I know sfa about this stuff.....someone tell me please..... Is there a hard edge when it is applied say, halfway across a panel, or is it so thin it is hardly noticeable? And if it is applied to GRP and located near an exhaust pipe what's the likelihood of it peeling / bubbling?.......or is the material and adhesive heat proof? Thanks, AL
This is the stuff I bought, so you can check it out. I think Carbon Conquest or one of the other traders here does it for a similar price so you wouldn't have to wait for it to arrive from the States. 12+ Ducati 1199 Panigale Glossy Clear Bra Full Kit 3M VentureShield Ultra | eBay I havn't fit it yet but I've heard all good things about it.
The 999R I saw in Airwaves colours (which was on Ebay for ages) had a wrap - the lower fairing was split near where the 70mm race exhaust came close. I thought they always do full panels and didn't join. Seen it being applied to a Lotus, very clever to watch - but I think there is a lot of skill stretching it correctly into tight concave corners, you see a lot coming adrift forming a bubble in tight radii. If applied correctly I think it is quite durable and protects the original paint, easy to remove evidently.
I have seen cars etc, with what seem to be part wraps because the original surface of the vehicle is still present in the unwrapped areas, but that surely must leave a hard edge....so does that mean water can get under it? Mind you even if I did buy some wrap material, guessing it takes some skill to apply it, I would probably get a better finish if I used rattle can paint. I think I will have to vist somewhere that does it, to ask the daft questions.
The heat will damage the vinyl if it's too hot/close. I used a heat gun to fit mine and if too much heat was applied the material ended up with all holes melted in it.
I would want to lacquer it, though........It would be like spraying the areas, pulling off the masking tape (hopefully with a nice straight edge) and then leaving it. I can see the advantage of wrap, being able to remove it leaving the original paint behind. Mind you, it would still need panels prepped whether wrap or paint. Cost wise, well.........rattle cans say, £30 max; professional spray job, say £150; wrap.....a guess at £180 or more. I have had some good results with rattle cans even on large areas and have done several tanks as well, so I suppose I might DIY.
May not be the exactly the same if your looking at clear vinyl wrap like venture shiled, although I have used the Carbon di-noc wrap that 3M manufacture and it's awesome and fairly easy to use. Can be bought per square metre on the bay of e! With a decent hair drier you can pull the stuff around some crazy shapes etc... and it will stay there too. There are a few things to remember first though. No matter what you cover in this stuff unless you 'fix it' afterwards removing the tension or memory from the material it will lift and bubble, to fix it you need to heat the laminated part with a heat gun or hair drier at 90+ degrees for about 2 minutes. After this is will not bubble or lift. Depending on the severity of the corners shapes etc... that you pull the wrap around, you'll possibly need to use 3m Primer94 to add a little extra help with adhesion. It's pretty good under heat too check out this engine cover
Another thing to remember there are lots of copy products out there on the net, I recommend only buying 3M it's the best in my opinion. Look on youtube for 3M Carbon Di-Noc wrapping there is lots of tutorials, not many mention the fixing process afterwards resulting in lots of people doing it at home and finding the wrap lifts leaving them think it's not so great an option, but it is very very good if fixed properly. Only prep work is to make sure the part is oil/grease free - a quick wipe over with methylated spirit ought to take care of that. There is no need to key the surface with sandpaper etc... You do have a hard edge if you leave a joint line on the surface of what ever your wrapping however in most instances you can completely cover what ever your wrapping leaving enough excess to fold around out of sight. But if someone wast trying to join this down a centre line I would definately use the primer before hand to avoid water getting under the joint. You can get 1 piece of this stuff to stretch and form around some crazy shapes.
Give the paint a miss and have a play with wrapping, it's great fun. I just got a small roll of the stuff off ebay and had a play round with it, and it stuck like shit to a blanket. All you need is a hairdryer.
Vinyl decals are cheaper than paint, and look great if applied right. Had a full Xerox rep done on my carbon 749s. Cost £150 ish. Easy to remove, a quick polish and everything back to plain carbon. Not the best pic, but, trust me it looked great. All decals applied in one piece, with no joints, the white wrap around the back of the tank was done in one piece and was a work of art. Supplied and fitted by The Image Works, near Ilkeston just off J26 M1.
Should look good, that's the optional real carbon cover for the engine, not sticky back plastic Has been an option on fast Audis for quite a few generations of S/RS.
I'm up for this on my 1198 over winter. Ive always liked the 848 evo corse silver/grey scheme. Nice bikes.
