What you’ll need:
- we use
Degreas ing age nt/c leaner
/brake clea ner
con tact
ner the
Some rags /clo ths - the clea
do
ter but an old t-sh irt will
bet
er
Wa rm, soa py wat
Heat gun /ha ir dryer
t knif e/
Scis sors - if poss ible a craf
scalpel
wan t to rush
Time! This isn’t a job you
e you do it)
(at leas t not the first tim
1. Remove the existing graphics.
Back in the day the graphics
your bike came with would be
paper-thin - you’d need long-ass
nails and the patience of a saint
to get them off in one piece.
Now most graphics are sturdy
enough to come off cleanly in
one go - if needed apply a little
heat using a hair dryer or heat
gun to soften things up. It’s also
useful to remove anything that
might get in your way during the
installation process - in most
cases that means the seat but for
us loosening the front brake cable
from its stays gave us better
access to the front number plate
and fork guards.
2. The next thing you want to
do is get the plastics as smooth
and clean as you can to give
your graphics the best possible
surface to grip onto. Using a
degreaser - we use brake cleaner
- give the plastics a good rub
down to get rid of dirt, grease and
any residue left behind by the old
decals. Any solvents left on the
plastic after this may affect the
longevity of your graphics - so
next give them a quick onceover with a warm damp cloth
with a touch of detergent. If your
plastics have seen a fair bit of
use, this is a good chance to
use a sharp knife/razor blade to
smoothen out the edges of any
deep scratches. Oh and give your
hands a good wash!
3. It’s always a good shout to
start with the simplest piece.
Each bike and each brand of
graphics is a little different in
shape, flex and stickiness - so
starting somewhere relatively
small and flat will give you a feel
for what you’re doing without
risking a fall at the first hurdle. In
our case we’re going for the front
number plate.
42 | FreestyleXtreme
How To: Fit MX Graphics
U
nless you’re a professional, sadly a new season doesn’t necessarily
equate to a new bike. Luckily though, for the price of a set of
decals you can keep your ride looking fresh - but there’s no point
rocking hot new graphics if they’re wonky and full of bubbles. Even if
nobody notices how it looks, that’s a recipe for peeling edges and ripped
numbers.
Our friends at Spiral Graphics (www.spiralgfx.com) sorted us out with
some custom decals for one of our in-house TMs (a 2014 TM125MX)
and we thought it was a good chance to show how to get the most from
your graphics kit. Getting them on straight and keeping ‘em stuck can be
deceptively difficult but if you follow these steps hopefully you can avoid
any sticky situations...
4. Before anything gets peeled
off hold the graphic against the
plastic and work out how you’re
go ing to want it positioned. Make
a note of any bolt holes or edges
you can use for alignment. For
front number plates and mud
guards we always prioritise
symmetry - if they’re a tiny bit
high or low it’s better than being
over to one side.
5. Now start by folding the
backing paper back about
halfway - this lets you position
a few key points without the
graphics sticking to your fingers
while you work. Carefully align
the piece and just touch it to the
plastic - letting it stick by itself
rather than pressing anything
down. Once you’re happy with
the placement, peel the rest of
the backing away and roll down
what’s left of the sticker. Do this
as smoothly as you can and in
a consistent direction, applying
gentle pressure as you go to
avoid air bubbles. At this point if
you spot any errors the graphics
should still peel back. If you need
to, try and use sharp, even force
rather than pulling at it so that
you don’t warp the graphic. If it
looks good you can start pressing
it down firmly. We use a cloth
to do this - go over the whole
graphic, paying close attention to
corners and edges.
bik e as cle an as
Sta rt wi th yo ur
to be per fec t
- it do esn’t ne ed
po ssi ble
t an d dirt in th e
bu t th e les s gri
e ea sie r it’ll be to
genera l are a, th
ur
nt pa rts (an d yo
ke ep th e im po rta
ha nd s) cle an .
6. Every bike will have a few
nightmare areas. You might
be lucky but often the radiator
shrouds will have a few narrow
and curved areas - in this case
bolt holes are your friends. Use
them to line up the decal and
start from a relatively central area.
You may want to cut and peel the
backing off in sections so you can
work a bit at a time rather than
trying to nail the whole piece in
one go.
7. The side panels, on the other
hand, are ALWAYS a potential
nightmare for a simple reason:
they’re a big, curved, 3D area
and your graphics pieces are
flat. As always, heat is extremely
useful in giving your graphics the
suppleness and slight stretch
necessary for a smooth finish.
We begin by pulling down the
backing on the top half of the
piece and starting the contact
horizontally across the centre
of the decal - usually running
between two corners to help
alignment. Once it’s lined up we
work upwards from one side to
the other - avoiding pressing
anything down too hard. Once
we’re happy with this we work
downwards very slowly, keeping
the graphic warm as we go. For
this section we live by the rule
that air bubbles are better (and
much easier to get rid of) than
creases. If you catch any small
bubbles it should work out all
right - but if you start to get
creases it’s a good idea to peel it
back and try again. Be patient - if
you get this part perfect on your
first go you should give serious
consideration to becoming a
professional bike graphics fitter.