The internet proved equally as steep with 25 quid + shipping to get one from the UK.
So i went online and bought an A4 sheet of that 3M Scotchprint carbon vinyl wrap stuff & decided to have a play.
Before i go any further, I'm going to admit i dont really like carbon stuff, Much prefer Matte black, but couldnt find any suitably sized sheets on eBay, so went with the carbon as an experiment, with the full intention to cover the whole tank in a few months if this experiment goes well.
Anyway:
As you can see, my tank is ratty as balls, the bloke before me must have had a spikey punk rock belt or something. either way it looks terrible.
Next up i got some normal paper & traced out a shape of what i thought would cover most of the gouges
Then, using the most Heroic and Manly pair of scissors known to mankind
Made sure i washed the tank off with some mild detergent as per the 3M instructions
Then positioned the sheet (it's mildly tacky untill you press on it, much easier to use than i was expecting)
Next i worked the vinyl on slowly with a squeegee thing, starting from the center, working my way outwards, taking my time & trying not to to scuff the print (unsuccessfully)
I dont own a hair-dryer, so took a punt that the vinyl wouldnt need much heat. Not completely true, it bunched up a little toward the edges.
When i do it again properly with a much larger shet in a few months, i'll be applying heat to help reduce any bubbles without a doubt.
Voila!
While not 100% coverage of the scuffs & chips, or by any means a pro job i'm pretty pleaed with the way it came out. plus the carbon looks HEAPS better than i was expecting. almost the same colour as the tank, so it fits well.
Also. $5 bucks and 10 minutes work. not bad.
Now going to ride with it on for a few months & see how it wears. i ride in leathers without any exposed zips, so it shouldnt cop too much of a beating. we'll see!
If all goes well i'll buy a much bigger sheet & cover the whole middle part of the tank.
