Topic: Vinyl Wrapped?

[Hon3ybadger]

I'm curious if anyone out there has ever wrapped a sohc4 in vinyl film. I am wrapping mine this week and I know I can't be the first to do it.

[ekpent]

Just curious how you would be able to move it around after it was wrapped up ?

[Hon3ybadger]

Hahahaha. I meant instead of painting the tins you wrap them in a big vinyl sticker. 

[Airborne 82nd]

Wrapping is just for the winter at above 90° north and below 90° south  latitude. Everywhere else just keep riding. ;Djk
I have seen some cars wrapped that were hard to tell from 10 ft. when I think of wraps I think of advertising. I thank you could spot it on a bike easy because people get closer to take a look. Not for me on my bike just give me some shiny paint. Do post some pic. maybe you can change my mind. What next silver duct tape on the engine you don't want to buff or paint.

[Hon3ybadger]

Yes to be honest I would love shiny paint over vinyl. During my build I couldn't settle on a color for the bike so I decided vinyl be my solution. The cost of a professional paint job compared to DIY vinyl is staggering. I bought a 5'x6' sheet of vinyl for just under $50 online. Thats plenty to wrap my 76 F'er. I'll see about getting a picture up today. Only thing wrapped so far is my Frankenstuff side covers.

My Theory; If I don't like the 3M gloss metallic red vinyl I can just peel it off and lay down something new.
 

[lrutt]

I'd like to see how gas will affect it on the tank around the filler.

[Hon3ybadger]

You have to treat gloss vinyl kinda like paint. Solvents and fuel have to be washed off promptly with soap and water to avoid deterioration and discoloration to the wrap. 3M recommends applying wax on top of gloss vinyl to help protect it.

[george]

I had mine Hydro Coated last year , I am growing weary of the skulls . Will be going to more traditional paint soon ! So this is a bit different than a vinyl wrap .

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=119346.0

[Hon3ybadger]

How much was Hydro coating?

[george]

How much was Hydro coating?

It was actually FREE ! I traded some electrical work for the guy who had the shop , also I let him use my bike as an advertising tool . Sadly he is out of business now. Hydro Coat has its root in gun stocks , mostly camo patterns , you can see how it sort of dripped on the K8 tank. What it involved was putting down a base coat of paint (silver on mine ) which shows through the dip. It has held up very well over the last year , I just wax it like paint . Youtube has many videos of the process, he told me with the sanding and repairing a few small dents on my tank it would have cost about $400.00 !

[750K]

Lets see pics once you're done, I'm sure it's been done on bikes before. I know around here every other car has a vinyl wrap so I'm sure there's a few bikes. Crotch rockets most likely.

[Airborne 82nd]

Yes to be honest I would love shiny paint over vinyl. During my build I couldn't settle on a color for the bike so I decided vinyl be my solution. The cost of a professional paint job compared to DIY vinyl is staggering. I bought a 5'x6' sheet of vinyl for just under $50 online. Thats plenty to wrap my 76 F'er. I'll see about getting a picture up today. Only thing wrapped so far is my Frankenstuff side covers.

My Theory; If I don't like the 3M gloss metallic red vinyl I can just peel it off and lay down something new.

Being able to do over easy is good and hell you don't get all puckered up when that first gas spills. I would seal the edge around the tank cap with clear something that will get along with vinyl.

I want to see the tank top bottom sides up close and focused. Not that I want to pick it apart just want to see how good it can be. You might practice on the John Deere first.

[ekpent]

Hahahaha. I meant instead of painting the tins you wrap them in a big vinyl sticker. 

Guess I am showing my age or been around to many boats in the winter time here in Michigan  - Thought you were doing a long term storage thing --     

[Hon3ybadger]

So here is the side covers I wrapped last night while watching a movie. I know the back looks like crap. The vinyl touched the couch and wasn't very sticky loaded with fuzz. Normally the back edges stick great and aren't as wrinkled up. My tank bottom still needs a coat of paint. When that is done Ill wrap that and take pictures during the operation. The side covers are white so the red shows up kinda white washed in the sun. My tank is black so it should look more of a wine red instead of a hot rod red. What do you guys think?

[greenjeans]

wow...  looks good.  Need a job wrapping cars/cycles etc ?

[Airborne 82nd]

It does look good I didn't think you get around all the tight corners so well. Put me in the you changed my mind category. Still want to see the tank. Where do you get the wrap and is one brand getter than another?

[jamesbekman]

Hydro coating is purty cool stuff.  Good job on that vinyl!  Never would have thought to do that.  The only thing I could think is that you cant really get a high buff on the stuff?  Can you get some spraymax 2k ultra gloss clear coat and clear over it afterwards?  Might be freaking cool!

[Hon3ybadger]

Thank you guys for the compliments! I only use 3M brand vinyl. I love the 3M 1080 series the best. Its super easy to work with and you can pull it off years later with no problems. Don't get me wrong guys, I'm no professional.

[Hon3ybadger]

Hydro coating is purty cool stuff.  Good job on that vinyl!  Never would have thought to do that.  The only thing I could think is that you cant really get a high buff on the stuff?  Can you get some spraymax 2k ultra gloss clear coat and clear over it afterwards?  Might be freaking cool!

3M says you can wax and buff the vinyl but I've never tried. The truth about vinyl vs paint is the depth you see in clear coat. I've never seen a vinyl wrap that had the depth and shine like a professional paint job.

The key to brilliant looking vinyl is body work. The smoother the surface you lay it on, the better it will look when done. To avoid low spot bubbles brush 3M liquid primer before laying vinyl.

Metro Restyling is where I buy my vinyl and supplies. They are east coast and pretty good about getting my orders done promptly.

[Hon3ybadger]

So the vinyl job is done!!! The tank was a pain in the arse! All pieces are wrapped in one piece meaning no seams. The matte black stripe is vinyl too. It's tapered to match the body lines on the tank. Total installation time was just over 6 hours for the whole bike. I'll have "on the operation table" photos coming soon...

[Muckinfuss]

Good job. I'm impressed.

[xnoahx]

Im sold

[750K]

Nice job you did on wrapping everything, looks slick.

[Hon3ybadger]

As promised, here are the photos of the operation. I love how the metallic red came out but I've decided I'm gonna get a second set of tins and do a metallic blue.

And I have one more treat with this set up still in the works. Pictures of that to come in two days!

[OldSchool_IsCool]

No need to get a second set of tins.  Wrap one side of the RED tins in Blue.  That way half the bike is red and half is blue.

Why?  For conflicting eyewitness reports, of course!