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wrapping a VFR


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Anyone try doing a wrap job on a VFR?  Working around boats all day I am seeing wrap jobs that are very impressive, better than hull painting in many respects.


  I was thinking of doing some moderate appearance changes to my 95 but really would rather not use paint or decals and like the reversibility of vinyl wrap.

  Anyone done any of this?

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It wasn't on a VFR but my brother and I wrapped his 919 to cover the paint job the previous owner did. Most panels on a VFR won't be horrible, but the tank is probably the hardest to do. Most likely will have to be done in two or 3 pieces 

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If I do anything at all it would be more of accenting some lines and I believe I would defer to a pro wrap guy.

 

Of course pictures will be posted!

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Tank will need to be done in two parts, rest can be done in singular pieces.

 

I had a friend wrap mine (it's what he did for a business at the time).

 

Don't feck about, get 3M or Avery. The latter offers better air technology so you can squeeze out arrogant air bubbles. 

 

Here's some pics of it finished, the rear cowls were done in Carbon.

 

How it started, standard white bike with home made decals on it - previous owners work. Paint and stickers looked shocking up close, trust me:

 

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Hours of prep by removing every last bit of grease, sticky stuff and dirt. Believe me when I say this is absolutely imperative. Fail to do this and the wrap WILL peel.

 

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Tank being wrapped. Attempt at a one piece wrap was hard.....

 

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....So a second piece was laid on the lower half...you couldn't tell unless up close

 

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Rear cowls

 

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Front fender/mud guard

 

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Putting it all back together

 

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26612740599_7015d8ccdc_b.jpg

 

38388853801_90a2149def_b.jpg

 

38388855301_de9862d64f_b.jpg

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Sadly, I was a complete twonk and left the bike laid up as I had numerous issues with the carbs. Finally got that sorted...but by that point I'd spilled stuff on it while working on my other bike, left stuff resting on it...etc...and it just fecked it. I ended up selling it and putting together my current VFR750. But as you can see, the wrap made it look like a new bike and would have lasted many years if maintained properly. 

 

Words of advice:

 

Be patient

Prep everything by cleaning, cleaning come more, degreasing, degreasing some more and repeating those processes over and over until you're 100% sure every last inch is spotless

Have a GOOD heat gun to hand, a hairdryer just won't cut it (you HAVE to heat the vinyl after application to help it set the stretch as it's default position)

Have a second set of hands ready to lay down the wrap as flat as you can in the first application to each panel

Have some super sharp scalpels to hand, remember you only need finger light pressure when using a scalpel to cut the vinyl...whether it's applied or not

Buy more vinyl that you need. You can keep any excess as spares for reapplication if it peels or splits during use

And again, be patient.

 

 

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great write up, thanks, that looked really good when completed.

 

This would be way more than I am going to go for but that makes me feel as if my project may last if the prep is right.

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Not at all, anything and everything on the bike can be wrapped, really. I've even wrapped the exhaust cans on my SV1000 in carbon - not an issue at all. Just make sure it's sparkly clean and that the vinyl will form to the belly pan as it is...so any paint missing from the lower front part of it might be represented in the shape of the vinyl, hope that makes sense!

 

37005478054_20080fd981_k.jpg

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Anything and everything, except for obvious things like engine, downpipes etc. If it bolts to the bike and isn't subject to extreme heat...it can be wrapped. Bear in mind that shape variations can increase difficulty.

 

I've since wrapped the little plastic bits on the 3rd gen side fairings, the fuse cover (and the alternative side)....You could even wrap a screen if you wanted to. It'll stick to anything really.

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Capture.JPG

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Impressive. 

 

I am seeing complete boat hulls wrapped, on high speed boats too. They do add a clear overcoat wrap to it ( I've been told), seems to stay on,it looks great, as good as a paint job costing 10 times as much

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On 11/11/2017 at 4:01 AM, bykemike said:

Anyone try doing a wrap job on a VFR?  Working around boats all day I am seeing wrap jobs that are very impressive, better than hull painting in many respects.


  I was thinking of doing some moderate appearance changes to my 95 but really would rather not use paint or decals and like the reversibility of vinyl wrap.

  Anyone done any of this?

I was thinking also to wrap mine. Suddenly my friend told me to visit Gatorwraps. They have professional installers that will help me. You should try also.

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I've tried this on several bikes and my observations are:-

 

The intricate shapes of bike parts makes it much much harder than big car panels, but not impossible.

