Is it just me…. LBS applying fork decals

99% of the time when I have to ask “is it me or..” the answer is usually yes 🙂 But I need to check on this one

New fork, bought stealth decals, LBS says no worries we’ll do that for you.

I picked up the bike today and noticed when I got home… the new decals have been placed on top of the old ones!

To me this is just madness and I can’t get my head around why you would put new decals on top of old ones on a brand new fork. You can see double layered decals and two edges everywhere as the new Slik Graphics decals aren’t exactly the same size as the old ones. That is what bothers me most.

Am I mad? Is this a normal thing to do?

Thanks!

At least they are factory aligned I suppose

Definitely odd. Hints of something inexperienced being told to put some graphics on a fork . . . and they’ve done exactly that

i wouldn’t accept that.

I certainly wouldn’t do it like that.

How long does it take to remove the old decals?

How much does the bike shop charge per hour?

How much did you pay for the service?

This thread needs a photo to be able to answer the question.

Removal? 10 minutes max with something warm?

Applying? Similar time with or without old decals. Maybe even quicker without the old ones as the new ones have more leeway in how they can go on and still look tidy.

How much? No idea. I’d estimate half an hour workshop time based on all the bits I bought and other bits fitted.

Photo will just show an ok looking fork with a mm extra black decal outline around a black decal. It is as tidy a job of putting a decal on top of another one that I would imagine is possible… but when I said “put new decals on” I actually meant “replace old decals and put new decals on” but I didn’t think that would have to be explicitly stated 🙂

Sounds lame to me…

This sort of lack of attention to detail is why I do all my bike stuff myself!

A heat gun would have the old decals off in a few minutes (use painters tape to template out key areas), then alco spray and stick new ones on.

Basically, they’ve borked your new stickers…

DrP

Photo will just show an ok looking fork with a mm extra black decal outline around a black decal. It is as tidy a job of putting a decal on top of another one that I would imagine is possible…

Is it just me…

I think you’ve answered your own question then.

This sort of lack of attention to detail is why I do all my bike stuff myself!

This is my solution to avoid being disappointed by a job I can do better myself.

First ride out you know your going to smash a rock on the decals now you’ve started this thread and you will be glad of the double layer of protection. 🤣

Maybe they’re like goggle tear offs….ruin the decals on a run but you’ve a fresh set before your next run 😎

No that’s gash, I probably wouldn’t want anyone the did that sort of thing touching my bike.
I’d use masking tape to mark the old decal position, heat it remove and isolated the area and re apply.

I wondered if maybe this was normal, perhaps to have a “factory fresh” looking fork when you take off the top decals or some other cunning plan I was missing. Good to know the consensus seems to be that it is a bit of an odd thing to do.

I might remove both sets of decals after all this to save 1g instead of just 0.5g 😀

It’s quite a bodge job to apply new decals over existing, personally the first thing I did was remove all the fork decals/wheel decals and frame decals from my Scott e-genius back in 2015 as it looked gash

I might remove both sets of decals after all this to save 1g instead of just 0.5g 😀

But then you’ve just got ‘stealth’, not ‘stealth decals’.

It fits the brief of avoiding garish colour clashes, but everyone knows ‘stealth’ is just for poor people who buy a poverty spec BMW and don’t want the shame of the 320d/316i badge.

And Fox forks without decals really look like Suntour, or Chinese knock-offs for some reason. I think it’s just becasue they don’t have any USP to their chassis; Marzochi have their arch, RS have power bulges and etched stanchions, Fox are just plain Vanilla*.

*technically they’re all Floats since the death of the Vanilla and TALAS product lines.

Good job you didn’t want the forks invisframed as well.

everyone knows ‘stealth’ is just for poor people who buy a poverty spec BMW and don’t want the shame of the 320d/316i badge.

You are…so hurtful…

Marzochi have their arch

They stopped making them about 24 years ago.

If that’s the standard of sticker application, I’d be much more concerned about the rest of the assembly and when the whole bike is going to fall apart like a clown’ car.

but everyone knows ‘stealth’ is just for poor people who buy a poverty spec BMW and don’t want the shame

Their driving style gives them away, we can still tell (those of us in non-poverty spec cars).

I often apply decals over the top of originals for the reason that it keeps the originals nice incase you scratch them and if they’re full colour prints (not white round the edges) and the correct size you’d not know. OE stickers tend to be thinner than aftermarket ones so layering up two isn’t an issue. However if they were a different size I wouldn’t, but I would also not accept a decal from a customer to fit, so that wouldn’t ever become an issue.

You are…so hurtful…

Haha, don’t blame me, it’s BMW’s marketing departments idea.

I assume the original decal is not somehow under a coat of lacquer? If it was then I would understand.

They’re just stickers…

Dead easy to remove…

DrP

I’ve not bought stickers for anything since I was a kid

DrP… always available to pimp your ride….!

I’ve not bought stickers for anything since I was a kid

I’d check your soul is still in place then. Do you also have a plastic lawn? 😉

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