Crooked Sidecover stickers, comments ???

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nortriubuell

nortriubuell

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My first Norton; circa 1982, I placed stickers on my newly painted sidecovers ... parallel to the top edge. Then I put the sidecovers on the bike. UGH, their crooked !!! I lived with it, but it bothered me everytime I looked at them !!! With all my Nortons since ... I mount the sidecovers on the bike, then place the stickers so they are parallel with the bottom of the gas tank, which is also parallel to the top of the aluminum footpeg brackets. I have noticed most Nortons have the stickers aligned to the top edge of the sidecovers ... and when you look at the bike; they are crooked ! It looks especially bad on John Player livery painted Commando Roadsters. Why not paint the lines parallel to the top edge of the aluminum footpeg plate, or gas tank bottom; NOT the top edge of the sidecover. Then put the stickers on parallel to the Blue and Red lines. I have noticed Nortons with fantastic paintjobs ... ruined (IMO) ... by sidecover stickers that are then mounted crooked ?!?!?!

Am I only one that notices this ... "sticker crookedness " ??? Or ... am I just super anal ??? Comments please !!!

At least on my Norton, they are straight. (IMO) Cheers !

Crooked Sidecover stickers, comments ???
 
Nortrubuell
I have to agree. Most painters don't see the bike in the completed form and mistakenly use the top edge of the side cover as a guide.
CNN
 
Are the Interstate covers less angled?

I see what you're saying (though I don't know that I would have noticed if you hadn't mentioned it) but I don't see any real crookedness, from the covers OR the lettering, on the Interstates I've seen. Maybe it's just my eyes playing tricks on me?
 
On IS tank/seats its tricky to get tank bottom line in line with seat line and then the cover top edges aligned with those. I use rubber o rings on tank top to get close at practice for eye glancing. I align decal to cover top or looks like a goof up to me.
 
Hello thar KSUwildcatFan, come to think of it, I don't ever recall seeing Interstate sidecovers with stickers installed ..."crooked". (although I have seen quite a few Interstate gas tanks with VERY crooked tank stickers. Perhaps the "sticker Installer" was ... smokin' weed ???)

The Interstate covers must fit a bit different then. However, the VAST MAJORITY of Roadster sidecover stickers I see ... are installed crooked, as in aligned with the top edge of the side cover. (It's nice to know that at least CNN notices it too.) Perhaps someday I will actually ... buy some Interstate sidecovers ... to go with my Steel Interstate tank ! For now, I just keep getting outbid on ebay, cheers !
 
They are all crook - ed ! Crazy likes that seat, where to get please as she sports standard steel tank . Thanks. Original s - model (close to yoursstuff) REALLY crook-ed. Use eyeballs with painter.
 
Greetings,
Yes, I have seen Nortons set up with slanted lettering, there are a few photos in some of Bacon's Norton books.
This is a photo of my 74 Roadster, my nephew did the paint and decals for me. The decals were applied off the bike
fortunately they seem to line up OK.

Crooked Sidecover stickers, comments ???



GB
 
nortriubuell said:
Hello thar KSUwildcatFan, come to think of it, I don't ever recall seeing Interstate sidecovers with stickers installed ..."crooked". (although I have seen quite a few Interstate gas tanks with VERY crooked tank stickers. Perhaps the "sticker Installer" was ... smokin' weed ???)

The Interstate covers must fit a bit different then. However, the VAST MAJORITY of Roadster sidecover stickers I see ... are installed crooked, as in aligned with the top edge of the side cover. (It's nice to know that at least CNN notices it too.) Perhaps someday I will actually ... buy some Interstate sidecovers ... to go with my Steel Interstate tank ! For now, I just keep getting outbid on ebay, cheers !
Click to expand...

LMAO

Yes, eBay is an evil place. I'm still not sure how exactly I won the auction for my Interstate tank and sidecovers.. I bid with 9 seconds, got outbid with 7 seconds, and somehow got another (winning) bid in with 6 seconds to go. I'll admit, I was just frantically pushing buttons after I got outbid.. lol

-Jordan
 
It doesn't bother me as long as they're close. Considering the mounts are variable (at least on 75's) I don't see how a painter could line it up perfect especially with them off the bike.
 
