Tankslapper Kit 06

[GreyGoose]

Has anyone ordered the Tankslapper kit yet to protect soft paint that now comes standard on the 06? I've used this material before and it works pretty well. I was wondering how well they cut the pieces to match the contours on the 06? I dont use a tank bag, so my main areas of concern are the tops of the bags, sides of the tank, and lower cowling areas.

GreyGoose

 

[pawtracks]

GreyGoose,

Check out my review of their shop.

https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=7696

I spent a few hours with the owner and his family doing my 05.

He has the 06 kit all ready to go as well.

Said every single piece was different (minus the bags I think)

I also got the rear 3M reflective kit.

Looks satin black during the day but headlights hit them they are like street signs or a license plate bright.

Great outfit!

Wow, what are the odds we join the FJR forum the same day, one after each other and have the same # of posts.

Send me a PM with your phone/email if you have any specific questions about how the kit went on.

I had a front row seat during the install.

 

[Fjrtn]

Has anyone ordered the Tankslapper kit yet to protect soft paint that now comes standard on the 06? I've used this material before and it works pretty well. I was wondering how well they cut the pieces to match the contours on the 06? I dont use a tank bag, so my main areas of concern are the tops of the bags, sides of the tank, and lower cowling areas.
GreyGoose

GreyGoose:

Yes the '06 Tankslapper kits are cut and shipping. I just received mine last week (after having to return the incorrect '05 and earlier version, but Tankslapper...Lucas...couldn't have been more helpful in the exchange) and installed it over the weekend.

Everything went on smoothly. This is the third set I have installed so far. The tank is very well protected with a total of 6 pieces, the bags with one piece each for the top on front sections, the "V" below the radiator...3M..., the headlights...3M...,side areas around the front pegs...3M...,and 3 pieces for around the gray trip piece at the rear of the tank. However, I have 4 pieces left over (two long curved pieces of regular material and two odd shaped 3M pieces with holes in them), and I can't figure out where they go. The long curved pieces I thought would go on the side panels (gray) but they don't seem to work there no mater how you position them. Anyone have a clue where these 4 pieces belong??????

Fjrtn

 

[pawtracks]

FJRTN,

I bet Lucas does

Sorry, I have an 05 but I am sure he could tell you.

If they have holes in them, that usually means they fit around a screw area.

Could be they were slipped into your order by mistake though.

Each bike is not displayed on the website & I did not get mine shipped to me so I don't know if the kit comes with any picture instructions (place piece 1 here, etc...)

Give him a call.

 

[Fjrtn]

Thanks pawtracks. Don't know why I didn't think of this first, but went to the Tankslapper site, and sure enough, Lucas has added the layout of the '06 pieces! It is now clear to me where the extra pieces belong. Appreciate your feedback.

Fjrtn

 

[GreyGoose]

JUst recieved the kit for the 06 yesterday and did the installation. Took me and a bud about 4 hours to get it done. Most of the time was spent on the bags. I ordered the 3m material for the bags vs. the tankslapper material. The 3 M material is great stuff but can be hell to work with on contours (like the bags). Overall, the lucas kit was cut well. We had some overlap on the bags and learned a valuable lesson. Dont use a razor knife to try and trim it. I"m not sure what it does to the material but it makes the edges alot more visable. This stuff is close to invisible once its on. I recommend 2 people to work with the 3M stuff. It takes one to line up and position while the other sqeegees. The tankslapper material (vs 3M material) is much easier to work with, but not a durable and can require tons of patience to mold to contours. I"ve got alot of small air bubbles under the material right now that i'm told will dissapear in time. If thats the case, i'll be pretty happy with the kit.

Greygoose

 

[pawtracks]

I would say 95% of my air bubbles were gone within a day (in the sun) most likely longer if left indoors.

I had a few that would not go away on my tank so I lifted and replaced that one piece.

A tip he gave me that worked well was to stick the pieces on a piece of glass while not on the bike. I cleaned my car window really well before hand and stuck it there while I washed down the tank, then dipped the tankslapper film in a bucket of clean water to get any dust off it before putting it back on. The second time around all the bubbles are now out. Almost impossible to see (unless you know it's there) from 5 feet away. Since I know it's there I can see the edges depending on the light, but it still looks great.

 

[GreyGoose]

I would say 95% of my air bubbles were gone within a day (in the sun) most likely longer if left indoors.I had a few that would not go away on my tank so I lifted and replaced that one piece.

A tip he gave me that worked well was to stick the pieces on a piece of glass while not on the bike. I cleaned my car window really well before hand and stuck it there while I washed down the tank, then dipped the tankslapper film in a bucket of clean water to get any dust off it before putting it back on. The second time around all the bubbles are now out. Almost impossible to see (unless you know it's there) from 5 feet away. Since I know it's there I can see the edges depending on the light, but it still looks great.

