Holiday 696 Mods.

[wisdesign]

Weather cleared long enough for the snow to melt, and me to take some pictures... Just thought I'd share... 











Oh yeah... got the HM jacket - it's sweet!

[cbartlett419]

that bike is fecking hot, would you mind giving a total mods list?

[be350ka]

Looks really nice.  I like the red detail on the tank and seat cover.  I have the Termi carbons on mine, but think that the Arrows look killer, too.

My upgrade list for this winter are the Rizoma mirrors, bar ends, DP oil cooler, and DP tail chop.  Next is some powder coat work for the headlight bracket, exhaust brackets, and heat shrouds.  

Oh, how did you black out your forks?

[flanman]

Great pics I love the red stripe detail on the tank/tail as a whole it all works nicely done!

[wisdesign]

Whew!... glad you guys like the stripe... I had a "did I take it too far?" moment there for a second...

Here's the total mod list (or what I can remember anyway) in no particular order:

Removed Charcoal Canister - replaced with Euro shroud from motowheels.com.
Removed Reflectors (of course)
Blacked out (painted) the headlamp surround
Blacked out the exhaust heat shield (high temp ceramic paint) and exhaust hangers.
Arrow Carbon Slip-on exhaust
Blacked out the Arrow logos (originally yellow and blue)
Competition Werkes tail chop kit - blacked out
DP LED signals - front and rear
ASV shorty levers
CRG Lanesplitters + Rhinomoto barends
Carbon front fender from motowheels.com
Black vinyl fork wrap (that was a fun one  )
AND... some fun with red rim tape...



I'm feeling like it's mostly there... just a few more I'd like to get around to eventually.  I'm really hoping motowheels comes through with their rearset for the 696 'cause the stock set sticks out like a sore thumb with everything blacked out.  I've got some motovation rear axle sliders on the way so I can use my rear stand with spool pick-ups. 

 

[Danmack_98]

Badass!!!  I've got a darky and now I must get the vinyl on the forks!!  Nice job!

[stopintime]

Red stripes = perfect  Nice work otherwise too!

Can you tell us more (all!) about the vinyl fork job? (except "fun ")

[Raux]

can you take the arrow nameplates off the cans? i dont like putting ads on my bike.

[wisdesign]

I started taking the Arrow plates off the exhaust to do this work, but thought better of it after considering my recent knack at causing another problem while trying to "fix" something else.  I suppose you could remove them, but I'm not sure what you'd end up with underneath there.  I get the whole thing about not promoting somebody else's brand, but this ain't Coca-Cola... these are brands that mean something to motorcyclists and not alot to non-motorcyclists - which is why I'll keep 'em. 

The black vinyl I bought came from a posting on the old site (I think) about somebody who did this on an older style monster.  It's Oracal gloss black vinyl.  Pretty cheap - bought a roll (maybe 5 yds.) from an online retailer.  I thought this looked nicer than the flat black vinyl I've seen on other forks - personal opinion. Once you get the hang of it, it's not so bad, but here's a few tips:

1. If possible, do this in a warm, well-lit area.  My freezing cold garage in the dead of winter wasn't the best location.  The warmer it is, the more flexible the vinyl will be - which means it'll be easier to work out any air bubbles and get it to conform to an area if the cut isn't perfect.

2. If you're not patient or relaxed - Don't do it.  It may actually be easier to pull the whole front end apart and anodize the damn things. 

3. Determine how much of a perfectionist you are - if it has to be dead nuts, spot on, no mistakes, prepare to spend some time doing it.  If you've got a buddy that runs a sign shop and installs vinyl on a daily basis - have him/her help you.  Buy them dinner, beer or even jewelry - it'll be worth it.

4. Remove the front fender, handlebar, and handlebar mount on the triple.

5. On the lower, flared bit of the fork tubes, cut two strips - one for the larger diameter at the base and one for the transition (chamfered face).  You'll never notice that it's not one piece. 

6. If you're not a super duper perfectionist, cut small strips to cover up any imperfection in the alignment on the very top and bottom (by the triple clamp).  You're much more likely to notice a ragged edge there than if theres a hairline ridge where the two pieces of vinyl overlap. 

7. Use paper or tape to make a template for the top of the forks above the upper triple.  This is a tricky shape.  Exercise maximum patience. 

This is getting long, so if anyone's got more questions or wants specific tips, just PM me. 
 

[swampduc]

How difficult was it to do the rim striping?

[duclvr]

Looking good, If I had to nit pick I would get rid of that frame sticker.

[be350ka]

What brand of paint did you use for the heat shields and headlight?

[wisdesign]

Rim strips - piece of cake.  Get a buddy to roll the bike forward while you apply the strip.  Mine came with a little plastic applicator that made it easy to keep it (relatively) straight.

The paint - It's Dupli-Color High Heat + Ceramic.  Found the best results by following the directions (go figure  ) - apply two light coats about ten minutes apart followed by one medium coat.  Repeat again in under an hour for a thicker coat. 

With alot of these mods, I started out not sure whether or not I would like it, which is why I went with paint and vinyl versus powdercoat and anodize.  The paint holds up well so far, but powdercoat is probably best for a permanent finish on the headlamp bezel.   In fact - if I end up with some more time on my hands (not likely) I may have this piece powdercoated along with the bar mounts and maybe the upper clamp.  Nice thing about painting though is the turnaround time to results - especially important during the riding season.   [moto]

[wisdesign]

Looking good, If I had to nit pick I would get rid of that frame sticker.

Dang... Can't please everyone I guess... 

[duclvr]

Dang... Can't please everyone I guess... 

Just please yourself.