Wrap the side bags

[redfjniner]

I decided to not paint the side bags and wrap them in vinyl.    I looked at videos of others doing vinyl wraps and figured that I could give it a try. Just a warning here, it is harder than it looks and really you need to practice or watch others do this to figure out how to get out of trouble. That said, I am happy with the first bag, even though it has some issues. From the pictures the problem areas are not so obvious, but in person and close up you can see these little flaws. Since I am more interested in riding than standing around looking at the bike and will most likely only use the side bags on week long trips, which I have 6 scheduled this year, so if you are lucky enough, you can see them on one of my week long trips.  Here are pictures of the first one done.  Now I have to do equally as well, and hopefully better, on the second case.
Sanded FJR side case.
Carbon fiber vinyl wrap.
Side case with vinyl wrap.
On bike.
w/red vinyl detail.
Complete on bike.
Complete project on bike.
When it stops raining I will try to get some pic on side in the good light.  Everything looks orange here.
 
Edit:  Added the following picture of both side bags:
 

 
 

[fzkenm]

Wow!  Very well done

[markvr]

Great work! Really well done. It might even look good without the red vinyl. However, my wife thinks I'm colorblind, so don't take my word for it!
 

[zvez]

you did a superb job!!
 
I've never wrapped as large a piece as that, I'm told a heat gun helps when covering large areas.
 
Again, a beautiful job!
Chris
 

[xcsp]

Looks good refjniner!!

[redfjniner]

Very nice, how do you apply that stuff and how long did it take?

It took too long.  I could have painted it faster.  After getting into it, I found I needed help and enlisted aid from my wife.  Being that this was the first ever time in doing a wrap, it was a leaning process.  I only hope that the second bag goes better and not worse.  I wasn't crafty enough to wrap it all without having to cut the vinyl and lap it over itself.  The laps are tricky and get messed up when heat is applied near the cut.  I was able to only lap the material on the downward sides.  Think of a box and wrapping it with paper, you have extra at the corner and have to fold it, and that is what happens.  I was afraid to stretch it too much and have it tear???  Application:  Look on you tube as there existing examples that are quite informative.  Get the products suggested to ensure adhesion.  If you are doing multi color like I did get the "design line" knifeless cutting stuff.  Supplies at Fellers.  Good videos on Fellers' site. 
 

[redfjniner]

you did a superb job!! 
I've never wrapped as large a piece as that, I'm told a heat gun helps when covering large areas.
 
Again, a beautiful job!
Chris

Thanks Chris and the rest of you too.  The heat is essential when doing curves and stretching the material, it is the only way to make it work on the curves.  I used a heat gun and it worked good.  Only trouble is, on something this big, is that it requires 5 hands. (always one more than you have)  Even in the videos that I watched, extra hands were often employed.  It does look good as long as you don't look too close.  I'm hoping the second bag will turn out even better, now that I have some experience as does my wife. 

[redfjniner]

This was my photo shop version that I am trying to accomplish:


Pretty close.

[deersSlayer]

This was my photo shop version that I am trying to accomplish:

Thread drift: magnetic tank bag. Did you do the ULEWZ glued magnets mod?
( http://fj-09.org/thread/255/use-magnetic-tank-bag-plastic )
 
If not, how well does the bag stay on?
 
 

[redfjniner]

Thread drift: magnetic tank bag. Did you do the ULEWZ glued magnets mod? ( http://fj-09.org/thread/255/use-magnetic-tank-bag-plastic )
 
If not, how well does the bag stay on?
 

This is a little Cortec 11L Mini, not made anymore, that worked, and stays on fine.  The best location as when you open the top, the angle makes it harder to use and stuff can fall out.  Not good if you are fishing in there when you are riding.

[deersSlayer]

Thread drift: magnetic tank bag. Did you do the ULEWZ glued magnets mod? ( http://fj-09.org/thread/255/use-magnetic-tank-bag-plastic )
 
If not, how well does the bag stay on?

This is a little Cortec 11L Mini, not made anymore, that worked, and stays on fine.  The best location as when you open the top, the angle makes it harder to use and stuff can fall out.  Not good if you are fishing in there when you are riding.

I hope to use my RKA 17 ltr (6 + 11 expansion), just for tools and a water bottle, and of course the map window for directions (only turn on my GPS for detours or when lost!) Only fish for the water when stopped. I only use the expansion for food at/near end of a day's ride when camping. 
I'd love an expandable ADV style bag: low at front, high at back, so the map window is level. But nobody makes them with magnetic attachment, just with straps.
 
This is my first bike with a sloping gas tank in a lonnnnng time: Yam XS400 Special in 1979.
 

[gabefzr6]

This is a little Cortec 11L Mini, not made anymore, that worked, and stays on fine.  The best location as when you open the top, the angle makes it harder to use and stuff can fall out.  Not good if you are fishing in there when you are riding.

I hope to use my RKA 17 ltr (6 + 11 expansion), just for tools and a water bottle, and of course the map window for directions (only turn on my GPS for detours or when lost!) Only fish for the water when stopped. I only use the expansion for food at/near end of a day's ride when camping. 
I'd love an expandable ADV style bag: low at front, high at back, so the map window is level. But nobody makes them with magnetic attachment, just with straps.
 
This is my first bike with a sloping gas tank in a lonnnnng time: Yam XS400 Special in 1979.

Now that we've hijacked this thread, I am using the same Cortech Mini and experiencing the same issues.  Yamaha offers their (SW-Motech made) City tank bag that uses the quick-lock mount at the gas cap.  However, the the tank ring for the FJ-09/Tracer has only shown up in Yamaha Europe's accessory lists so far.  The tank bag is available here.  I am waiting to see what it looks like installed on our bike and hoping that the tank ring will be offered in the US soon.  If not, I could order the part from Europe.

[redfjniner]

 
Now that I am finished, my conclusions:
If doing again, I would paint the bags.  For me, I could have done a better job.  The vinyl takes practice to wrap the curved surfaces on a side case.  Even with the help from my wife it was impossible to not get the crinklies around the edges.  You get them smoothed out then they reappear.  When you strech the material, it changes the dynamic and makes it hard to figure out what you will end up with next. Like having to cut and lap the material when you end up with too much, like wraping a box with paper.  I have no pictures of the troubles I had.   Like I said, lots of practice before trying a project like this.  Here are some pics:
 
Crinklies:

 
Not  bad looking in picture, but in person, not so good.

 
As long as I am riding, they look good.

[zvez]

did you use the 3m film? It's a bit easier to work with than some of the other stuff out there. That said those compound curves and sharp edges make it pretty tough I think.
 

[redfjniner]

did you use the 3m film? It's a bit easier to work with than some of the other stuff out there. That said those compound curves and sharp edges make it pretty tough I think.

The red is 3M the other is another brand.  They were about the same to work with.