Cost To Wrap A Motorcycle

Unlike painting, wrapping a motorcycle is a temporary choice that can be updated at any time. The premium quality materials used can last up to five years or more if properly maintained. You can remove it at any time. The best part is that you don’t need to remove the entire wrap, only the sections you want to change. It’s simple, easy, and very cost-effective.

How much does it cost to wrap a motorcycle?

The cost to wrap a motorcycle depends on the quality and type of materials you purchase, the number of parts you have wrapped, and how labor-intensive the job is. You should expect to spend anywhere between $1,600 and $4,200 for wrapping a motorcycle.

Factors that influence the cost to wrap a motorcycle

You may think that it is not all that expensive to wrap a motorcycle, given the size of the vehicle, when compared to a van, truck, or full-sized car. But in fact, it may be just as expensive or even more costly to wrap a motorcycle as a lot of work will be required for things to look perfect.

The cost to wrap a motorcycle is greatly affected by the quality and the type of material you choose. Some other factors that influence the cost are your geographical location, the make and model of your motorcycle, and where you choose to have this work done.

Average Price Range	$1,750-$2,900
High-End Price Estimate	$5,500+
Low-End Price Estimate	$700-$1,000

Motorcycle wrap materials cost

As for the materials you can choose from for wrapping a motorcycle, the options would include:

real silver/gold: you can find vinyl materials at some shops, that are made using non-tarnishing silver or 22k gold; many patterns and finishes are available for these products;
wrap film/material: this has the largest variety of texture and finish options, that include carbon fiber, matte, brushed metal, matte metallic, gloss, and many colors;
cast vinyl: this is available in three finishes such as metallic, glossy, and matte.

In the table below you will find the average costs of some of the basic materials used to wrap a motorcycle.

Material	Price per Square Foot
Carbon Fiber	$3.50 – $9.00
Chrome	9+
Vinyl Gloss	$2.00 – $4.50
Vinyl Matte	$2.40 – $4.50

As you can see, the cheapest option is the vinyl gloss, at a cost that starts at around $1.95 per square foot, without the installation costs, taxes, and other fees.

If you want to compare the costs of wrapping a motorcycle with this job done on other vehicles, you should know that the cost of a full wrap for a small car such as a small Sedan or a two-door coupe starts at almost $2,100.

Even though the surface is larger, the work is performed on larger parts, compared to the curved contours and small parts of a motorcycle which is more labor intensive.

If you are on a tight budget, but really want to warp your motorcycle, you can wrap only parts of it such as the trim, fairings, or tank.

Also, this is a good way to see if you like how your motorcycle looks wrapped before wrapping it totally. In general, the costs of partial wraps start at around $320, depending on what materials you choose and what parts of the motorcycle you are wrapping.

The costs may increase significantly if your motorcycle needs any repair. The installer has to repair the damages before applying the wrap on a smooth surface.

In this situation, you need to budget for the labor and materials used for the repair. Make sure you talk about it before the installer starts the work and establish if the repair work is included in the price quotes.

Painting a motorcycle versus wrapping a motorcycle

In general, it is more expensive to paint a motorcycle than to wrap it. Depending on the design you choose, the paint method, and the type of paint, you will have to pay anywhere between $2,700 and $8,200 to professionally paint your motorcycle. The costs may be even higher for very detailed designs.

On the other hand, you might have to pay only around $1,300 to have your motorcycle wrapped with vinyl film.

You might also like our articles about the cost of car wrapping, spray-in Bedliner, or Rhino Line for a whole truck.

In general, most people choose to have their motorcycle wrapped due to the durability and cost difference. With the proper maintenance and care, your wrapping can last more than five years.

Some other advantages of wrapping a motorcycle include:

You can remove it anytime

Compared to painting, wrapping can be removed anytime you wish. You can remove it if it begins to fade. Also, you can remove it if you get tired of the design.

Your factory paint job will not be damaged, if the wrap has been installed correctly.