KSUWildcatFan said:
nortriubuell said:
Hello thar KSUwildcatFan, come to think of it, I don't ever recall seeing Interstate sidecovers with stickers installed ..."crooked". (although I have seen quite a few Interstate gas tanks with VERY crooked tank stickers. Perhaps the "sticker Installer" was ... smokin' weed ???)

The Interstate covers must fit a bit different then. However, the VAST MAJORITY of Roadster sidecover stickers I see ... are installed crooked, as in aligned with the top edge of the side cover. (It's nice to know that at least CNN notices it too.) Perhaps someday I will actually ... buy some Interstate sidecovers ... to go with my Steel Interstate tank ! For now, I just keep getting outbid on ebay, cheers !
Click to expand...

LMAO

Yes, eBay is an evil place. I'm still not sure how exactly I won the auction for my Interstate tank and sidecovers.. I bid with 9 seconds, got outbid with 7 seconds, and somehow got another (winning) bid in with 6 seconds to go. I'll admit, I was just frantically pushing buttons after I got outbid.. lol

-Jordan
Click to expand...


I use esnipe.com for bidding on EBay.
They bid for you at the last moment. I've set my bid to go off 10 seconds before bid closing.
Just set your maximum bid and forget about it. They contact you after the bid to let you know if you got it.
I picked up a kickstart pawl today that way. The only other bid was put in 45 seconds before the close but I got it.
I'm sure it pisses some guys off and don't know how they lost it.
 
It's hard to get the lines to match anywhere.
Seat and bottom of tank
Side cover to frame, to Z plate, to seat, etc
Then do you have the stipes angled to match ???? what? which bit ?

I think that is what they are.

graeme
 
Only way I know to put the stickers on straight is to first decide if you want them straight when seated or when your off the bike. Then, make a stand or use a camera tripod. Stick a level on the stand, make sure it's level, sit or straddle the bike and push the bike, or pull the stand. You can make marks on painters tape, put a laser on the tank, use a grease pencil or use your imagination. Every bike and rider will be different. Oh, and make sure the bike is on level ground, and you can't use the center or side stand! By now you should realize that this is a two person job.
 
I recently painted my roadster in JPM red white & Blue, I went to the trouble of masking the side cover stripes with the side covers and tank mounted to try and eyeball all the lines, and stil got it slightly off, with leaning back side cover stripes. I guess I could not get far enough away to get a good eyeball?
The top of the Zed bracket seems to draw the eye to believe it is lined up, doesn't it.
Cheers Rich
 
I believe the decals were originally lined up with the Z-plates/seat base. this is obvious on the S-type and original Roadsters, when they changed the side panels to less angular ones the decals were still aligned to an imaginary horizon line, but i think when most of our bikes were repainted over time many painters simply lined the decals up with the top of the side panels.
 
Put mine on the bits off the bike and was then horrified to see how crooked they were when I put the bike back together. Need to get replacements and do it all over again. :oops:
 
I've painted quite a few Nortons and always line the decal up with the top edge of the side cover. The factory '73 poster that's on my wall shows them that way.
 
GRM 450 said:
YOU'RE The ONE !!!!
Click to expand...


It did occur to me that maybe I should keep it to myself but in the spirit of the Winter Solstice season I thought I should share.

Bob
 
Looking at brochures from the early 70's, it appears that the lettering - at least on roadsters/fastbacks was parallel with the top of the side cover. To my eye, that looks properly aligned. FWIW I can't imagine the factory would have waited to apply the decals until after the bike was assembled.
 
Mike, I would have to disagree. My 69 'S'(registered in 70) as well as the 70 Roadsters until 71 had the decals on the panels parallel to the ground and the top of the panel sloped up towards the front. In 71 they went to the side oil tank and it all changed. The Fastback, or original Commando, had a different panel (oil tank) and some had transfers and some did not, but they were mostly parallel to the top as was the top of the panel.

I have a tracing of the original transfer location on my panels if anyone wants it, but it is just as easy to make it parallel to the ground.

http://www.classicbike.biz/Norton/Broch ... chures.htm

Dave
69S
 
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