Custom Dirt Bike Graphics

[bmortvedt]

I have a customer that would like custom graphics on his klx110 dirt bike.

I was wondering if anyone has heard of, or seen, any line art of the body panels for these bikes.

It seems as though there is a lot of different companies doing this and was hoping there is a template I could use. Im having difficulty matching the outline nicely.

 

[Flame]

Bike grahics are my specialty. Only way to get the outlines is to buy them from a competitor. Some guys will sell the templates for around $30-$40 each, but lots of companies won't part with them. Mine included. They're too hard to come by to be selling IMO...

 

[bmortvedt]

Ideas?

Any special techniques you use to digitize the panels?

 

[Flame]

Top secret dude. I don't want you to become competition.




lol. jk. Just lay down vinyl or tape where you want the graphics to go, trim, scan, trace in whatever vector program you like.... and there you go. Will probably take a little tweaking, but that will get you a template.

You have to decide... is it worth it? If you put in 3-4 hours of labor just getting a template and the graphics designed, can you charge for it? Going rate for KLX110 graphics are $60. Is that enough money for the effort you'll have to put into this project?

And what kind of material are you using? Just cast vinyl? You'll probably be hearing back from the customer within the week, because the graphics fell off. 3M and Convex work alright, but then you have to figure out how to use them (if you've never used them before). It takes atleast 12-14mil material to last on a motorcycle, and that isn't easy to cut. Ever had to make 6 passes on a cutline? That's just one of the obstacles you may run into.


Dirt bike graphics are a niche market, and trust me, it's not as easy as just jumping into it...

 

[Replicator]

much easier than that . . . .

Park bike in front of all white background.

Take picture or two . . .

Open in Photoshop, change to grayscale , adjust brightness/contrast high

then open in Illustrator CS12 and do a live trace, then just tweak away and your done !

 

[Flame]

much easier than that . . . .

Park bike in front of all white background.

Take picture or two . . .

Open in Photoshop, change to grayscale , adjust brightness/contrast high

then open in Illustrator CS12 and do a live trace, then just tweak away and your done !

LOL. Yeah right........


the bike is 3 dimensional. That way doesn't even remotely work. Trust me, I actually tried it.

 

[High Octane]

I took the old graphics off a customers bike and scanned them for size.....they are so thick that they come off is one solid piece...worked great.

 

[Replicator]

I refer back to these images originally posted by VID . . . . !

It can be done . . . I 'm not that good . . . but there are plenty out there that are !

 

[Flame]

I refer back to these images originally posted by VID . . . . !

It can be done . . . I 'm not that good . . . but there are plenty out there that are !

Um... sorry, but I don't get what these images have to do at all with what we were talking about?

The artist drew a vector of a vehicle. That's totally different than getting a template for a plastic piece on a motorcycle. You would never get the shape right.

But if you want to try to be sure for yourself, be my guest. I was just trying to save you time and money...

 

[Replicator]

Sorry flamey, once again I'd better read more closely today
as I am highly medicated due to an illness . . .
in fact i'd better just keep quiet for a while
before I explode all together . . . .:Oops: Sorry !

 

[BobbyFosson]

Check with Jayne at Bigairgraphics.com... Her son is a national motocross champion and they have templates for all kinds of bikes including KTM, Suzuki, Cobra, Yamaha, Honda, etc.

 

[thewood]

I took the old graphics off a customers bike and scanned them for size.....they are so thick that they come off is one solid piece...worked great.

Nice job

 

[Browner]

A couple of years ago I was talking to Tom from HuntGraphic.com and they were selling their templates as a package for $325. You could also buy individual templates for as little as $6 each! (1 - 5 templates were $10 each, 6 - 10 were $8.00 each, and so on).

sales@huntgraphic.com was his email address.

 

[ChiknNutz]

Question...my buddy is redoing a 2001 Yamaha Raptor and picked up some of the stock graphics. Of course, I had to closely inspect them to try and figure out how they were made. First off, looks like they were maybe printed on clear in reverse, then a white flood was added, then adhesive (at least that is how it looks to me). The graphic is essentially just solid white, blue and oddly enough, some silver metallic! For the life of me, I don't know how or what was used to put the silver metallic in there? Sure, these are made in large batches I'm sure, but what can create this silver metallic? Will the Gerber Edge do that? I'm just really intrigued by how these were done, cuz I'd love to be able to reproduce stuff like that. I'm guessing that the adhesive is applied using a hot laminator, right? Anyone that can explain this whole thing, it would be appreciated! Thanks.

 

[Flame]

Question...my buddy is redoing a 2001 Yamaha Raptor and picked up some of the stock graphics. Of course, I had to closely inspect them to try and figure out how they were made. First off, looks like they were maybe printed on clear in reverse, then a white flood was added, then adhesive (at least that is how it looks to me). The graphic is essentially just solid white, blue and oddly enough, some silver metallic! For the life of me, I don't know how or what was used to put the silver metallic in there? Sure, these are made in large batches I'm sure, but what can create this silver metallic? Will the Gerber Edge do that? I'm just really intrigued by how these were done, cuz I'd love to be able to reproduce stuff like that. I'm guessing that the adhesive is applied using a hot laminator, right? Anyone that can explain this whole thing, it would be appreciated! Thanks.

hahaha. Sure! I can help you. They're screen printed. Here's how you do them.

First, you start out with a sheet of flexible clear material (usually about 16mil). You then start laying down colors just like you would screen printing a t-shirt. But it's all done in reverse print. Then flood the whole thing in 1-2 passes of white. Then take the the clear sheet/ roll and take it through a laminator. But instead of laminate, you lay down the actually adhesive. Then take the sheet and take a stamp to it to make it a "true" die cut decal.

That's how the factory does it, and a few of the largest graphics companies. I've seen one of these graphics shops, and it's loaded with somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 million dollars in equipment.

 

[ChiknNutz]

Thanks FM...you da man!

 

[signage]

Graphixtreme there are some metallic foils along with colored metallic films for the edge. Some of these aftermarket ones are being created by the edge and convex materials.

 

[johnnysigns]

cast adhesion problems is pretty crappy news as i was laying out new graphics for a quadracer R450. i was just going to get some of the stuff printed within another larger order that i gang together.

would edge sealer and/or that adhesion primer aid in making cast stick?

 

[Flame]

cast adhesion problems is pretty crappy news as i was laying out new graphics for a quadracer R450. i was just going to get some of the stuff printed within another larger order that i gang together.

would edge sealer and/or that adhesion primer aid in making cast stick?

Another case of using the right materials for the job.

Even if you use cast vinyl, seal the edges, and double laminate it.... it's going to come off.

Guys, I go through (on average) 1300-1500 square feet of bike graphics a month. It's my #1 source of income. You CANNOT use sign vinyl in any way, shape, or form. It will not work.




*pulling hair out

 

[signage]

Flame are you saying that Convex doesn't work?