 

The tank will probably be the hardest to do (in one piece) as it's so visible and has to be perfect. Resistance to petrol spillage is untried.

 

Probably the most important point is that it is MUCH harder to do when the parts are loose. Good wrapping means a lot of pulling and some stretching and small bike parts will not let you do that as they simply move when you try to pull the vinyl. Either have someone to help you (they'll get really bored) or do what you can with the part attached to the bike. I would not attempt to do a tank again off the bike. Leave it on and secure the bike so you can't pull it over. Then you can get some serious pull and stretch the vinyl where you need it.

 

Edges are hard to get right. How far do you wrap around? Can you see the back side at all?

 

It won't be as cheap as you think. Decent vinyl is expensive.

 

Be prepared to waste a lot of that expensive vinyl.

 

It'll never actually look as good as paint close up as there isn't the smooth finish nor depth of shine that can be achieved with paint.

 

Carbon pattern can be very effective, but you cannot get the depth of gloss of real glossy carbon.


Think before starting each part to determine how best to start so that the part can be covered with the minimum of stretching. Starting in the wrong place can make it impossible to finish without creases and folds. Get it right and it can look almost as good as paint.

 

Scour You Tube for example videos. CK Wraps is a good place to start even though he doesn't do much with bikes.

 

However, it is completely reversible so if you screw it up or simply get bored with it in a few years, you can take it off and the bike will be restored to its pre-wrap condition and so better than it would be had it not been wrapped which of course protects it from stone chipping etc.

 

Good luck, have fun.

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BiKenG is spot on. I only did parts of mine and it was misery.  I did one side with carbon vinyl and it was so bad that I took it off rather than do the other side.  Looks ok in the pics but not up close.

IMG_2455.thumb.JPG.3ed2adcd0621f9ea5d585fdda898c52e.JPG

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2 points I forgot to mention:-

 

Although vinyl doesn't have the depth of gloss that can be achieved with paint, not all paint finishes are actually better than what you can achieve with vinyl and the latter can provide finishes really hard or impossible to achieve with paint, at least not without exorbitant expense.

 

If you need the vinyl to end on a good visible line, don't try and lay the edge of the vinyl to that line as it will undoubtedly screw up the rest of the wrap and leave wrinkles and creases that you cannot eliminate. You need to lay the vinyl past the desired line and then trim it to that line after the wrapping is done. For which...

 

Be VERY careful if you use a sharp knife to cut the vinyl as you don't want to cut all the way through and damage the paint/underneath. It takes a lot of experience to be able to cut part way through the vinyl, just enough to allow it be pulled apart cleanly along the line, but not so deep that you scribe a line in the paint underneath.  So...

 

Use 'knifeless' tape. This is like a tape that you first place along the line you want to achieve and after you lay the vinyl over it you can pick a thin thread out of the tape that you then carefully pull out of the tape and which neatly cuts the vinyl exactly along the line you want (assuming you put the tape in the right place of course :-) and with NO danger of damaging the paint underneath. This is a very neat and clever solution, but you'll be slightly horrified by the cost of this tape. However, you won't need to use huge lengths of it on a bike.

 

When you think you're good enough, try wrapping a helmet. :wink:

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9 hours ago, BiKenG said:

1. It'll never actually look as good as paint close up as there isn't the smooth finish nor depth of shine that can be achieved with paint.

 

2. Think before starting each part to determine how best to start so that the part can be covered with the minimum of stretching. Starting in the wrong place can make it impossible to finish without creases and folds. Get it right and it can look almost as good as paint.

 

 

1. Nonsense, absolute nonsense

2. Only partially true. You can start anywhere on anything. It looks better than paint, it has no orange peel, oxidisation, etc...you clearly haven't seen a really good wrap up close. Let's not forget that people can and have wrapped vehicles in chrome, gold, mirror type reflections....gross and not my style, but vinyl is, in most cases, better than paint.

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1 hour ago, Sweeper said:

BiKenG is spot on. I only did parts of mine and it was misery.  I did one side with carbon vinyl and it was so bad that I took it off rather than do the other side.  Looks ok in the pics but not up close.

IMG_2455.thumb.JPG.3ed2adcd0621f9ea5d585fdda898c52e.JPG

 

It's like anything, practice makes perfect. You just aren't that good...which is to be expected for anyone that's not done it repeatedly over a period of time.

