep clean!
A black exhaust-perhaps Supertrapps, black wheels and lower forks would draw attention to the engine and that fantastic unkaint scheme.
Also, I'm a big fan of symmetry. I'd lose the dual headlights in favour of a 7" round, perhaps with a mini-fairing and dark flyscreen, which would hide the aluminum of the upper fork assembly.
Cheers, mate!

 

[scuff]

I like chrome & polished aluminum, that's me. I wouldn't do the carb diaphragm covers or the vanity covers below them, the plastic, "chrome" ones. I would leave those the way they are. Wheels in orange could be nice, or black wheels w/an orange band on the side rim. I actually like the natural aluminum for the wheels, maybe polished, but they take upkeep to stay nice. I wouldn't do the mesh, orange. I think a bit of contrast looks good. Do them silver, or leave them as they are.

It's coming along nicely!

+1 like the idea if black wheels with orange stripe, don't think I would keep the stock exhaust, do the wheels and save the rest of your money for new pipes IMO, and your bike looks great even if you didn't do anything else I would be proud to ride it !

 

[invalidsession]

I also agree with the black rims and orange pinstripe. My 07 is standard color with black rims and a red highlight. She also has a custom seat cover with red stitching and the V-Max logo on the "anti slide off the back" pad. It highlights the bike without going over the top. As was mentioned before, it's subtle but retains the classic V-Max menacing appearance.

Chris.

 

[johnblaid]

Dude...it's perfect. Get a set of orange silicone radiator hoses from Sean if you just have to do something.

 

[m-cman]

If you want to see black wheels with orange stripe, check my album. I powdercoated my wheels black and applied the pinstripe. My rear wheel is a Kosman bolt-up, before he started welding them.

 

[1st Shirt Maxer]

Black wheels then paint the lower fork tubes orange with the black pinstripe at the top, almost a revers of your fender. Try carrying the striping and color on your radiator then move to the small cover inserts on the motor. I like the colors you have and the way it sits but if I were wanting to do something that is what I would look at.


David Justiss
USAF First Sergeant

 

[VMAX1260]

turn the bike candy orange with flakes or not. and do whatever in not chromed.... chromes.
but thats me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gpbkv3cpyRA

 

[fmcandrew]

For me the one thing that sticks out the most are those carb covers...they just kinda look out of place with all the nice work all around them. I'd shoot them orange...but that's me.

The other areas that look ordinary (which by no means equates to bad) are the wheels & calipers...I think the provided suggestions are all worth looking into.

But...if ya gonna do that rear wheel what about the pumpkin & swing arm...

Then what about the forks?

Basically it's become my obsession for the last 2 years...

 

[huskyman510]

Thanks all, I relise everyone has there own little likes but have got some great suggestions I guess the good thing is you can always re-do the things you dont like.

Didnt expect these bikes would become such an obsession, being in Perth you very rarely see them out ever! and they cost almost triple what you can pick`em up for in the states.
Its also great this is such an amazing forum to bounce questions and get feedback and improve the Max to its best!unk:

 

[Fire-medic]

Seeing the orange mesh looks like 'trying too-hard,' to get some color elsewhere to match the orange body panels. Before originally-posting, I thought about orange LED's but decided that might be also 'too-much,' so I didn't mention it. I don't care for the freeze plug covers on the engine being orange, and for my $ the orange engine side cover inserts don't do it for me either. I like the 'power image' of the aluminum or chrome from the cyl head fins to the carb covers above, to the carb diaphragm covers being one basic, metal color. The Exactrep catalog has I think a couple different freeze plug covers which carry that onto the cylinders themselves. I like that.

You may-not.

Thanks for the photoshopping!!, I like firemedics idea of black wheels with an orange bead, maybe all orange wheels would be too much.
orange mesh looks good,I guess if you could buy orange led lights to fit behind mesh for night time running they would be illegal??

 

[MaxMidnight]

Agree with much of the above that less is more, but....

You probably need to decide the theme of your bike i.e. is it a 'dark' bike with bright highlights or a 'light' bike with dark highlights (should that be lowlights?). IMHO midway doesn't work and it is the contrast between the dark and light elements that brings the 'whole' together.

Quite like the orange mesh and the idea of pinstripe on black wheels and if you must paint something what about the scalloped part of the side panels which would link the orange on the front mudguard and faux tank with that on the tail piece?

I would then move onto the detail such as stainless fateners, preferably cleaned up on a lathe, woven nylon sheath over the wiring, satin black fork lowers, consider painting the can covers, alternator and and clutch cover centre piece gloss black and the pick out and polish the raised parts; also polish the centre piece of the water pump and middle gear covers; I would also loose the gold on the callipers and discs; change the rad side panels, I am rather fond of the ones I have on mine, but then I admit to being a smidge biased ....the list goes on.

Ultimately, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and as long as you think your bike is totally drop dead gorgeous then that's all that matters.

 

[huskyman510]

Agree with much of the above that less is more, but....

You probably need to decide the theme of your bike i.e. is it a 'dark' bike with bright highlights or a 'light' bike with dark highlights (should that be lowlights?). IMHO midway doesn't work and it is the contrast between the dark and light elements that brings the 'whole' together.

Quite like the orange mesh and the idea of pinstripe on black wheels and if you must paint something what about the scalloped part of the side panels which would link the orange on the front mudguard and faux tank with that on the tail piece?

I would then move onto the detail such as stainless fateners, preferably cleaned up on a lathe, woven nylon sheath over the wiring, satin black fork lowers, consider painting the can covers, alternator and and clutch cover centre piece gloss black and the pick out and polish the raised parts; also polish the centre piece of the water pump and middle gear covers; I would also loose the gold on the callipers and discs; change the rad side panels, I am rather fond of the ones I have on mine, but then I admit to being a smidge biased ....the list goes on.

Ultimately, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and as long as you think your bike is totally drop dead gorgeous then that's all that matters.

I am almost in full agreement with all that :thumbs up:, I do wish I had done the side covers with a splash of orange to begin with. With all the amazing aftermarket parts online you could very easily throw 10k at it, but Im trying to finish it for less than 2 and most of that will be exhaust/jetkit/new seat (which I may put a orange stitch through)