Its not the tankslapper material that gave us the all the problem. its the 3m material. We worked for hours on getting it positioned correctly and trying to get the bubbles out of the hardbags. We just couldnt get them all. the 3m material clings much more than the tankslapper material. we worked it,,,,,then reworked and still have a bunch of bubbles. Temperature here is going to be in the 50's all week, so i'm not expecting to see much change. Hopefully some warm weather will remedy the situation. If not, i'll have to redo the bags and the 3m material will have to be replaced since its not reusable like the tankslapper material. this stuff is much harder to work with than i imagined. Tankslapper material took no time at all. Its that high quality 3M stuff that been a real thorn in my arse!!!!! The other pieces went on relatively easily (even the cowling went pretty well). Just the hard bags thats been breaking our balls.

GreyGoose

 

[paste007]

In prepping for the tankslapper kit, is it advisable to wax the bike first?

Also, after installation, do you just wash the bike, or wash, then wax over the tankslapper material?

Lastly, I saw that Lucas applied the kit to one of the forum members who took his bike into their shop in Escondido. Is the that ideal situation, to avoid the minor problems noted in some of the previous posts?

 

[pawtracks]

In prepping for the tankslapper kit, is it advisable to wax the bike first?
Also, after installation, do you just wash the bike, or wash, then wax over the tankslapper material?

Lastly, I saw that Lucas applied the kit to one of the forum members who took his bike into their shop in Escondido. Is the that ideal situation, to avoid the minor problems noted in some of the previous posts?

I did, & would again. You want the surface as clean as possible, you want the nice clean paint showing through the clear stuff, don't you? It also helps it stick better if the surface is nice and clean.

I gently wash the bike with the tankslapper on, no heavy water jet or direct spray to the edges of the material. I don't wax the material, I use Plexus plastic cleaner to shine it up nice.

That someone was me. Before seeing it done live I thought I could have done it. After seeing it I know I would have had issues with the lower cowl area of the fairing. Some people even try to do it while it is still on the bike. Those are the people Lucas says call in and ask for a new piece of 3M. They reached the end of their rope and wadded it up in a ball in frustration.

The 3M material is much much harder to install than the tankslapper. 1. You have to get it right, it is a one time use design. (once it is on, it is designed to stay on) 2. If you remove it (which you can) it will not go back on. Time for a new one. 3. Lucas said temperature is a key element of the 3M. GreyGoose said it was in the 50's. When Lucas installed mine at 10am it was 60-65 and he still used a small amount of heat gun here/there as he stretched it during the install. I can imagine the side bags being fun with 3M :glare: Lot's of complex multi-direction contours.

It wasn't easy with the tankslapper either. I have been riding my FJR to work much more this past week without bags, just my Givi46 (much easier to slip between cars) so I have not put a whole lot of miles on the road with bags & tankslapper. Lucas said if the wind causes the tankslapper to lift up to come back & switch to the 3M. So far I would say I have 300 miles on the bags, no problems yet.

 

[GreyGoose]

I'm still working on mine 24 hours after first attempt. No way i'm going through this next time. There are areas of the kit that are easy, but the main areas that you want protection on are your bags. They tend to get hit damn near every time someone gets on or off. These are the hardest parts. TEmpurature was not in the 50's when i did mine. it was 75 in my garage when we did it. I cannot get all the corners to stay completely down. i've used a hair dryer on them for 2 days. Tempuratures had dropped into the 50's here, so i've still got alot of bubbles all over the place.

Bottom line: the jury is still out on this stuff. If the tankslapper material blows off, it will never be returned back on my bike. If i need the 3M material redone on the bags, i'll have a pro shop do it. Two of us have screwed with this stuff for a total of 6 hours. Dont know what your time is worth, but i aint going through it again.

I followed the instruction to a tee. Had the tempurature correct. Bike waxed. 30 / 70 mixture of water and alchohol. SQeegied till we were blue in the face.

Headlight and footpeg areas were a breeze. no problems. tank with tankslapper material was a breeze (hope a breeze doesent blow it off). Cowling was tough (stayed on the bike), but i wasnt too picky about having it perfect since its going to take a beating. Then we get to the bags. The frigin bags!!!!

Dont know what it would cost to have someone do this next time (and have to redo it if they screw it up), but i'm signing up.

GreyGoose

 

[borrec]

Gas tank pieces worked fine. Headlight lens covers would never go on right, always had wrinkles and eventually trashed them out of frustration. I can't figure out where the 2 red pieces marked lower fairing at (https://www.thetankslapper.biz/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/online-store/scstore/p-03YAMAHA_TPK.html?L+scstore+swbm6759ff6c356c+1149402464) for the 06 FJR go! Pay a professional to do this, you will get a better job and a lot less trouble. Wasted 2 hours and still not done. :angry2:

 

[pawtracks]

borrec,

Do you mean the two red pieces in this picture, L-R of the cowl piece?

As I have an 05 I can't tell you exactly (assume you have an 06) but from seeing how the kit is made each piece lines up pretty nicely with various screw holes or a particular contour.

Looks like the one on the left side of the bike (as you sit on it) only has one hole, the other two.

Try standing in front of the bike looking at the headlight area and down. Imagine where rocks or bugs might hit the bike, that is sort of how Lucas designs his kits. if it is likely to get hit or spray, it's worth protecting.

See any parts that left side shows one screw, right side shows two?

All else fails, Lucas was pretty quick to respond to me by phone or email.

