I've recently become the proud owner of a VTR1000 which has a quite "interesting" paint job. It has been hydro-dipped in a pond full of snakes. Contemplating adding some black vinyl Honda FireStorm stickers or something to make it a bit less snakified. What do you think? Any bright ideas? (And be nice!!)
I like it, its something different.
Can you pls explain the process or a link.
I think i have seen similar in the car industry for coating rocker covers and other non-flat surfaces.
I think it was some kind of vynal wrap that is floated in liquid then bonds to the surface
Local pest controler here to advise as reqested...Kill it! Kill it with fire!
Said bike was posted on here recently as it was on e-gay or dumptree...It got slated !
However you must like it as you bought it...So don't listen to us but if your after opinions...Kill it with fire...I mean not my cup of tea if its hydro dipped surely it will come off, ask a hydro dipper how to do it...Or wait until it starts peeling off & carry on picking it, like that bit of skin we all have somewhere
Making up since 2007, sometimes it's true...Honest...
To put any black lettering over these graphics will not be seen = they will look well out of place, and then the bike would look busier than it is already. Some hydro-dipping effects can be good on a bike, but this is way over the top.
I can only assume the bike was rubbed down and sprayed with a base coat first, or re-sprayed with yellow primer cos I can't see the "firestorm" logo through the dipping sheet.
Do you know if the dip has been lacquered?
If that's the case, then don't attack the hydrodip with anything, as you'll ruin the tank. When dipping, during the process you only have a short window of opportunity to remove the dip from the surface it's applied to - and usually with neat alcohol. I think you can still tackle it maybe a week after. The only way to cover this (should you want to) is rub it back, and have it all re-sprayed again.
BUT - that all said - I take it you like the bike the way it is? Then fair play.
Personally, it's too much on the bike. If it was contained to the strip down the centre of the tank, the front headlight panel, and the seat cowl ONLY, leaving the rest of the bike yellow, then that would have been show-winning dipping.
You see where the black line is around the tank?...well, in my opinion, the top bit of the tank that has the snake dip should have been left at that (with the yellow strip and the black coachline). That would have allowed for application of black lettering (cos it would be on a plain yellow base).
I may sound like I'm pulling it to bits. I'm not. Honestly. I've built many a custom bike, and have used hydro-dipping before. It takes a certain special eye to decide what part to dip, and how far to go. To use colours that compliment each other. The snake dip would also have been smart if it was dipped in 2 different colours. Yellow (as per top of tank) separated by the line, then a black snake dip below it (same pattern, or a light scale effect). Or, a very deep metallic purple with light silver snakes going through it.
Back to the lettering though. I honestly can't see a way of applying lettering to any part of this dipping pattern, because of what was said earlier - the dip is too busy, and lettering will look hellish. Short of masking up a "panel" on the tank, and spraying that yellow, which will then give you a flat base colour to show the lettering up.
I DO realise that everyone has their own tastes, and I mean no offence with what I've written. Hopefully, you can chew over what I've cast my eye over without getting too het up under the collar!!
At the end of the day, one of my old sayings is "Ride what you like, and like what you ride".
Best.
Dave.
If it ain't broken...f*ck about with it until it is.
TAX: 1st March 2017 MOT: 16th March 2017 INS: 14th March 2017
As the footrest hangers are the same size on either side and the exhaust bands are the same size....
erm...how come the silencers are well off line with each other? The right can needs to be dropped down and in, or the left can needs brought up and out a bit. A five minute job at most! It's all down to symmetry, and little things like that can detract the eye from a custom finished bike.
2nd tiny wee job for you to fettle with, is to widen the LEFT hole on the mudguard fitting for the numberplate screw (NOT the actual plate)
Then, it will drop the number-plate down on the left side, to make it nice and straight! (cos it looks like the last person has dropped the bike and twisted everything!)
Sorted Suhn!!
If it ain't broken...f*ck about with it until it is.
TAX: 1st March 2017 MOT: 16th March 2017 INS: 14th March 2017
Thank you for all your replies. The mad wife and I enjoyed reading them.
One of my first questions to the guy I bought it off of was "How much to respray it?", but it has kinda grown on me in the couple of weeks I've had it. I just had it because I really liked the rest of it and once I'd taken her out for a spin, that was it. (That's a lot of its in once sentence)
The Postman kindly brought me an exhaust clamp yesterday that I noticed was missing when I had a quick look round the bike so I should manage to make her look unsquint at the weekend. Sorry for any eye trauma!
What a great bike to ride.. I love it although I feel a bit like the guy who had his breakfast every morning in the Eiffel Tower, because it was the only place he couldn't see it from...
Hmm I wonder is there a way of getting it all off and can I cope with a bright yellow bike....
Saw this one on FB and Ebay, can't say it's my cup of tea but I have seen worse.
Imho it doesn't take a special eye to create something that you like.... I have seen some hideous looking vehicles of all descriptions out there and although i'm sure they could of looked better that doesn't mean they are bad or wrong just means I don't like them. Creating something like this so that other's will also like it... now that's the trick.
As for the idea of adding decals.... for me, I think plain black will look out of place and cheap... look like a after thought. Hard to give an opinion from my point of view because i'd be having the bike repainted... but, if it had to stay with the design.. Maybe some good quality decals that look like the original (have the faded effect) would work but I think to pull it off you would need some more black on the bike to break things up so i'd be thinking of painting the belly and maybe the front mudguard black to go with the decals.
Another possibility... yellow decals to match the bike... but made with a thin outline similar to the colour of the artwork.. think that would be quite subtle.. at least I think it would work, it is 4am and i'm dog tired right now
didn't see them......still can't see them, but I can see the links when I quote.
