One matte-black helmet:
(http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/wladziu-cherry/DSC04243.jpg)
One favorite cutting instrument:
("It puts the lotion on it's skin!")
(http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/wladziu-cherry/DSC04246.jpg)
One retroreflective helmet sticker kit from http://www.streetglo.net/streetglo_files/helmet.flame.decal.htm?tp=CONTINUE+SHOPPING (http://www.streetglo.net/streetglo_files/helmet.flame.decal.htm?tp=CONTINUE+SHOPPING)
Package contents: shipping receipt ($27, standard shipping, took about 4 days)
sticker sheet, rolled in a plastic envelope
buyer's remorse
(http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/wladziu-cherry/DSC04247.jpg)
You probably can't tell from only the pictures, but the stickers are not cut symmetrically! Seriously, I think it was designed in 1982.
Most notably - the crooked little stars and the arrow-type bars.
If you're anal about it, you're gonna want to trim the sides with a razor blade or something, like I did.
I found it easier to trim them once stuck onto the helmet.
There are two pages. The top page (shown) has the bulk of the stickers. Most are side-by-side. Second page is under the first, so be careful not to cut into it when you open the package.
Second page contains the stupid "SS" design from 1982, a little company logo sticker, and a few more of the long oval/bar things.
(http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/wladziu-cherry/DSC04252.jpg)
(http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/wladziu-cherry/DSC04255.jpg)
Warnings on the plastic envelope: (This is all you get from the company. For $27. Awesome!)
(http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/wladziu-cherry/DSC04250.jpg)
(http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/wladziu-cherry/DSC04251.jpg)
I didn't follow any of those directions.
Not very complicated. Just make sure your helmet and your hands are clean.
The stickers WERE slightly wrinkled, like the warnings said. But, they relaxed once they came off the backing paper. Of course, it was a balmy 92 degrees Fahrenheit that day...
I'm not gonna tell you how to put on stickers, or show photographs of me doing it. Streetglo does offer an instructional video on their website, though (as the warning stickers point out). http://www.streetglo.net/decal-sticker-installation-instructions.htm (http://www.streetglo.net/decal-sticker-installation-instructions.htm)
Don't worry too much about static cling making the sticker roll back on itself. They're substantial enough to resist curling. However, I only peel off the small ones completely. The larger pieces, I peel back as I go. Shouldn't be too much of a problem for the clumsy folks. Just try to find a helmet without a lot of 3D ridges and grooves.
The adhesive is pretty strong.
Didn't take a picture of the back of the sticker, which is metallic.
The retroreflective stuff doesn't dull razor blades or scissors as badly as most - meaning the glass beads or whatever aren't very large.
Caution: They DO stretch. So, repeated manipulations isn't advised. Have your design chosen BEFORE you lay them down.
I had to pull some of it up for relocation, but I don't suggest it.
Also, they don't tear super easily... but they DO tear.
They're decently thick material, but tiny bubbles are still a problem. (Hah! Tiny bubbles! In my beer.... Nevermind.)
The "poke a hole in the center of the bubble with a pin" trick ... doesn't work so well on these. The air comes out, but the metallic backing keeps the pinhole from being invisible, unlike acetate or paper stickers.
Probably would have better luck using a lubricant and a credit card, but John Wayne wouldn't have. He'd have used the butt of his Winchester .44-40 and a cold stare. I've seen him do it.
Anyway, as you can see, the kit gives you some room to play around with the design. The back of the helmet is where I wanted the most coverage, though. Unfortunately, that's where the supplied stickers looked the ugliest. I tried to change it... still looks pretty ugly. Threw on some rim stripe sticker material, just to add more surface area. Horrible.
I wanted yellow, but the daylight color is more towards orange.
It's the only "yellow" that they have. Doesn't look bad on a matte-black helmet, but looks weird on my Safety Yellow bike.
Tried to take a picture without exposing the reflective stuff to a lot of light. I'll maybe take better ones later, in the daylight.
Extra little sticker on the left side is just to cover up a mistake I made; doesn't come in the package.
(http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/wladziu-cherry/DSC04259.jpg)
(http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/wladziu-cherry/DSC04256.jpg)
(http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/wladziu-cherry/DSC04262.jpg)
(http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/wladziu-cherry/DSC04259.jpg)
Reflected color is yellow, as you can see. Pretty bright at night. Pictures don't do the reflection justice, at all.
VERY noticeable. :thumb:
(http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/wladziu-cherry/DSC04258.jpg)
(http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/wladziu-cherry/DSC04261.jpg)
(http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/wladziu-cherry/DSC04257.jpg)
Not a lot on the front. I didn't want to put eyebrows or reminiscent little face-pubes.
