170i racing stripes for a 125?

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 7:28 pm

I like the new racing stripes on the front of the 170's. So I thought I'd add some to my 125. But I found that the reflective tape from places like streetglo.net is WAY too stiff to accomodate the curves of the front panel.

Has anyone done this with regular pinstriping vinyl tape? Is the tape stretchy enough to accomodate the curves? Or will I just have to use paint? I'd rather use tape so I can remove it if I don't like the looks after awhile.

Also, anyone with a 170, how wide is the wide stripe and how wide is the thin stripe? It looks like 3" and 3/8" to me.

DrPlasma · Post by **DrPlasma** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 12:40 am

I used reflective tape. It looks white during the day but glows really bright when dark. It's made by 3m, i bought it at auto zone. I used two rolls but striped the front and back fenders too. I had no problem following the buddy's lines.

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 12:41 am

You could just mask it off and spray paint it.

jijifer · Post by **jijifer** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 1:33 am

scooterwest sells a similar decal:

http://www.scooterwest.com/items/?_page ... BLACK/2458

viney266 · Post by **viney266** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 1:39 am

vinyl will stretch like that, especially if you heat it a LITTLE as you go...remember if you leave tape on for long it will fade after a few years ...So me? I"d just paint it

.

I have a friend with a 170. I can measure them for ya if no one else has by then

AWinn6889 · Post by **AWinn6889** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 2:02 am

viney266 wrote:I have a friend with a 170. I can measure them for ya if no one else has by then

1 7/8" and 3/8"

Post by **ericalm** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 5:37 am

Very easy to get stripes made if you can't find reflective tape in that size.

I used https://www.harrisdecals.com/ for my checkered cowl stripes. They can make just about anything and is pretty damn cheap.

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 5:54 am

jijifer wrote:scooterwest sells a similar decal:

http://www.scooterwest.com/items/?_page ... BLACK/2458

Thanks for the link, but I removed the Buddy sticker, so the circle would be empty. Unless I could think of something creative to put in it.

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 5:55 am

AWinn6889 wrote:
viney266 wrote:I have a friend with a 170. I can measure them for ya if no one else has by then
1 7/8" and 3/8"

Thanks! Wow, I was way off with my 3" guess. I got the 3/8" correct though.

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 5:57 am

ericalm wrote:Very easy to get stripes made if you can't find reflective tape in that size.

I used https://www.harrisdecals.com/ for my checkered cowl stripes. They can make just about anything and is pretty damn cheap.

I had already looked at Harris, but didn't find any tape. I guess I need to look harder.

Edit: Found it under race car graphics, then vinyl by the foot. Wow, they give it too you in a giant sheet and you cut it yourself! Cheap too! Cool.

Edit II: Damn, shipping just ruined it. $4 for the sticker and $7 for shipping.

AWinn6889 · Post by **AWinn6889** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 12:43 pm

k1dude wrote:
AWinn6889 wrote:
viney266 wrote:I have a friend with a 170. I can measure them for ya if no one else has by then
1 7/8" and 3/8"
Thanks! Wow, I was way off with my 3" guess. I got the 3/8" correct though.

I was going to say that when you suggested 3", but I didn't want to say, 'no, you're way wrong... but I don't know exactly what it is!"

Mulliganal · Post by **Mulliganal** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 3:32 pm

Anyone have any idea what the width on a stripe like this would be?

AWinn6889 · Post by **AWinn6889** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 3:44 pm

I want to add to the measurements I gave:

There is (ever so slightly more than) 1/4 inch between the two stripes on the 170i.

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 4:04 pm

AWinn6889 wrote:I want to add to the measurements I gave:

There is (ever so slightly more than) 1/4 inch between the two stripes on the 170i.

Thanks! I was just going to eyeball that one. But now I have a guideline.

AWinn6889 · Post by **AWinn6889** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 4:40 pm

k1dude wrote:
AWinn6889 wrote:I want to add to the measurements I gave:

There is (ever so slightly more than) 1/4 inch between the two stripes on the 170i.
Thanks! I was just going to eyeball that one. But now I have a guideline.

Also, I just went downstairs to the garage to measure where exactly the stripes are on there... but I'm going to need three hands to take a picture. With all of the curves and such it's hard to get a specific measurement, even with a soft tape measure. It would be simpler to take a picture than try to explain it

MYSCTR · Post by **MYSCTR** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 8:52 pm

We believe the stripes are actually metric as we found the small stripe and space to be just a bit off as well. Also - both 170i's that have the racing stripes are a different size. We did the same thing our two scoots too.

The Italia looks so much better then my Pamp does...

Here are a few close up shots - we ended up buying a striping kit for a car and now have 30 LF of extra wide tape - we just cut the wider portion to size and left the small stripe as the kit came from AutoZone.

I can measure them tonight if you want yet we just wanted ours to be modelled after the 170i - especially since I have the 171 kit anyway!

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Thu Oct 06, 2011 2:09 am

Nice work MYSCTR. I looked at Autozone and they had no tape wider than 1/2".

Did you use a heat gun to manage the curves?

Edit: Doh! I see you cut it short and didn't go futher down. So I guess it's a pretty straight shot and you don't need to curve anything. Even if you wrapped it around the bottom it's still straight. Or at least straight enough you can just manage the inherent elasticity of room temperature vinyl tape.

MYSCTR · Post by **MYSCTR** » Thu Oct 06, 2011 3:18 am

Well we did pull the Buddy emblem stickers off and took off the shield letting the tape go under by cutting slits at the very end.

The very top and bottom we duplicated exactly as the new 170i stipes were done by Genuine - cut short just to not roll the edge so rain, dirt and debri would not create any problems. We also cut a very small radius at each corner so there were no sharp corners to peel over time.

We did use a blow dryer lightly - as it tends to really warm up fast and the stripe then gets very pliable - only to bubble worse as it cools. As it was it took several days to lay down flat without any bubbles.

The kit we used was a black 6" wide x 24' roll with a pin stripe on both sides. We just cut with a fabric cutting wheel (Shh! Don't tell my wife) and probably have enough to do oh about 75 scooters!

"Easy To Apply - Graphic Detail - Racing Stripe"