Dream Machine

I've been in contact with Dream Machine to find out how much it will cost to
repair the fairing panels on my R6 that got damaged last year. I got a very
rough break down for:

* removing artwork
* filling gouges (no cracks thankfully)
* respraying with the nice Yamaha paint (with a silvery undercoat
apparently)

It works out at about £350+VAT for the two RHS fairing panels and the (more
costly) headlight unit[1]. Does anyone know of any other good companies
that offer this service? I'm all for wearing the scars of the bike but I
want to sell it next year (before the milage that I do makes it
undesirable), so it's a must really.

[1] Cost breakdown:
* £85 belly panel
* £121 middle fairing
* £145 headlight unit

 

Shop around, Dream Machines recent rep isn't that good.

 

Would you care to elaborate, please?

 

sounds a fair price

 

I rebuilt a RD350 last year that had some panels painted years ago by
Dream Machine. Although they were scruffy as hell you could still tell
it wasn't a very good job and they'd doodled on the back of the panels
with a soldering iron (or plastic welder - whatever). When I took the
panels to my local sprayer he said it was par for the course for them.
Not the first time I've heard it either, though I have no other first
hand experience.
My local sprayer is the best I've ever seen[1], Rapier Paint in Hull, he
has got a website but I can't remember the URL.

[1] I used to spray cars so I'm not a total numpty when it comes to
spotting shitty jobs.

 

mike. buckley wrote:
[snip]

Thanks very much for taking the time to fill me in; I was trying to work out
whether it was first or second hand knowledge I think I'll be looking
around.

 

<fx:bored, so I'll Google for you>

Here you go:
http://www.cybordine.karoo.net

 

Hmm, looks exactly like http://www.rapier-paintwork.co.uk/



Thanks!

 

Mmmm...tasteful:

http://www.cybordine.karoo.net/bikes/jetski.htm

Thanks CT; I used Google too

 

I like this lid:
http://www.cybordine.karoo.net/lids/helmet14.htm

 

Have you tried new prices from Yamaha? It's just that when
I lobbed my RVF down the road, it was pretty damn cheap to
just buy brand new fairing panels for it rather than get
someone to try and match the paint on it. The side panels
were 110 and 210 for the small and large respectively.

Ok, so it's slightly more but isn't it worth keeping the
panels as original as possible and not having a dodgy
colour match when it comes to selling? I would certainly
think twice about a bike if I spotted resprayed panels
and then try to bring the price down if I couldn't find
one that was mint.

 

Last time I used DM was, er, um six years ago.

Not cheap, but quality was absolutely first rate.

My local dealer, who's a DM agent, says the best thing about them is
that if they do **** up - and everyone has their off days - they just
take it back, no questions asked, and do it again. No arguments.

 

mike. buckley wrote:

'bout ten years ago I had a tank resprayed by
Nightmare Machine as an insurance job.

Finish and decals were good.
Preparation was crap - looked like they used the
coarsest sandpaper to finish the undercoat.
Masking around the filler was rubbish,
though you can only see it with the cap off.

If you're near Coventry, there's a chap I know that
does painting of SOBBs* along with pinstripes
and tank chroming. He's brilliant.


* SOBritishBikes.

 

Slider says...

From my previous experience with Dream Machine, I would look around for
other recommended companies as I do not rate them at all.

I was rear-shunted off my GPX600 in Yorkshire one year, result a
knackered fairing and other bits. The fairing went off to be repaired
and repainted. Three times it arrived back with an Orange Peel effect,
the fourth time there was no Orange Peel effect but the red stickers
(one thin, one thick) were the wrong way round.

Oh, and a friend of mine (from Yorkshire, as it 'appens) sent a panel
off to them to be sprayed in the nice colour blue that his bike was. To
be of assistance to them he also sent off the original panel with the
original colour, so they could match it. He was a bit puzzled when he
received the original blue panel back with a matching red one..

Personnally, I would avoid them. Unfortunately, if you go via the insco
you have no choice as they appear to like using Dream Machine, though
gawd knows why.

--
Lesley
ZXR400SP
"Not bad for a Scouser"
SBS#11[with oak-leaf cluster]
BOTAFOT#101A UKRMHRC#12
BONY#54P BOB#18

Un-cork me to reply

 

mike. buckley says...

Recent? <thinks back to GPX owning years> so, about 10 years worth of
recent crap service then.

--
Lesley
ZXR400SP
"Not bad for a Scouser"
SBS#11[with oak-leaf cluster]
BOTAFOT#101A UKRMHRC#12
BONY#54P BOB#18

Un-cork me to reply

 

The Older Gentleman says...

Taking their f-u's back *four* times is a bit of a liberty though.

--
Lesley
ZXR400SP
"Not bad for a Scouser"
SBS#11[with oak-leaf cluster]
BOTAFOT#101A UKRMHRC#12
BONY#54P BOB#18

Un-cork me to reply

 

DangerScouse said...

I think it goes back at least as far as 1988, when I had a shite Dream
Machine repair done to my GSX750EFE tank. It went back 3 times, and in
the end I got so sick of their shite work that I didn't pay for it when
they finally managed to get it somewhere near right.

 

You could try this lot:

http://www.yell.co.uk/search/DoSear...ld&location=tewkesbury&Submit.x=45&Submit.y=8

I've not used them, but they were recommended by Polygon in Gloucester.

 

Thanks, I'll give them a bell. Incidentally, Dream Machine were recommended
to me by Dave Parry in Cheltenham.

 

I have tried new from Yamaha, and it will cost me about a grand to get the
panels replaced. Ouch.

Ah, but a good repair job won't be noticable; that's the theory anyway.