Decals or No Decals?

[Detroit Diesel Man]

So I am wondering what everyone thinks...as you see I have a few decals on the bike..bell helmets/ferodo RK etc...re-thinking if I want to leave em on or not...maybe just go bare..just the oem tank emblem and GS750 on the side panels? Just looking for opinions..Thanks!




John

[tkent02]

How much are those sponsors paying you?

[Detroit Diesel Man]

I knew someone would say that....if thats the case I should take off the "Suzuki" emblems as well...everything we own from a dishwasher to a motorcycle has some sort of branding on it...I generally only have on it what products I use..same with my roll cab at work..it has a few select decals from manufacturers I have dealt with...if I could get a decent "GS Resources" decal I'd find a place for that too mainly because I endorse the site and would recommend it to anone with a GS..its more of an appearence mod and a flash of color to me rather than a huge endorsement i should be paid for...so I'll tally your vote up to "No Decal"..lol Thanks for the reply..

John

[rapidray]

I think it looks pretty good the way it is. Ray.

[wkmpt]

How much are those sponsors paying you?

I think it looks pretty good the way it is. Ray.

X2 on both counts.

Nice lookin' ride, by the way.

[80GS1000]

Sponsor stickers mostly belong on racebikes.

That said, if you do sticker up your bike, make sure you're actually *using* the products for which you're giving free advertising. And that it flows with the rest of the look of the bike.

Nothing looks worse that a Dunlop stickered bike shod in Michelins etc.

The World Superbike / MotoGP / AMA Superbike guys mostly do it right.

[67fire]

These are the decals that are on my bike, they are magnets.





Eric

[Detroit Diesel Man]

Sponsor stickers mostly belong on racebikes.

That said, if you do sticker up your bike, make sure you're actually *using* the products for which you're giving free advertising. And that it flows with the rest of the look of the bike.

Nothing looks worse that a Dunlop stickered bike shod in Michelins etc.

The World Superbike / MotoGP / AMA Superbike guys mostly do it right.

I agree about actually using the products your advertising..I have an RK chain and use Castrol oil and have Ferodo pads..actually have the old formula 2-4 pads..the left side on the chain guard has the old school ferodo decal on it..would love to find 2 old ones to replace the newer style on the forks...and yeah..the dunlop decal on a bike with another brand tire is ..well...just not right..lol Thanks for the replies!

[jwhelan65]

I really like the look of your bike, the decals look good but I agree with PJ they must flow with the build of your bike. The only one in question for me is the castrol sticker on the side of the engine cover, IMO it looks a little out of place. Overall though it it is a sweet looking ride and that new tank will look killer on it. Great Job!

[spyug]

I am no fan of signage other than the manufacturer's logo and even that gets ditched once in awhile. I would never use product decals unless it was for sponshership on a race bike.

I was betwixt and between on the kat bike but finally decided on the Suzuki tank decal and perhaps a small "katana" on the side panels. I ordered decals from E-bay and they arrived yesterday but are the wrong colour and the sizing is off for the tank decal. I am now likely going to leave them off for now.

I think your bike would look better with no decals but leave the tank badge.

Cheers,
Spyug

[1100E]

I like the look but, personally, I'd lose 'em if it were my bike. I've always kept a stock appearance, nothing more or less than what they came with from the factory. Boring? Maybe, but I really like the way stock bikes look. You have a great-looking bike there, I think she'd be even nicer without the decals.

[rapidray]

The reason I like the way your bike looks is that the stickers you have on it give it a "period corect" look. When that bike was new, that was the kind of thing people did to their bikes. Not everyone, but I saw them like that. The only opinion in this matter that counts is YOURS! Ray.

[gbw]

Since you asked for opinions I don't put bumper stickers on my cars and I don't like stickers on my bikes. I like a nice clean look. My 77 GS750B came with a Marteck FI sticker on one side cover and a K&N sticker on the other. I peeled both them off and like it a lot better. Just looks cleaner to me.

That said, I did break my rule on my V-Strom. After riding US-129 in NC/TN I put a little "tail of the dragon" sticker on the rear fender. But, the fender is black and sticker is reflective black, so you can't really see it except at night if you're riding behind me.

Regardless...that is a great looking bike, and if you like the stickers keep them, but put me in the "no decal" camp.

Take care!

[Macguyver]

To decal, or not to decal, that is the question.

I refuse to put decals on my bike unless I have designed them myself.
I have even gone so far as to remove all of the badging and logos from my bike to get that clean look.

Anyone can go buy a decal, it takes creativity to make one. I find it is the only way to get exactly what you want. Most print shops can print/cut decals on 3 mil automotive vinyl with a plotter/cutter. If you have an idea what you want the decals to look like, they can make 'em. Even if you only have an old magazine print of it, most will be able to scan/clean up image, and do them any size you need.

If you find a really good print shop, they can even work with you to make tank/fender/panel wraps. Really easy to make modifications to get just the right look once you have the sizing template, and easy to apply with a little practice. I have applied custom decals on many an object, bike parts, car parts, shotgun stocks, trailers, and even done a few trucks with custom boxside decal wraps.

[Octain]

Its bit much but I kinda like it.(stickers)
I really like the bike. Looks great although it would look better with factory side covers and a little less red and some barend mirrors.

Good looking bike!