Thread: Cycle Striping and Paint tips

This work is finally done on my neighbors (Scary Jerry's) Bike.
The front fender was in the issue #23 reader section. The rest of
the bike was striped around a month later. The rest of the photos are of the
rear fender, the battery cover, dash board, and the electronic box
box on the left.
Tip one.
I have always had a hard time pinstriping any motorcycle when all the parts are left on the bike. Since I do motorcycles, I have a Front Wheel Chock
now. This is a handy item you can get at a discount tool place for around $50.00. You can bolt it to a concrete floor or a trailer floor or truck bed floor.
It locks the front wheel in place and holds the bike upright. I also tie-down
bike at handlebars to be extra safe and stable. This way their is no leaning of bike trying to work on it. I also use it to service my own stuff.

Tip two.
You will see I did simple designs on on this motorcycle. Nothing real complicated. Even though I have a Wheel Chock, you still have limited moving
room to manuever your brush and body around. The rear fender I did three Teerdrops from license plate to to seat. Insted of pulling lines down, I straddle
seat and pull back to me. Reason is you can't remove the license plate bracket. Your hand will hit it. No rules on how to do this.

Last tip.
You will see I did the Battery Box and the Dash and Electronic cover. This stuff is either ruff bumpy finished or rubbery.
For the bumpy finished parts I usually degrease it three times insted of once.
You need to get all the texture clean. To stripe it I used a thicker mixture of paint. To make it cover as even as possible I brush it slower. Use the usual hand pressure. Don't force it. It will cover. On the rubber finished parts I
clean many times again. Again use the paint thicker, and slow down your brush strokes. Its also a one time deal on the rubber parts. Any wipe offs will really be hard to clean up. Also , sometimes when degreasing these parts
you can dull the finish if its not new. Instruct the owner to rewax these parts.
Be advised sometimes these can't be done as the wax build up can be bad.

Hope you like the photos and tips.
Fresnojohns

Thank you Neder, Bill, Greger and Witchy for viewing this
bike I just did. You never know what you will be doing
when pinstriping. It can be a smooth surface, or rough.
Or many things like mirrors, seats , hanldebars, etc to
work around. Sometimes an hour and a half job turns into
eight hours. It makes work smoother having the wheel chock.
If any of you ever have questions, ask away.
Fresnojohns