Called Piaggio today

[Bill Hagan]

Paint codes are a national secret.

****

As are you, Mike, and MPH.

Grazie.

Bill

[Far star]

Well, TJ from Piaggio called me back! Said she spoke to the technical people and they said there is so many different paint colors used they would "hate to give me the wrong one", so I didn't get a code...they recommend taking it to, you guessed, a body shop to have it matched. They did say the paint manufacturer was Lechler. Well, no further ahead but they did call.

[dilligaf]

I have never had any luck with paint codes for my BMW's, Moto Guzzies and Ducati's and I use to be a BMW/MG dealer..  I have been using the same body shop, with a paint matching camera, for many years now.  The hard part was finding a body shop that was willing to work with motorcycles for a price I could afford.  Most body shops, in my area, do not have a camera but rely on the paint supplier.  Most shops around here say "I'll call the dealer and get a paint code".  The idea that the dealer does not have the paint code  is something they can not comprehend and if you can't supply a code they are not interested.  :BEER:
Matt

[normzone]

Well, it's pretty cool that you got a return call.

Based on my experiences with the manufacturing world, I will opine as follows:

TJ's concept of " the technical people " is based on who she has access to, and may be limited to / include the guys who wrote the code for the ECM, the transmission sustaining engineering team, the marketing guys that used to work in sales, etc. Her sources may be limited.

The technical people acknowledge that the company does not maintain it's supplier sources and revision controls for the paint schema such that anybody at more than one remove could make sense of it without devoting a week to interviewing persons and working their way back up the food chain to the guy in the paint shop who actually knows what's going on, and keeps all of it written down on the back of a menu in his tool box.

The information you requested may be readily accessible in their computer system, at the push of about six or seven buttons. However, nobody's ever been trained or instructed on how to access that because nobody ever thought it was necessary. Or it may all be on paper records someplace that are called something else completely unrelated to paint and if you asked the wrong people they would disavow it's existence.

All of the above should give you some clues as to the fascinating field I have chosen for my career arc.

Going out in a blaze of glory...

 :drool

[bad Chad]

Well if he had a code to give you I'm sure he would have.  But I'm glad to hear Piaggio did what they said they would, and that's a good thing!

[LongRanger]

You may want to contact ColorRite for the paint.

[LowRyter]

Well, TJ from Piaggio called me back! Said she spoke to the technical people and they said there is so many different paint colors used they would "hate to give me the wrong one", so I didn't get a code...they recommend taking it to, you guessed, a body shop to have it matched. They did say the paint manufacturer was Lechler. Well, no further ahead but they did call.

winner winner, chicken dinner.

good luck.  hope you find a good one. 

[homebrew]

TJ's concept of " the technical people " is based on who she has access to, and may be limited to / include the guys who wrote the code for the ECM, the transmission sustaining engineering team, the marketing guys that used to work in sales, etc. Her sources may be limited.

Heh. Based on my interactions with MGUSA "the technical people" is "the guy who speaks Italian."

[dilligaf]

You may want to contact ColorRite for the paint.

Been there and done that.  See my post above.  Once you find a shop that will work with you, it's all down hill from there. The shop I use keeps their codes on file for my motorcycles.  Scratch a fender or body panel, I just take them the part, tell them the motorcycle, and in a few days I get my part back, all good to go. :BEER:
Matt

[rodekyll]

I was given to understand that the paint codes and formulae for Guzzi paint is so super-secret that if they did give them you you they'd have to kill you.

[Far star]

That seems to be the general opinion here. Like the whole corporation will flame out or something...thing is I thought I saw a sticker on the bike at some point and remarked "cool there's the paint code". I a) can't find it anywhere and b) can't trust my 60 year old memory. Thing is my friend who helps me on the bike, has a vague memory of that as well, although he's 60 too.

[LowRyter]

Been there and done that.  See my post above.  Once you find a shop that will work with you, it's all down hill from there. The shop I use keeps their codes on file for my motorcycles.  Scratch a fender or body panel, I just take them the part, tell them the motorcycle, and in a few days I get my part back, all good to go. :BEER:
Matt

My paint guy keeps a can of 98 EV red in his paint locker.  When I go in, he has to find it.  I took some home but it dried out, so I just go back. 

[dilligaf]

My paint guy keeps a can of 98 EV red in his paint locker.  When I go in, he has to find it.  I took some home but it dried out, so I just go back. 

Yep.  Once they trust you to pay the bill and not dump on them they tend to work with you.  :BEER:
Matt