[Closed] Technical question about "helicopter tape"

Am I over thinking this then or is the difference not widely known about?

Pick the wrong one, and all of those in the know will mock you mercilessly, this may or may not make a noticeable difference to your life experience.

Not a glue to be honest, I just use what biketart send me, and have never had a problem.

Just asking because the stuff I'm using at the moment hasn't done that well but I don't know exactly what it is or where it came from. The cables that move the most as the suspension cycles through its movement seems to rub through in a couple of rides.

MSP, don't tell me that, I'll never get to sleep tonight now!

Probably only important if you're using it on the leading edge of your chopper rotor blades. 😉

Have you seen how fast I pedal? 😮

We have to called it helicopter tape on here to stop someone from sticking rotor tape on the their disks...........:-)

Can't believe anyone would ask such an obvious question... 😉

8761 is made from "a polyurethane elastomer that resists punctures, tearing, abrasion and erosion", whereas 8663 is made from "an exceptionally tough abrasion resistant polyurethane elastomer that resists punctures, tearing, abrasion and erosion". 8663 is 0.46mm thick, whereas 8761 is only 0.36mm thick. This makes 8663 11.7 g/m2 heavier. 8663 also has a higher tensile stress at 2049 N/100mm vs. 1400, although the strains to failure are the same. The bare aluminium peel adhesion is also somewhat better.

8663 might therefore provide marginally better protection for your bike. However, this does come with a serious weight penalty of around a gram or two, were you to cover the whole bike in it. I suggest you think hard and choose carefully, depending on whether it's more of an XC or all-mountain machine.

lol at rtb the besterest answer to a stw question ever!!!!

does a capacitive touch screen still work if this were to be put on a phone?

It won't make the slightest difference to me onzadog, but the consequences to you will be devastating. In your mind, I'll be dead, and with no one to guide you out, you'll be stuck here in permanent psychosis. The walls of reality will come crashing down around you. One minute, you're the savior of paintwork protection, next thing you know, you'll be Tazzys bosom buddy. You'll even have fantasies about alien civilizations as you requested; but in the end, back on Earth, you'll be lobotomized! So get a grip on yourself

Which one provides the quickest wipe off action for when you jizz over your dream machine whilst having a danger **** when the wife is out at the shops?

rtb25, I didn't realise 8663 was that much thinker. Sounds like 8663 FTW! Now, who does a decent price on the 8663?

I can only find 8663 in 0.18mm

Westland Helicopters probably have some kicking around somewhere! 😆

Cheers dave, when are you next down there?

I'd go for the Lizard skin clear protectors on top of the 'copter tape in areas where the cables are really eating through.
Might also help to put small wraps of inner tube around the cables in those areas to soften them a bit.

So why not use 8560? if its good enough for RedBull racing its good enough for me, had it on my bikes for years and it works fine. Not sure where other people source there protective film but we get ours from a nato stock supply co', not a cheap thing to buy as its only available in bulk but it does mean I can sell you a 1m strip, four inch wide for £10. Cheapest around by miles.
Stumpy: if cables are wearing through then its not true leading edge tape. leader tape is way tougher than that and you will see wear on the brake/gear cable before you see any signs of wear on the adhesive tape, there are many "fake" or lesser quality products out there sold by robbing ba%star&s who dare to charge more than the going rate for the real deal, this is why we went to such great lengths to get the correct product for the application.

Stumpy: if cables are wearing through then its not true leading edge tape. leader tape is way tougher than that and you will see wear on the brake/gear cable before you see any signs of wear on the adhesive tape, there are many "fake" or lesser quality products out there sold by robbing ba%star&s who dare to charge more than the going rate for the real deal, this is why we went to such great lengths to get the correct product for the application.

[b]More info please on how I can get some of your mega-tape, please??[/b]

I bought some from eBay which in fairness seems to be doing the job at the moment, although other areas of the frame that were too fiddly to cover I have stuck some of the Lizard Skins things on - although pricey, they do work well in my experience.

But, the frame is currently back with the manuf. due to the top coat of lacquer peeling off the frame. I am not sure if they are replacing the frame or respraying the original, but either way I will be needing some decent stuff to protect it when it comes back. I want to protect if from the off (before the first ride), so could do with getting some before the frame (replaced or re-sprayed) is back with me.

No worries, just drop me an e-mail to clive@mtbskills.eu with quantity and postal address and will get some sorted for you, you can pay via pay pal, I'll reply with details etc..

EuroClive - just sent you a mail. Thanks....

TheSwede - Member

It won't make the slightest difference to me onzadog, but the consequences to you will be devastating. In your mind, I'll be dead, and with no one to guide you out, you'll be stuck here in permanent psychosis. The walls of reality will come crashing down around you. One minute, you're the savior of paintwork protection, next thing you know, you'll be Tazzys bosom buddy. You'll even have fantasies about alien civilizations as you requested; but in the end, back on Earth, you'll be lobotomized! So get a grip on yourself

So take the tape and stick it on your frame.

Stick it on.

<onzadog picks the wrong type of tape>

"Now you've done it, now you've done it"

why add 8560 to the mix? Do you realise you've just made this whole thing 50% harder?

I have 8671HS on mine, good stuff.

Double layer on driveside chainstay. Having been on there a year, if I wipe it clean it doesn't show any significant marks or damage from the chain flaying it receives. Good enough for me.

why on earth do 3M make so many different types when they seem to do such similar things? Wouldn't one good tape cover the same bases as all of these three?

Don't forget there's 8671 and 8671HS...

good point. Is there really an application where the HS wouldn't do the job but the non HS would?

So, I've decided on the 8663HS from the spec and based on comments from rtb25. Shame I can't find anywhere that sells it now! Well, not in bits small enough for a bike!