Vinyl wrap on blinding chrome on TC fuel tank...

Cu Dubh

Active member
My green TC (er, Manhattan Metallic Matte, or whatever) has 'chrome' access covers on the tank: one for accessing the fuel cap and the other for the phone storage that doesn't fit my phone. The problem is that these covers reflect the sunlight when the sun is over my shoulder and it is absolutely blinding. I prefer not to schedule my rides to avoid the sun. Therefore my thought is to tape off the area and paint these gawdawful bits of bling with black Plasti-dip.

Any thoughts from the collective, pro or con?
 
I take it sunglasses don't help much.
On another note, I did lots of mods on an R1200c once only to hear a seasoned forum member caution me about the virtue of leaving a bike stock as much as possible. Nothing wrong with adding chrome and bling but think twice before you alter the bike in a way that it can't be returned to original state. (I don't mean to sound like your dad)
 
Alex & Adam, I'll explore the vinyl wrap; seems like a good solution as the Plasti-dip, while non-permanent, is also relatively easy to scratch or begin peeling. I haven't done any vinyl wrap but it seems to be a well-established process.

R12C (er, Dad 😉), thanks for the input. I concur with you in general: mods should be value-added and either reversible or, at least, do not permanently alter the structural design, unless it's a hot rod or show vehicle. This little mod would certainly be reversible, whether Plasti-dip or vinyl wrap. I tend to keep my equipment for a long time and not trade them out much, meaning that, to me, trade-in or re-sale value is also typically not a major concern.
 
I've plastidipped an entire cruiser before including the fuel tank. One thing to be aware is that fuel will degrade/dissolve plastidip.

I removed the plastidip 3 years later to sell the bike. Worked great.
 
I've plastidipped an entire cruiser before including the fuel tank. One thing to be aware is that fuel will degrade/dissolve plastidip.

I removed the plastidip 3 years later to sell the bike. Worked great.
Thanks. I'm aware of the fuel issue, and I'm impressed you made it 3 years!
 
I finally made time to apply vinyl wrap to the TC's fuel panel. Panel is easy to R/R. As this was my fist time using this stuff, it was a bit fiddly but got it done.
Also did the garishly blinding (to me) chrome panel on top of the trunk. Much better.
 

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Removing the tank trim panel -

Finally took some pics of the bolts removed to take the trim panel off the tank. It's easy and a no-brainer, once I actually looked at it.

There are 7 bolts total: 5 hold the panel assembly to the tank, and 2 hold the gas cap cover to the panel. I didn't take photos of these last 2 as they're self-evident...
and I had already re-installed everything.

> Remove the phone holder from the lower part of the panel. This is easy as it snaps right out (and back in). Be careful not to damage the fan/charger wiring, then unplug the wiring from the phone holder.

> Remove the 2 bolts from inside the gas cap (top) access. The bolts are located on either side of the gas cap.

> Remove the 2 bolts from UPPER end the lower access; these were hidden under the phone holder. (Note that the photo for this is rotated 180°, making it appear the bolts are at the lower end of the recess; they are not. My annotation even read "bottom"... sometimes I'm oblivious to the obvious)

> Lift the front of the rider's seat and remove the 1 bolt from the little shiny plastic panel.

> Lift out the little shiny bit of plastic panel. This piece secures the lower edge of the larger tank panel.

> Lift the larger tank panel up and off the tank.

> Remove the 2 bolts or screws that attach the gas cap access door to the tank panel. Watch that you keep the spring mechsnism controlled.

> Have your way with it while it's so accessible. Re-installation is easy.
 

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I finally made time to apply vinyl wrap to the TC's fuel panel. Panel is easy to R/R. As this was my frst time using this stuff, it was a bit fiddly but got it done.
Also did the garishly blinding (to me) chrome panel on top of the trunk. Much better.
Looks great! .. congrats
 
Outstanding! I'm far too lazy to take everything off from beneath the panels, but I do plan to wrap the panels themselves.
Only takes about 5 minutes or so to remove the panel, and it's one heck of a lot easier applying the vinyl. Unless you don't intend to wrap the vinyl around the panel edges.
 
Hmm. Never really noticed a glare issue on mine, and I live in an area with 275 days of sunshine each year. Maybe I'm just used to it. After all, I did an entire fuel tank in chrome on my 71 BSA bsa2.jpg
 
Chrome or not, the top of the B/TC tank with the fuel lid and phone compartment is not my favorite part of the bike. But there are much worse, like those cruisers with big speedos on the tank, looks awful...

I would love just a tank without ornaments and a fuel cap on top. I would easily sacrifice the phone/GPS feature for that.
 
Hmm. Never really noticed a glare issue on mine, and I live in an area with 275 days of sunshine each year. Maybe I'm just used to it. After all, I did an entire fuel tank in chrome on my 71 BSA View attachment 8846
Good point! You're probably right... you're probably used to it. In my case I've moved from an area with year-round riding to one that is very seasonal so, maybe, I'm no longer used to the sun shining so much.😂
 
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