Harley-Davidson Custom Paint From the Factory Used to Be Wild (Solid Colors For All Sadly)

Harley-Davidson custom paint from the factory has all but disappeared unless you want to buy a CVO or a high dollar paint set. Harley-Davidson used to be wild back in the day when it came to colors, flake and graphics but now the only thing you can get is a solid color for the most part. Is this cost cutting by Harley-Davidson or with their new strategy do they need to appeal to a wider audience with more solid colors? The same can be said for going out and doing custom paint on your own motorcycle, you narrow your potential buyers if you ever decide to sell or trade in your motorcycle.

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Motorcycle: 2016 Harley-Davidson Sportster XL1200CP (Sportster 1200 Custom)

Custom Parts Installed:
Screamin' Eagle Heavy Breather air cleaner
Harley-Davidson Reach Seat
Harley-Davidson Chrome and Rubber Collection grips
Drag Specialties Offset Clevis Footpeg Conversion Kit
Aftermarket Detachable Back Rest
Harley-Davidson Air Flow timing cover
Harley-Davidson Air Flow clutch cover
Screamin' Eagle spark plug wires
Screamin' Eagle spark plugs
Flipped Down Stock Mirrors

Motorcycle: 2017 Harley-Davidson Sportster XL1200X (Sportster Forty-Eight)

Custom Parts installed:
Harley-Davidson Factory Security System
Screamin' Eagle Exteme Billed Air Cleaner (Black)
Harley-Davidson Burst Collection Foot Pegs
Harley-Davidson Burst Collection Grips
Harley-Davidson Burst Collection Shifter Peg
Screamin' Eagle spark plug wires

[GixxerFoo]

Would you buy a Harley used with a custom paint job? Do you prefer the new solid colors over the wilder custom paint that Harley-Davidson used to produce on new bikes?

[garypayton]

Black and chrome, old school. Always a fan favorite.

[johnsb]

Standard paint from Harley is now shiny primer. Looks like my garage floor. Great job guys!
Let's not forget that everything is blacked out, no chrome.

[brianbayowski]

Yes, the Twin Cam years were the best years when it comes to paint quality! 👌

[garycooper]

I have a 2015 Road King that is part of a numbered paint set. The name was Artic Flash, and my bike is numbered 2 / 150. I've called Harley Davidson several times to confirm the story behind the paint set. Harley selected 150 bikes, a combination of Road Kings, Street Glides, and Road Glides, to send to the Custom Paint Shop. The MSRP for the paint set was $3, 200. My bike also has the big extended, wrap around bags. The MSRP on them was $1, 800. I'm very proud of this unique Road King. Two Harley dealerships in the Oklahoma City area have told me they have never seen a bike with this paint combination. It isn't a CVO, but the paint makes it as close as possible.

[motorman]

Harley has had some great custom factory paint jobs thru the years. BUT, if you had to have a repair on any of those paint jobs, the cost is out of this world.

[graemedalgleish]

Back in the day, green was considered bad luck.

[bradleyyounger]

I miss the limited numbered paint sets

[alanparsons]

I luv my big red flake on my sporty 72

[jimharrison]

I bought a 2016 Ultra Limited three years ago and was just looking for a certain color. I already knew i was going to buy an ultra limited. So we ended up finding my bike, drove 8 hours and 531 miles one way to get it. What i ended up getting color wise was the Cosmic Blue Pearl which has a darker metallic blue paint with streaks of silver-grey throughout the bike. I know its not for everybody but i didn't buy it for everybody, i bought it for me. Great video as always. Thank you for makin' my noggin work a little bit again.

[deepskywishingwell]

I agree 200%, Harley was the leader in beautiful custom paint jobs. The fall from grace I believe was the corporate mentality of greed over history. All companies need positive cash flow, but Harley was different, its customers different, that made it unique beyond normalcy. I hate the new paint schemes, and will only buy vivid black out of all the crap. The Venom paint was unique, I thought “ maybe “ something starting up . But, no, so I’ll stick with black in new bikes. I have an 88 Electra Glide in a plain red and black two tone. I still get compliments. My chromed out black fatboy, nothing 😢. I miss the proud colors of Harley. Maybe before I die, they will come back

[percentmick]

The hard candy on the sportster 72’s was sick

[scottarmstrong]

I'm a basic black kind of guy. The vast majority of my bikes have been black with some modest chrome. I like custom paint jobs and enjoy looking at them, but they're a little too flashy for me. I agree that personalized paint jobs make them harder to sell. The factory custom and the paint sets, not so much, but you never get your money back for the paint sets. It's like any other custom mod.

[billdaugherty]

I had 2011 ultra limited, it was two tone candy apple green on top black on bottom, beautiful bike and Harley-Davidson was painted in a nice flowing script on the tank. Last year I bought a new Heritage Softail it's the billiard blue and Grey two tone which looks really good I think but the 2024 models have pretty boring colors. I kind of want a low rider st but don't like any of the color options.

[Tracer]

Sure I'm glad I was involved with Harley-Davidson motorcycles in my younger days. Now that I'm older Harley-Davidson is really nothing to write home about it anymore. Whether we want admitted or not, Harley-Davidson on a short flight and will be landing for the last time in our lifetime.

[hiflyer]

Unfortunately, and sadly, HD is not the same company it used to be,

[davidpersson]

Man, I thank the paint used to be better quality as well. My two-tone green ‘98 Road King still sparkles like none of the new bikes

[caruser]

The best paints I've seen recently are the Snake Venom, the Tobacco Fade, and the color scheme on El Diablo. I love cool paint jobs and I think Harley is doing okay. Could they do more? Sure, but we're not in the 90s either

[craigkemmerzell]

Your so right those kool looking paint jobs went away after years back I really liked those paint jobs they really popped I miss those days

[cornbread]

I bought my 21 RKS because of the Snake Venom color. I love the color changes in the paint. Everyone that talks to me about the bike loves the color with the blacked out engine, wheels, etc.