Vinyl Pin Striping for your BMW

[montmil]

    I recently added vinyl striping to my repainted 1983 R65. The finished product looks good enough to be shown in public so I believe I’ll keep them on.
    After posting photos, some folks inquired about the techniques used to apply vinyl striping tape to replicate BMW’s original hand-laid pin stripes. What follows is one person’s attempt to match the factory’s OEM.

    Most all the larger auto parts stores carry an assortment of vinyl tape products. I passed on the barbed wire look and selected the ProStripe brand; primarily because the tape is good quality and USA manufactured.
    The tape is a double stripe with an overall width of 5/16-inch. A 1/16” stripe and a 1/8” stripe are  separated by a 1/8” space. The dimensions are very close to those measured on my 1981 R65’s original pin striping.

    A good BMW paint and stripe reference can be found on Phil Hawksley’s site. http://www.bmbikes.co.uk/ Research the images and study the different design schemes used by BMW. If you’re working on an R65, you’ll notice the fuel tank striping does not make a complete loop as it does on some of the “slash” series. Nor are the R65’s side panels and fenders striped. This does not mean you couldn’t do yours. Visualize what you want your finished bike to look like, then get after it.
    
    Before opening the tape package, clean away all wax, dirt and bird droppings within the application areas on the motorcycle. Check for any nibs; those tiny specks in the paint work. Should you discover a nib where you expect your stripes to be laid, a careful touch with a single-edge razor can shave off the bump and avoid a bad spot in the finished tapes.
 
    Natural skin oils and perspiration will also degrade the tape’s ultimate adhesion. Keep everything squeaky clean, work out of direct sunlight and consider a low mechanics stool for your back’s comfort. Get comfortable and you will do a much better job.

    OK. So much for the Zen. Let’s get artsy.

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[montmil]

    Gather your tools: A sharp pair of scissors, an xActo knife, couple single edge razor blades with perhaps one of those plastic blade holders from the paint store, a tape measure, a roll of masking tape and most importantly, a good attitude.
    I would suggest beginning with the seat’s tail piece. It’s small enough to offer a first-timer some experience and if the first attempt doesn’t suit you, just pull the tape and toss it. There’s plenty of tape on the roll and we want to get this job done right. Experience is a great teacher so get you some!

   Study the Phil Hawksley images and see how the stripes follow just below the contour line of the tail piece and disappear under the seat upholstery. Cut off a length of stripe material that is longer than what you think you’ll need. Doing this will provide a tape hand hold as you work the tape around the curves.
   Here’s an important tip! Do not stretch the tape during application as, over time, the tape will try to return to its original length. This can degrade the adhesion just a bit. That said, we will do a little tape stretching when we get to the fuel tank.

   Start tape application in the middle of the tail piece just above the BMW farkle. Locate the middle of the tape length and use the xActo to cut only the paper backing. Fold back a couple inches of the paper backing, visually line things up, then gently touch the tape to the tail’s imaginary layout line. Use a bit of masking tape to hold the other end of the stripe tape out of your way while you work the tape around the tail piece. Pull away the backing paper as needed.

    To properly apply tape, you will need to work your hands further apart than you might think is correct. Hands close together can result in choppy lines rather than flowing lines. One hand controls the design while the other gently smoothes  the tape onto the tail piece. Later on, the tight, rounded corners on the fuel tank striping will bring hands and fingers together.

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[montmil]

    As you approach the seat, plan where to cut away the excess tape, leaving just enough to tuck under the seat. The thin cardboard that protects the razor blade can be used to tuck and press down the under-seat ends.
    Now do the other side while visually matching the first sides layout. Finally, pull away the clear carrier strip and use a soft, worn out t-shirt to carefully burnish down the tape.

    Time to move on to the fuel tank, our piece de resistance.

    Notice the R65 fuel tank photos in the Hawksley website. The striping begins at the upper-rear portion on the fuel tank where the stripes are “cut” on a bevel and ends with the stripes running behind the seat upholstery. Wait to trim the tape until after completion. Carefully press a razor blade to the tape and pull the loose ends for a clean, damage-free cut.

  As with the tail piece, fold back a couple inches of the backing paper and position the tape below the styling crease. The wider of the two tapes goes on the outside of the design. Use the styling creases on the fuel tank as a guide for the tape’s positioning.

   Long lengths of tape should be simple to lay down. The gentle curves will go quickly. The challenging points will be the relatively sharp radii at the three turns required at the tank’s front end. Patience here will pay big dividends upon completion.

   As you approach the first turn, it will be necessary to slit the paper backing in the space between the two vinyl stripes. Try not to cut through the clear carrier strip. What we will do is pull the backing paper off the wider vinyl stripe, position it on the tank and use just a little bit of stretching to get the tape to lay flat around the turn. Here’s where your fingers move in close in and carefully guide the tape into a pleasing curve.

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[montmil]

    As the wide tape moves down and forward into the short, straight run, remove the backer paper from the thin stripe and work it through the turn while keeping the two vinyl tapes equidistant from each other.
    As you reach the straight tape run, cut away the loose paper backing and gently burnish the tape. At this point, removing the clear carrier strip up to the short, straight run will help keep things tidy.

    Continue the process of removing the backing paper from only the wider stripe, make the turn and then repeat for the narrow stripe. Three turns and it’s a simple run to the seat area. Open up the seat and wrap the striping to a point where it looks good and will not show an end with the seat closed.
    Use the soft t-shirt to burnish the tapes and you’re ready for the other side. Writing this article does make the job sound more difficult than it actually is. Remember, the beauty of vinyl striping is the capability of simply doing it over if you don’t like the first go ‘round.

    I do not recommend clear coat over the vinyl tape. Any adhesion failure of the tapes may lead to lifting of the finish. Properly applied to a clean surface and buffed down, just like on new automobiles, the tank, tail piece and tapes can be waxed and kept looking good for years.

    Be prepared for the compliments on your motorcycle. Just don't tell folks you invested a whole six bucks in the pin stripe job.
      

[Crossrodes]

Thanks Monte.  I've saved a copy of this and printed it out.  I haven't yet decided if I will paint my stripes on or use vinyl.

Mike