 

As you can see from my bike above, a perfect finish is easily achievable.

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19 minutes ago, 750 said:

 

1. Nonsense, absolute nonsense

2. Only partially true. You can start anywhere on anything. It looks better than paint, it has no orange peel, oxidisation, etc...you clearly haven't seen a really good wrap up close. Let's not forget that people can and have wrapped vehicles in chrome, gold, mirror type reflections....gross and not my style, but vinyl is, in most cases, better than paint.

 

Hey, don't hold back, tell it like it is. So I will too.

 

1. Sorry, but you're wrong. I've already pointed out that there are finishes and effects available in vinyl that are virtually impossible to obtain in paint, but the actual finish and gloss available is NOT as good as 'can' be obtained with paint. There is simply no way you can achieve any real depth of gloss with a vinyl wrap as you can with paint. If you think you can, you are seriously misguided. I'm not saying vinyl is rubbish, just that there are certain considerations. Apart from that it is extraordinary what can be achieved. And you can do it in your kitchen. Try that with spray painting. :biggrin:

 

2. No sorry, you're wrong again, but if you think you're so good at it, please carry on. For the rest of us, do think carefully before you start or it will increase the chances of not being able to achieve a smooth wrap over the entire area. You don't want to end up having to overstretch the vinyl, nor do you want to have too much, meaning you won't be able to eliminate rucks and creases. These are fundamentals of vinyl wrapping and you stand the best chance of being able to complete a job successfully if you do take the time to think about how you will need to lay the vinyl on the particular surface in question. Quite frankly it's farcical to think you can start any old way and it will always turn out perfect.

 

I don't pretend to be an expert in vinyl wrapping, but I do know enough about it to offer some constructive advice to others. But that's all the time I'm prepared to spend on this topic now if this is the way it's going. Makes me wonder why I bothered in the first place.

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BikenG,

  Thank you for the insights, the knowledge of the cutting tape is great, what I have in mind will need a perfect edge in the middle of a flat surface, I was having second thoughts on if I was going to try and cut it with a razor or get the edge right the first time...both daunting tasks.

 

And I do expect some compromises in finish when compared to paint but vinyl is reversible paint not so much.

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One of the issues I had was that the cutting tape did not like the 3-d carbon vinyl. I will admit that this was my first attempt. On the bright side, the vinyl was a lot easier to fix than a first attempt at painting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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20 hours ago, BiKenG said:

 

Hey, don't hold back, tell it like it is. So I will too.

 

1. Sorry, but you're wrong. I've already pointed out that there are finishes and effects available in vinyl that are virtually impossible to obtain in paint, but the actual finish and gloss available is NOT as good as 'can' be obtained with paint. There is simply no way you can achieve any real depth of gloss with a vinyl wrap as you can with paint. If you think you can, you are seriously misguided. I'm not saying vinyl is rubbish, just that there are certain considerations. Apart from that it is extraordinary what can be achieved. And you can do it in your kitchen. Try that with spray painting. :biggrin:

 

2. No sorry, you're wrong again, but if you think you're so good at it, please carry on. For the rest of us, do think carefully before you start or it will increase the chances of not being able to achieve a smooth wrap over the entire area. You don't want to end up having to overstretch the vinyl, nor do you want to have too much, meaning you won't be able to eliminate rucks and creases. These are fundamentals of vinyl wrapping and you stand the best chance of being able to complete a job successfully if you do take the time to think about how you will need to lay the vinyl on the particular surface in question. Quite frankly it's farcical to think you can start any old way and it will always turn out perfect.

 

I don't pretend to be an expert in vinyl wrapping, but I do know enough about it to offer some constructive advice to others. But that's all the time I'm prepared to spend on this topic now if this is the way it's going. Makes me wonder why I bothered in the first place.

 

You clearly know nothing about it, how many things have YOU wrapped? See my pics above, the bike looked perfect, even the stitch on the tank was invisible. I have physical evidence with photos to back it up, you just have anecdotal evidence and a desperate need to be right, for some weird reason.

 

You can start anywhere on an object, you're laying the same amount of wrap down on the same surface, it's following the same contours. Just because you absolutely blow at it doesn't mean your thoughts (and they are just that, thoughts) are anything other than laughably ill informed.

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Someone on another thread once observed that "us" Brits sure liked to argue...clearly that observation was as rubbish then as it is now!

 

Ciao,

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