[Neil84]

Hi everyone, I've been on this forum since before the scramblers were even released. I don't post very often but I've got lots of ideas and inspiration from checking in on here. My bike is almost done, just need a belly pan but I'm not decided yet between the OEM or the evotech one. The bike started out as a base model red Icon.

Anyway, I wanted to share what I've done and see what people think. Mods so far are:

* Tyre paint for that retro vibe
* LSL low bars which really made a difference
* OEM Ducati headlight grill and surround
* New indicators front and back (sourced from MartinSK on this forum, they're very well made)
* Custom tail tidy bracket that I made and removal of original number plate mount
* Vinyl wrapped in white with cutouts for the stripes to let the original red paintwork show through (you might be able to spot where I took inspiration from the Desert Sled here with the red trim around the tank).
* New front mudguard. This is actually an original red icon mudguard but I've hacked off the supporting mounts/ legs and sanded it smooth and then had it wrapped along with the rest of the bike. I had to make some custom brackets to mount it securely under the bottom triple clamp (there were already bolt holes there for the urban enduro mudguard).

Some things I've learned from talking with the dealership. Vinyl wrapping is preferable to painting if you are worried about problems with the awkward connector for the fuel line. Even the guy at the dealership said they have the right tool and they hate taking tanks off scramblers because it's so difficult not to break the connector (if you break it on the wrong side it means a new fuel pump). Vinyl wrap was done with the tank still on the bike and looks great. The best part with this is it's totally reversible back to stock if I ever get sick of it. Also, if you remove the filler cap on the tank the dealership said I'd need a new gasket as the old one wouldn't reseal effectively and would end up leaking in the long term. I took that advice which is why if you look closely the vinyl wrap detours around the filler cap in a circle rather than going to the edge where the cap would have had to be removed so the vinyl could be molded around the edge.

Overall I kind of look at it like a 'mini' version of the desert sled, although I was going in this direction long before it was released. It did inspire my colour choices though. Hope you like it.

 

[pfmtrumpy]

All you need now is a jumpsuit, stars and stripes helmet and some cars to jump over.
Watch out for the fried chicken stand...wonder how many people will get that one...

 

[kopper]

those red lines around the side panels look awesome

really digging all the changes


reading a little more about the side panels and red around them....

so by hand you paste white vinyl around side panels?
I because you just gave me an idea with my classic....

 

[DerBernd]

Good Job, looks great

 

[greer]

Super job! Are you for hire? And thanks for passing along the tips, too.

Sarah

 

[Neil84]

Thanks everyone.

Kopper - yes that pretty much it. The vinyl wrap is the only job that I outsourced to a pro. I have no experience there and I really wanted a professional quality finish. It cost £200 overall.

The vinyl you can source off eBay if you want to have a go yourself. It's like stretchy stickyback plastic. You heat it up with a heat gun or hair dryer to soften it and then you stretch around the shape of whatever you want to wrap and that's it. You can buy a special tape called vinyl cut tape that you put around the edges where you would want to cut the vinyl and then wrap over the top of it leaving and edge of the cut tape sticking out. When your done, you pull that edge and it's like a cheese wire it lifts up and cuts the vinyl around exactly the curve or shape you created. No sharp scalpel blades need to go near your paintwork. That's how the stripes and red trim around the tank panels were done. It's tricky to explain but these random video's sum up the process pretty well. Hopefully the links work.

Vinyl wrapping:

Cut tape:

Sarah - happy to help out if anyone wants to know how I did anything. Nothing I've done was too tricky. I have a pretty standard garage with basic tools and a willingness to give things a go but no specialism in anything related to fabrication or motorbikes. Anyone can do it with enough patience.

 

[kopper]

Neil84, thanks a lot for the explanation and videos....

exactly I was worried about using a blade or something

great job thanks a lot
and enjoy your ride [watching]

 

[rhysbach]

Thats lovely fairplay

 

[greer]

Hat's off to you Neil, thanks again.

Sarah

 

[Outdoor_funguy]

Nice idea you had. I'll consider doing my own vinyl wrap project as well but will probably seek some professional help from Gatorwraps.

 

[MartinSK]

Thx for the mention
Btw, did they do the tank wrap from one piec or several pieces? (I mean on the side of the tank, as the top is "cut" with the red one)
My Tank is now wrapped in one colour and they could not make it from one piece, so there is one on top and one on each side, where the side panel is narrowest and approx in the middle of the side in front) You can see it only on close inspection, but it is there..
Love the contrast under the panels on the side!

 

[kopper]

Thx for the mention
Btw, did they do the tank wrap from one piec or several pieces? (I mean on the side of the tank, as the top is "cut" with the red one)
My Tank is now wrapped in one colour and they could not make it from one piece, so there is one on top and one on each side, where the side panel is narrowest and approx in the middle of the side in front) You can see it only on close inspection, but it is there..
Love the contrast under the panels on the side!

can you post a picture of your work in your tank? not a close up I mean the whole bike to appreciate the new colors or work done

 

[Neil84]

Hi Martin - do you mean how did they wrap the side of the tank to get the red trim around side panels?

Each side of the tank is wrapped in just one piece with no seams. What they do is place the cut tape (see the second video if you're not sure what I mean) around the side panels and then wrap the vinyl over the top of everything. Then they just pull the end of cut tape up very carefully and it pulls up from underneath the vinyl cutting as it goes and you just pull away the bit it cut out. They did say it was tricky, but they managed to do a very good job.

I hope that makes sense.

 

[MartinSK]

Hi Martin - do you mean how did they wrap the side of the tank to get the red trim around side panels?

Each side of the tank is wrapped in just one piece with no seams. What they do is place the cut tape (see the second video if you're not sure what I mean) around the side panels and then wrap the vinyl over the top of everything. Then they just pull the end of cut tape up very carefully and it pulls up from underneath the vinyl cutting as it goes and you just pull away the bit it cut out. They did say it was tricky, but they managed to do a very good job.

I hope that makes sense.

Yes, I know the technique, just that in my case, they said that because of the tank shape, they are unable to do it with one piece and since it is only one color, they had to be seams somwhere

can you post a picture of your work in your tank? not a close up I mean the whole bike to appreciate the new colors or work done

here is the link:
Icon mods + my indicators