A great-looking graphics kit is 30% vinyl and 70% preparation. Good news: none of the steps is rocket science. You need a clean space, the right tools and a calm head. Read this whole guide before you open the kit.
Tools to gather before you start
- A felt-edged squeegee: it pushes the air out without scratching the vinyl. A bare bank card scratches, so skip it.
- A craft knife with a fresh blade (30° blade if possible): a dull blade tears the film instead of cutting it.
- A degreaser: isopropyl alcohol (IPA), neat or lightly cut with water, from a pharmacy or hardware store.
- Two or three clean microfibre cloths: one to clean, one to dry, one spare.
- A hair dryer, or a heat gun on its lowest setting: to soften the vinyl on curves.
- Masking tape (painter's tape): for alignment marks and hinges.
- Optional: a spray bottle (for the wet method), a fine needle or pin, a room thermometer, a lamp to look at the panel in low-angle light.
Lay the kit pieces flat on a clean table in the room where you'll work, a few hours beforehand. The vinyl settles to room temperature and handles better.
The right place and the right temperature
Vinyl adhesive reacts to temperature. Too cold and it won't grab. Too hot and it sticks on first contact while the film turns soft. The comfort zone is around 20 to 25 °C, for both the air and the bike's surface.
- Indoors: garage, workshop, closed room. Not outside, not in the street.
- Out of direct sun: a tank sitting in the Moroccan sun easily goes past 40 °C on the surface. Let it cool down in the shade.
- No wind: it brings sand and dust, and every grain under the vinyl becomes a visible bump.
- Away from building work: sanding dust, plaster, cement, sawdust. If someone's doing DIY next door, postpone.
- Good lighting: a lamp from the side reveals dust and bubbles that ceiling light hides.
In summer, go for early morning or evening, garage door closed. On chergui days, postpone: heat plus dust is the worst possible scenario for a fitting.
Prepping the bike: half the result
1. Wash
Wash the panels with water and mild soap, rinse well, dry with microfibre. Focus on edges, corners and screws: that's where dirt hides.
2. Degrease
Wipe isopropyl alcohol over the whole area that will take the vinyl, then let it evaporate for a minute or two. Switch to a clean side of the cloth often. After that, stop touching the surface with your fingers: skin oil alone is enough to weaken adhesion.
No wax, polish, « plastic restorer » or silicone-based product in the days before fitting: they leave an invisible film the adhesive slides on. Don't use acetone or thinners on plastics either, they can attack them.
3. Remove panels or not?
Taking off a fairing, belly pan or mudguard lets you work flat, at chest height, and wrap the edges properly. It's often cleaner. If you're not comfortable with clips and screws, leave the panels on and work in small areas. Never force a plastic clip when it's cold: it snaps.
Also remove old stickers and adhesive residue: you never lay vinyl over vinyl. The method is in our guide on caring for and removing a graphics kit.
Dry method or wet method?
With the dry method, the vinyl goes straight onto the clean surface. With the wet method, you mist the surface and the adhesive side with slightly soapy water (one litre of water, one drop of neutral washing-up liquid): the piece slides and can be repositioned, then you squeegee the water out.
| Dry method | Wet method | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Medium and small pieces, curves, patient fitters | Large flat pieces, first-timers |
| Repositioning | Limited: the adhesive grabs fast | Easy until the water is pushed out |
| Curves and contours | Yes, with gentle heat | Not recommended: water stops the film holding in recesses |
| Time before riding | Short (about 24 h) | Longer: the water has to evaporate (48 h or more) |
| Main risk | Laying it crooked first time | Trapped water, lifting edges |
Avoid the wet method on heavily curved panels, in cold or humid weather, and if the kit's instructions say « dry application ». Many vehicle film manufacturers advise against it for their wrap vinyls. Too much soap also stops the adhesive from bonding: one drop, no more.
Fitting, piece by piece
Dry-fit and mark your position
Before peeling anything, offer the piece up to the bike with its backing paper on. Line it up with the fairing lines, screws and edges. Hold it with two strips of masking tape, step back two metres and look. Compare with the kit sheet and with the other side of the bike: a graphics kit is judged on symmetry.
For a large piece, make a hinge: a vertical strip of tape across the middle of the piece that holds it in place. Peel half the backing, lay that half, then remove the hinge and lay the other half. The position can't drift.
From the centre outwards
Always start at the centre of the piece, or at its flattest area. With the felt squeegee, make overlapping strokes from the centre outwards, fanning out. The air must always have a way out. Keep the rest of the vinyl slightly off the surface with your other hand, without pulling it.
If an area goes on crooked in the first few seconds, lift it gently without folding the film and lay it again. The longer you wait, the more the adhesive bonds.