(http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/wladziu-cherry/DSC04263.jpg)
(http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/wladziu-cherry/DSC04264.jpg)
Sparx (the helmet manufacturer) sent me this one FREE OF CHARGE, after my last one was scratched. Even got to switch designs.
They paid postage and sent an extra mirrored visor. The mirrored one won't look good with these stickers, but they don't sell it on the common market.
Anybody want a mirrored visor?
The little HotWheel car is about 3/4" long (about 19mm), for comparison. It's a size "Small" helmet.
Personally i think the layout looks cool. I'd even go so far as to say it looks better than most of the crap the helmets the manufacturers are putting out. You did a good job. And i'm picky as hell so this means something!
Right where it belongs - Bob!
Thanks.
I really wanted a biohazard symbol on the rear, until I heard about the HIV guys having it as a tattoo.
Still want it, but I'm not too keen on having a squid guy jeering at me from his CBR-1e6th.
I've really got to get my wife to take better pictures for me, though.
I stood at the end of the block with it that evening, as she shined a light in my general direction. She said it was very visible. Maybe it'll help a little.
Cool. Looks good!
Other types:
http://www.reflectivedecals.com/moto.htm (http://www.reflectivedecals.com/moto.htm)
http://purpleharley.com/reflective_decals.htm (http://purpleharley.com/reflective_decals.htm)
http://www.reflectivelyyours.com/generic37.html (http://www.reflectivelyyours.com/generic37.html)
http://www.tapeworks.com/GENERIC%20Kits/GenericKits_helmets.html (http://www.tapeworks.com/GENERIC%20Kits/GenericKits_helmets.html)
Don't think the last site is selling retroreflective ones, though.
Or mask your helmet off with a standard decal kit and spray away with this.
http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=125
Clear over with any color tinted clear and it should look decent.
I've been looking all over for a can of that stuff! I wanna paint my bike with it.
You're not supposed to paint over it, though. Just like the road paint in the rain, the crystals in it only work at a certain depth from the surface.
Wow, that does look really good! Especially the even gaps between the stickers. Good work man!
Cool job! On the curves on the side were the spaces intentional or was that how the decals "fit" personally I would have liked that part closed in! I did my own decals on my Shoei wish they were reflective though!
(http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr264/Toogoofy317/P1000271.jpg) (http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr264/Toogoofy317/P1000274-1.jpg)
Mary
The gaps are just how the kit is designed. You can put them closer together, if you're not keen on the look.
Cool, I may think about that kit when I get my back up helmet!
Thanks for the write-up. How do you peel a sticker again!
Mary
Quote from: Toogoofy317 on May 05, 2009, 01:24:12 AM
Cool job! On the curves on the side were the spaces intentional or was that how the decals "fit" personally I would have liked that part closed in! I did my own decals on my Shoei wish they were reflective though!
Mary
Mary, I really like that dragon decal. Where did you get it?
I got a Scorpion EXO-400 helmet on clearance from Bikebandit at a killer price b/c the graphics could be construed as a little *ahem* effeminent. I thought I could live with it, but now that it's arrived, oh my...... Let's just say somethings gotta change, at it's not going to be me!
I too like the idea of reflective tape, but Streetglo's designs just don't do it for me. But that dragon design just might fit the bill.
I have a sparx helmet , how much do you want to let the mirror lense go for?
Quote from: qwertydude on May 04, 2009, 01:36:14 AM
Or mask your helmet off with a standard decal kit and spray away with this.
http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=125
Clear over with any color tinted clear and it should look decent.
I was looking at that to go over a design thats already on mine. Ill post when i get this done. Awesome job by the way. That yellow looks great against the matte black. The lines flow with the helmet also. :thumb: :cheers:
Hey Major I got those off ebay. They are from Fatal threat. It was 8 for the set shipped. I don't think you can see it in the pic but there are also two smaller dragons about and inch long wasn't sure where to put them at first but they ended up on the chin facing each other with the small lethal threat decal in the middle! I want to say this is who I got it from but not 100% sure
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BLUE-DRAGON-DECALS-TANKS-FENDERS-WINDOW-CHOPPER-QUAD_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ72Q3a1205Q7c66Q3a2Q7c65Q3a12Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a1Q7c293Q3a1Q7c294Q3a50QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem1c09006b25QQitemZ120410106661QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories
Mary
Very nice :cheers:
Quote from: nofearblackstar on May 05, 2009, 12:03:45 PM
I have a sparx helmet , how much do you want to let the mirror lense go for?
$30 + shipping.