Table of Contents

1. What is a “candy”?
2. What is a “pearl”?
3. What are “flakes”?
4. What kind of clear do you use...
5. How long does it take to do a paintjob?
6. I don’t have tins to trade, or I want to keep mine.  Is that OK?
7. I do not want to be without my bike for 5-8 weeks...
8. What kind of warranty or guarantee do I get on my new paintjob?
9. What sort of deposit and payment methods do you accept?
10. How do I get added to the list to have my bike painted?
11. How much does shipping cost, and how do you ship parts?
12. When can I wash and wax my new paintjob?

Q: What is a “candy”?

A “candy”is essentially a tinted clear.  In traditional applications, the candies are sprayed over metallic basecoats.  The candy is translucent, but has color, so you can see through the candy to the basecoat beneath.  Imagine you’re dying Easter eggs.  You set out five glasses of water, and add different food coloring to 4 of them (the water with no food coloring would represent clearcoat).  You will still be able to see through the colored water if you hold it up to the light, but it now has a color or tint to it.  For example, the traditional “candy apple red” is usually a silver or gold metallic basecoat, followed by 4-6 coats of “candy apple red” urethane candy.  In addition to traditional urethane candies, we also use House of Kolor’s “kandy koncentrates” (KK’s), and “kandy base coats” (KBC’s)

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Q: What is a “pearl”?

A “pearl” is typically a dry powder that can be added to a multitude of paint products.  Pearls come in dozens of colors, and they are the consistency of baby powder.  Spraying a white base, followed by a blue pearl, and then clearcoat, will give you a white finish that has a pearl-blue haze/hue when seen at certain angles.  Likewise, spraying a red pearl over black will produce a black paintjob under low level light conditions, but in the sunlight and at certain angles, there will be a very fine subtle red shimmer.  Pearls can be sprayed over basecoats, mixed into candies, sprayed under candies, and mixed into (intercoat) clear, just to name a few. 

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Q: What are “flakes”?

House of Kolor manufactures 3 different sizes of flakes.  They are as follows:

UMF (ultra-mini flake, or 1/500^th)

MF (mini flake, or 1/250thth)

F (flake, or 1/128^th and 1/64^th)

The largest flakes (F) are quite large, we often hear them referred to as “Ranger bass boat” flake!  The smallest flakes (UMF) are about the consistency of a fine sugar.  Even the smallest (UMF) flake is substantially larger than pearls, and offers a much greater “sparkle” when viewed under bright lights or outside in the sun.  The smaller the flake size, the more user friendly it is from a painters perspective, and the less costly it is for the customer.

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Q: What kind of clear do you use, and how many coats does my paintjob get?

We don’t like to cross-pollinate when it comes to paint systems!  Most manufacturers suggest that you “stick with a system” and that’s what we do!  The vast majority of our work is done with “House of Kolor” products, so we use HOK clear in those applications (UC-35 & UFC-35).  In instances where we use PPG basecoats, we’ll use a PPG clear.  Most of our jobs end up with 5-8 total coats of clear, depending on the graphics used on the job. 

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Q: How long does it take to do a paintjob?

This depends on our backlog at the time you place your order, as well as the complexity of your specific paintjob.  Typically, we operate on a 3-6 week backlog, and paintjobs (on average) take about 2 weeks to complete.  Our workload varies, so contact us if you would like to talk more about timeframes to complete your project.

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Q: I don’t have tins to trade, or I want to keep mine.  Is that OK?

Sure!  We do have a core charge of $300-$500 if we are painting and sending you our tins, and you have no tins to exchange.

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Q: I would like you to paint my tins, (or BD’s Cycles does not have tins for your particular model in stock) but I do not want to be without my bike for 5-8 weeks.   What can you do for me?

In the event we need to paint your tins for whatever reason, we typically work out the paint details, get a deposit from you, and add you to our workload.  When we are ready to begin working on your paintjob, we’ll notify you so you can send us your tins.  This reduces your downtime to about 2-3 weeks in most instances, getting you back on the road as soon as possible!

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Q: What kind of warranty or guarantee do I get on my new paintjob?

We take pride in our work at BD’s Cycles, just like you take pride in your bike!  That’s why all of our work is guaranteed for as long as you* own your bike!  If you have a problem with your paintjob, just let us know and we’ll be glad to discuss it with you!

*warranty not transferable

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Q: What sort of deposit and payment methods do you accept?  How do I get added to the list to have my bike painted?

We will work closely with you to determine an estimated job cost for your project.  Once that is done, we typically request 50% of the estimated job cost as a deposit.  Personal checks are fine, payable to BD’s Cycles, we also accept Pay Pal, Visa, Master Card, and American Express.  When the paintjob is complete, we will send you final pictures, and at that time you can send us the final payment before we ship the parts out to you.

*deposits are non-refundable

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Q: How much does shipping cost, and how do you ship parts?

The cost of shipping is largely a function of where you are located in relationship to BD’s Cycles, as well as the size of your fenders or the number of parts we’ve painted for your bike.  We use UPS for all of our shipping, and all of our paintjobs are shipped with plenty of insurance!  In the event of a mishap, we need to have enough insurance to cover the replacement cost of the part, as well as the cost to repair/re-paint the part!  Average shipping costs for 2-3 large boxes, with insurance, is $100-$150.  Shipping your parts back to BD’s Cycles is usually much less expensive ($50-$75), as there’s no need to insure the parts for much more than their used replacement value on e-bay ($75-$125 per fender/tank).  You can even use the boxes/packing material we send to you to re-send your parts back to us.

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Q: When can I wash and wax my new paintjob?

As soon as you get your custom painted parts, you can install them on your bike and wash the bike.  We ask that you NEVER use a dish soap like Dawn, Joy, etc.  These products will strip the polish and wax right from your bike!  Always use a specific automotive grade soap (Mothers, Meguair’s, etc), and remember, always wash your bike in a shaded, cool environment, not out in the mid-day sun!  The general rule of thumb for waxing is 30 days cure at 70 degrees.  In warmer climates, you can wax the bike sooner, and in cooler climates or in winter, you might want to wait a little longer before applying that first coat of wax. 

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Copyright © 2004  [BD's Cycles, LLC]. All rights reserved.
Revised: 09/05/10.