Protect resale value

The resale value of the bike can be protected by using a vinyl wrap that protects the factory paint job. Also, the vinyl wrapping job is reversible and can be customized according to your preferences.

Protects your paint

The wraps protect your motorcycle paint job against sun, scuffs, and scratches. Also, a vinyl wrap offers protection to your paint against many other factors.

Customization

There are endless possibilities for customizing your motorcycle. You can get all types of detailed designs and the color options are larger than in the case of paint. Moreover, you are able to completely change the look of your motorcycle whenever you want.

Faster installation

Depending on how busy the shop is and the complexity of the design, it may take around two weeks to have your motorcycle painted. On the other hand, a motorcycle can be wrapped in only a few days.

Can I wrap my motorcycle by myself?

If you have the necessary experience, you can wrap your motorcycle yourself. It takes some finesse and attention to detail to install the wrap smoothly and tightly around the motorcycle’s contours. Also, you will need someone to help you to avoid the bubbles and have clean edges.

Though, as it can be easily removed, you can give it a try and see if you get the desired result.

The amount of money you are going to spend to wrap your motorcycle yourself depends on the cost of the materials. You can also find most of the wrap finishes sold at a body shop in online stores. In the table below you will find the average costs of various finishes, so you can get an idea about the cost of a DIY motorcycle wrap.

Wrap	Total Price (10’)	Price per Square Foot
3M Carbon Fiber Vinyl	$42	$4.20
3M Gloss Black	$25	$2.50
3M Gloss Metallic Gold	$27	$2.70
3M Metallic (Brushed Black)	$50	$5.00
Arlon Brushed Silver	$34	$3.40
Avery Black Carbon Fiber	$36	$3.60
Avery Brushed Black	$32	$3.20
Avery Gloss Black	$22	$2.20
Avery Glow-in-the-Dark	$250	$25
Avery Matte Black	$25	$2.50
Avery Reflective	$70	$7
Avery Silver Chrome	$100	$10
Oracal Camo Pattern	$42	$4.20
Oracal Carbon Fiber	$50	$5
Oracal Glow-in-the-Dark	$110	$11
VViViD Camo Pattern	$25	$2.50
VViViD Gloss Chrome Black	$19	$1.90

Vinyl decals

Vinyl decals are a smaller scale option than a full vinyl wrap. You can individualize and customize your motorcycle in some other ways and not have to spend a lot of money on custom paint work.

Vinyl decals are used to add graphic elements to certain areas on the motorcycle, instead of covering the whole surface of the bike’s body.

These options are very popular because they come in whatever size you want and can be placed anywhere you want on the bike, compared to a vinyl wrap where the graphic element is fixed on the wrap itself.

People like this option because they can buy one or two decals at a time and keep adding more in the future. So, they can spread the costs by wrapping their motorcycle.

The cost of a single vinyl decal starts at around $7 and goes up to more than $32. Also, you can find vinyl decal kits with different themed decals on the market at the price of anywhere between $55 and $140.

Conclusion

A professionally applied premium quality vinyl wrap will protect your motorcycle’s paint from scratches and pebbles, therefore extending the life of your motorcycle’s body. If your motorcycle’s paint is in good condition when you bring it in for service, when you will want to remove it, the paintwork will be in much better condition than other motorcycles of a similar age. If you wanted to sell your motorcycle at this time, you would get a better selling price than you would normally get.

While a motorcycle repaint would be a permanent and expensive choice, motorcycle wraps are not permanent. This means you can choose to remove it at any time or wait until it has reached the end of its life to refresh it. Whenever you decide it’s time for a change, the motorcycle vinyl wrap can be removed without damaging the OEM paint.

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Alec Pow

Alec Pow is a thorough and methodical Financial and Business Analyst with over 15 years of experience in financial statement analysis, Foreign exchange derivative hedging instruments analysis, modeling, and risk management, with a long history of writing for big news publications like Forbes, MSN.com, Washington Post, and many more.