Vinyl wrapping the bike

[macca]

I'm going to vinyl wrap my fairing. I like the Lapis Blue but want a matte colour.

I'm thinking of going with Matte Charcoal Metallic (211) by 3M. Here's a pic of it on a bike tank - I really like it. I did a test with some matte black wrap I have (see pics) and I'm thinking I'll probably go with matte black on parts.

Anyone wrapped their fairings before that has any advice? I picked easy parts for the test and it was easy once you get the hang of it. I think I can do the fairings and tail with only one seam... I'll post pics as I go!

Macca

[bsbraiderman]

I had a try on my tank, 2 man job if not 3.
Heat gun is s must. Prep is essential getting it to stick and not let go after 24hrs.

[slicer07]

Looks great. Is it removable? I would like to do the chin fairing in this.

[macca]

Yes it's all easily removable, just peel it off (takes some force but comes off clean).

As bsbraiderman said prep is key so make sure you buy yourself a bottle of isopropyl alcohol spray and clean the part thoroughly both sides.

Watch some videos on how to apply - deep or very curvy parts are hard and may require multiple pieces with seams, though when done correctly are hard too see.

I have just done half my rear seat fairing. Wanted to do it all in one piece but it was impossible so I have a few seams. I'll post a pic and see if you can notice them :-)

Finally, get yourself quality 3M 1080 vinyl wrap. It's twice the price of the cheap stuff but really is good quality!

[macca]

Oh and if working with seams you'll need some knifeless tape.

[vtrstormer]

Looks good from here to mate... Good job

[jackflash]

Worst job I've ever tackled. The small parts were the easiest, and even then, they were a PITA. You can watch video's till your eyes want to pop outta your head, they will only provide tips...not experience.

On the up side, if you're willing to live with seams like macca has done, then it's not impossible to do. I abandoned the job when I saw the only way to have a clean wrap was with a few seams on the fairings, and gas tank. Also to be fair about it, I didn't use the 3M wrap, which apparently is of high quality since there are many veins at the back of the paper to allow air to escape with much more ease.

So, patience, and lots of it. Second, time. Allow plenty of time to do the bike, I mean days, you just may need that to complete the job.

Good luck !

[macca]

They main issue I've seen so far is that a couple of the seems that were along areas that were stretched have now 'zippered' with the cold weather - basically along two seems on the tank. This annoys me and I'll probably have to cut them out and patch over them. If I'd had the money I just would have had the bike sprayed!

[tonka500]

The job looked good. Thanks for the real world experience in doing it.

[macca]

Update: seems that the sometimes extreme Melbourne weather is taking its toll on the wrap. More 'zippering' along some of the seams have appeared. This is probably due to how I applied it but nevertheless annoying that they've only appeared sometime after i finished the job. Parts of the wrap have also shrunk back along seams.

I think both the above are related to me not making the seam crossover wide enough.

All that said and frustrations aside, I LOVE the matte black look and would like to have the bike resprayed in the future if I can afford to.

[vtrstormer]

It's a shame that it's not holding but I have heard that it's all in the prep of the panel and the quality of the wrap used...maybe that could be part of the issue

[macca]

I used the most expensive stuff (3M) but think it is to do with the technique of stretching and shrinking during application around areas of extreme angles and tight radius. Over time is shrunk further and hence caused the 'zippering'. Bummer...