What special effects motorcycle paint can I use?

As you will have gathered, this article is not intended to explain how to keep your motorbike’s bodywork paint original looking. Quite the contrary! We’re going to give you some tips on how to make your two-wheeler look even better, with some amazing effects that will transform your bike and give it a real facelift.

Body paints for motorbikes

There are several types of paints for custom motorcycle: paints that change colour depending on the circumstances (chameleon paint), holographic paints, Crystallized Effect, chrome paint, pearl paint, Candy paint… We’ll explain the features of each solution so you can make your choice.

Candy paint for motorcycle

You can recognise Candy paints by their depth and luminosity. These are 2-coat solvent-based paints : a pearl or metallic undercoat (choice of 13) and a Candy clearcoat (choice of 12). It is essential to apply the paint to a plain black and white surface. If the bodywork does not have this characteristic, a black or white undercoat must be applied. If the motorcycle paint is already black, Candy paint will be ordered without a primer, with the undercoat and Candy clearcoat.

Your motorcycle with Chameleon paint

As the name suggests, this paint changes colour depending on the angle from which it is viewed. Boutiques offer this chameleon-effect paint in a wide range of shades: from aquamarine blue violet red to silver gold pink violet, not forgetting Liquid Crystal orange green and Copper gold. These shades are, of course, a juxtaposition of different colours to allow for colour changes. Chameleon paints are characterised by their pearl-like reflections. It is a solvent-based, single-component 1K basecoat that is applied with a spray gun. It dries in 20 to 30 minutes at a room temperature of 20°C.

Crystallizing effects motorcycle paint

The crystalliser effect paint will reveal crystal-like patterns on the motorbike’s bodywork. To achieve this result, several successive coats are required: a first coat of aluminium paint (1 hour drying time and sanding), a coat of crystalliser to be evaporated at a temperature of 30°C, a coat of black paint (2 minutes drying time, wiping with a damp sponge and absolute drying); finally, a coat of Candy clearcoat in the desired colour from the twenty or so available. All these products are included in the complete kit.

The special motorbike chrome paint effect

Let’s finish with the chrome paints, which will give the motorbike a chrome finish, enhanced by the colour of the Candy clearcoat chosen from 12 possible shades. Three products are essential : an undercoat of gloss black paint that needs to dry for 7 days, the chrome paint that is applied in successive coats until the desired mirror chrome effect is achieved (2 to 7 days drying time), and the Candy clearcoat (24 hours drying time). The paint is finished with two final coats of UHS topcoat to create optimum shine and depth.

The holographic effect

This paint will give your motorbike’s bodywork a sparkling « rainbow » effect. Note, however, that the holographic effect will differ depending on the nature of the background: if the bodywork is initially dark, the prismatic effect will be powerful. If the background is aluminium, you’ll get a metal effect that’s still rainbow-like, but less intense. Finally, if the background is white, the holographic effect will be more sober and elegant. This paint is applied in successive thin coats until the desired result is achieved. It dries quickly, in just 5 minutes. The painter has two options: either apply just one or two coats to take advantage of the natural translucency of this paint and create a kind of multicoloured, shiny flake. Or, multiply the coats to achieve greater opacity.

Pearl motorcycle paints

There are two types of pearl paint: diamond pearl effects and Crystal interference. You can recognise diamond pearl paint by its sparkling effect. It is available in 30 different shades. This solvent-based paint is much more fluid than conventional paints. That’s why it’s essential to apply it in thin coats to prevent the paint from running down the bodywork. Diamond pearl paint is made from candy-coloured pigments. The coloured pearl effect of Crystal Interference paint will only appear under a light source, whether natural or artificial. Interference is the phenomenon that occurs when the pearl paint stands out against the background colour. The background can be seen through the Crystal interference paint, producing this amazing effect. This phenomenon is also seen in Black Interference paint.

We recommend you take a look at this article which will give you additional information on special effect motorcycle paints : 5 Paint Effects You Can Apply to Any Motorcycle