In the Shop with Ron

by Ron Johnson A PERSONAL CHOICE

This month in the shop we have what I call a budget personalization project. To be specific, we’re going to put some tape pinstripes on a 2017 H-D Street Glide. This is a fairly inexpensive project and adds a bit of a personal touch. Having the bike parked and the seat removed, the first step is to thoroughly clean the area to be striped with a solvent-based wax and grease remover.

For the next step, I use 1/8th-inch fine line masking tape to lay out how and where I want the stripes. By using the masking tape, I can reposition or smooth out any lines without much problem. When laying out the masking tape, keep in mind you want to use it as a guide and run the tape stripe next to it so the masking tape needs to be 1/8th-inch or so away from where you want the actual tape stripe to be. Use the feature lines or contour lines as a guide to maintain a symmetrical layout so both sides end up (hopefully) looking the same. For this project, we went with a simple single color two-stripe design in a dark gray metallic color with one 1/8th-inch stripe and one 3/16th-inch stripe with a 1/8th-inch space in between.

The stripe tape is actually three layers: the backing, the stripe(s), and a clear film on top to keep the stripes aligned with each. To apply the stripe tape, cut a piece from the roll that is plenty long enough to do the area you plan on striping—you don’t want to run short in the middle of a panel; i.e., gas tank, side cover, fender etc., and have to splice the stripe. It can be done, but just doesn’t look too good (solely my opinion). Next, peel the backing away, leaving the stripes attached to the clear film. Work with a short distance at a time; start at an end and guide the stripe with one hand while gently smoothing with the other hand. I stress the word gently because by not pressing too hard if you make a mistake, you can carefully raise the tape and reposition if necessary. Leave the clear film attached until you have the stripes exactly where you want them. To trim the stripe carefully, lay a razor blade on the stripe and using the part you want to remove pull the stripe up against the blade. DO NOT PRESS BLADE INTO THE STRIPE! You will cut the surface of the paint! If it’s on metal, it will eventually rust— if it’s on plastic or fiberglass, it will cause chipping or flaking. Now firmly press stripe from start to finish, with clear film still in place. Once satisfied everything is in place, carefully remove the clear protective film, leaving just the stripe. Next time you’re out with a few other black Street Glides, yours won’t be hard to find.

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