Sorry you had troubles with the headlight pieces, the 3M film is a little tricky to work with sometimes.

 

[flienlow]

Greygoose-

I agree. I just got my kit today from tank slapper, and I have about 7 pieces that I cannot figure out where they go, do I have an 05 kit trying to go on an 06?

Not only that, but these are real pain to install with chasing bubbles everywhere.

 

[pawtracks]

Greygoose-I agree. I just got my kit today from tank slapper, and I have about 7 pieces that I cannot figure out where they go, do I have an 05 kit trying to go on an 06?

Not only that, but these are real pain to install with chasing bubbles everywhere.

flienlow,

Do you have the two extra pieces in my post just above borrec was asking about?

(they are made of 3M, not tankslapper)

Lucas said almost every single piece was different on an 06 vice 05.

Could be you got an 05 though vice 06.

An easy piece to check would be this one (side panel covering air filter).

You can line up pieces without removing film from paper backing.

It will differ from an 05 much more than a tank piece or bag would to take a guess as to what kit you have.

Looking at the 06 kit picture in my last post you have:

2 headlights

lower cowl

2 lower fairing pieces (jury is still out)

3 across top front of tank

2 on sides of tank where your knees go

2 added for 06? black pieces you take off to lift tank, change plugs, etc..

top of tank, rear of gas cap to your crotch

side panels (air filter cover left) same on right

lower sides of bike near your ankles with feet on pegs

2 for each side bag

Hopefully that is a start to help you out

 

[S76]

Ordered my 06 kit last week. Can't wait to join in on the fun!

 

[borrec]

Greygoose-

I agree. I just got my kit today from tank slapper, and I have about 7 pieces that I cannot figure out where they go, do I have an 05 kit trying to go on an 06?

Not only that, but these are real pain to install with chasing bubbles everywhere.

flienlow,

Do you have the two extra pieces in my post just above borrec was asking about?

(they are made of 3M, not tankslapper)

Lucas said almost every single piece was different on an 06 vice 05.

Could be you got an 05 though vice 06.

An easy piece to check would be this one (side panel covering air filter).

You can line up pieces without removing film from paper backing.

It will differ from an 05 much more than a tank piece or bag would to take a guess as to what kit you have.

Looking at the 06 kit picture in my last post you have:

2 headlights

lower cowl

2 lower fairing pieces (jury is still out)

3 across top front of tank

2 on sides of tank where your knees go

2 added for 06? black pieces you take off to lift tank, change plugs, etc..

top of tank, rear of gas cap to your crotch

side panels (air filter cover left) same on right

lower sides of bike near your ankles with feet on pegs

2 for each side bag

Hopefully that is a start to help you out

I still can't figure out where the 2 red ones go. No place with one hole on the left and 2 on the right. The 06 kit does not have pieces for the air box cover or the one on the other side.

 

[SkooterG]

Ahhhh..........you poor souls.

Putting on the tankslapper can be an excercise in patience. When I did my 04 2 years ago, it was tough at first, but as I continued, I learned the tricks and got much better.

Bag pieces were tough, but I eventually got them. Never used a heat gun, but was probably in the 90s here in Arizona. Edges could be tough, for me the key was to dry them. If there was solution pooled at the stubborn edges, it wouldn't stay down.

Never did get the the "V" piece on that goes right below the radiator. Struggled, and struggled, and finally gave up. All other pieces went on succesfully.

Now for the bad news. Most of the pieces have come off. The tankslapper pieces don't like rain. Must be combo of wet and wind. This has been over 50,000 miles, but I lost 3 of the 4 sidebag pieces, and one of the side tank pieces. Also, if an edge pulls up, fix it right away. I have had to trim the center tank piece because of bad edges. Now, the 3M pieces don't go anywhere. The 2 headlight pieces are still stuck on there fine, even after 60,000 miles of bugs, rocks, rain, and other assorted abuse.

So, I highly recommend getting the kit in all 3M pieces. That's what I did. I bought all replacement pieces in 3M only several months ago, but still have not installed them. What can I say? I am a wuss. Maybe next time I am visiting family in San Diego, I will ride up and let Lucas do it. The three tank pieces should not be a problem, but I am not looking forward to the sidebag pieces.

YMMV

 

[GreyGoose]

Flielow,

I'm with you on the 2 extra pieces of 3m material. i cannot find where they go. I think they must be for the 05.

Skooter G,

I've had all my trouble with the 3m material on the bags. Plan to spend the afternoon, if you going to do them yourself. also helps to have 2 people. the jury is still out on how they look. its been too cold here for the material to mold correctly. I've worked on the corners with a hair dryer for two day and still have areas that i'm not particularly happy with. By the way, dont try to trim the material, its scores the edges and makes them more visable. I've heard that tankslapper material needs to be redone each year. you can use the same pieces but you need to rewax under the areas and reapply. I've never owned this stuff long enough to find our for sure whether that claim is true. I have seen the 3M material at work though, and it does a great job. I was most concerned with the hard bags. We had similiar problems with the cowling, but just did the best we could. Wasnt perfect, but good enough for that area. Let me know how you do when you finally step up to the plate.

GreyGoose