Curves: heat, don't stretch
On a tank or a rounded panel, the vinyl forms creases. Warm the area lightly with the hair dryer, or the heat gun on low, at 15-20 cm and always moving: the film turns supple. Guide it with your hand or the squeegee so it follows the shape. It should feel warm, not hot: if you can't keep your finger on it, it's too much.
Don't pull hard on the vinyl. Overstretched film keeps a « memory » and tries to go back to its original shape: that's how edges lift a few days later. On a printed kit, stretching also distorts the design and fades the colours.
A heat gun that's too hot or too close can burn the vinyl, turn it dull or wavy, cloud the protective laminate and even mark the paint or warp thin plastic. Always start on the lowest setting.
Edges and wraps
Edges take the most punishment: wind, washing, rubbing. Finish every piece by going over all the edges with the squeegee, firmly, then with your finger. If the piece folds over an edge or inside a fairing (a « wrap »), warm it slightly, fold it over without stretching and press hard.
Once the whole piece is down, give the worked areas and edges another pass of gentle heat while pressing: the adhesive settles and the film relaxes into its new shape.
Bubbles
An air bubble left after squeegeeing won't go away by forcing it. Prick it with a fine needle at the edge of the bubble, not in the middle, then push the air towards the hole with your finger. The hole is invisible. A water bubble (wet method) gets pushed with the squeegee towards the nearest edge.
A bubble with a speck of dust in it won't go: either you live with it, or you quickly lift the area to remove the speck, if the fitting is recent.
After fitting: patience pays
Vinyl adhesive keeps bonding for several days. Give it time:
- Keep the bike under cover for at least 24 h after a dry fitting, and 48 h or more after a wet one.
- No washing for about a week: that's the delay film manufacturers commonly recommend. And never aim a pressure washer at the edges.
- No long high-speed rides in the rain for the first few days: wind and water attack edges that are still fragile.
- Check the edges after 2 or 3 days. A lifting corner is easy to fix at that point: gentle heat, finger pressure.
Mistakes that ruin a fitting
- Fitting in direct sun or outdoors: over-aggressive adhesive, dust and sand under the film.
- Skipping the degreasing: the piece seems to hold, then the edges lift at the first wash.
- Fitting without marks: a crooked logo isn't obvious up close, but it shows from two metres.
- Peeling all the backing at once on a large piece: the vinyl sticks to itself and is ruined.
- Stretching the film to hide a defect: it will shrink back eventually.
- Overheating: burnt vinyl, clouded laminate, marked plastic.
- Cutting on the bike with a worn blade or pressing hard: you score the paint under the film.
- Washing too early, especially with a pressure washer.
Not sure? Show us
Unsure where a piece goes, got a crease that won't shift, or a piece that doesn't match your bike? Take a photo or a short video in good light and send it on WhatsApp at +212 6 61 14 02 85. Better one question before than three ruined pieces after.
Don't have your kit yet? Browse the ready-to-fit kits by model, or get a custom kit designed for your bike, with fitting available at our workshop in Fès. To choose, also read how to choose a motorcycle graphics kit.
FAQ
How long does it take to fit a full graphics kit?
For a first time, allow half a day to a full day for a complete kit, prep included, without rushing. The time spent washing, degreasing and marking positions is what makes the difference. Don't start late in the evening determined to finish at all costs.
Can I put the kit over my old stickers?
No. Vinyl laid over vinyl holds poorly, shows the outline of the old one and lifts sooner. Remove the old stickers and adhesive residue first, clean, degrease, then fit.
Will the kit damage my bike's paint?
On original paint or plastic in good condition, quality vinyl usually comes off cleanly with a little heat. The risk is on resprayed paint, flaking clear coat or recent touch-ups: the adhesive can pull off whatever was barely holding. If your bike has been repainted, wait until the paint is fully cured and ask your painter how long that takes.
Wet or dry method, which is best for a first time?
The wet method is more forgiving on large flat pieces because you can reposition. But it's not recommended on curves and it lengthens drying time. For most pieces of a motorcycle kit, the dry method with masking-tape marks is the most reliable. Always follow the instructions if the kit comes with any.
I messed up a piece, it's creased or stuck to itself. Can it be saved?
If it went on a few minutes ago, lift it gently, pulling flat without folding, and lay it again. If the vinyl has stuck to itself or torn, it rarely recovers cleanly. Send a photo on WhatsApp: a damaged piece can be remade individually as a custom job.
When can I wash my bike after fitting?
Wait about a week, the delay film manufacturers commonly recommend for the adhesive to reach full strength. After that, hand wash with lukewarm water and mild soap, and keep the pressure washer away from the edges.