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Decoupage on Motorcycles

How to Decoupage a Motorcycle

Eileen, The Artful Crafter, on Brother John's Bicentennial Harley

Hi!

I have been reading your site for a while now. And after some research, I think I’m gonna try to decoupage my motorcycle fairings.

As you have said in one of your responses, I may use epoxy as my sealer.

But you also said this could melt/deform a little from heat.

As I am planning to decoupage my motorcycle, I don’t know what else I should do. This is my first decoupage project and I hope you can help me out.

Thanks

Lucky

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I don’t know much about motorcycles, so I had to look up “fairings” and learned they are the plastic or fiberglass molded pieces that protect the rider from the wind and give the bike a more aerodynamic shape.

I also read that the fairings are pretty fragile – say if you accidentally drop the bike on its side or remove the fairings to change the oil and drop one or bang against something.

As you’re tooling along the highway, I suspect there is some flex in the fairings since they’re made of plastic or fiberglass. Because of this, I wouldn’t recommend a two-part epoxy sealer. I believe it would craze and crack under the stress.

The only thing I can think might work would be spar varnish.

Think about it. Spar varnish is designed to withstand the harshest environmental conditions that exist: abrasive salt; water; extremes of heat and cold; and flex. The only things to consider are that: you would need to re-varnish every few years; and the varnish would darken your decoupage designs slightly.

One more suggestion: go to a shop that repairs motorcycle fairings and ask their advice. Don’t use the word “decoupage”; they might throw you out on your …

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Recommended Reading

These books are excellent resources for decoupeurs. Not only do you get tips and techniques, but also artwork that you can use in your own projects.

New Decoupage: Transforming Your Home With Paper, Glue, and Scissors By: Durwin Rice The Victorian Scrap Gallery: A Collection of over 500 Full-Color Victorian-Era Images By: Dee Davis Absolute Beginner's Decoupage: The Simple Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Beautiful Decoupage By: Alison Jenkins Collage Discovery Workshop: Make Your Own Collage Creations Using Vintage Photos, Found Objects and Ephemera By: Claudine Hellmuth 930 Matchbook Advertising Cuts of the Twenties and Thirties (Pictorial Archive Series) By: Trina Robbins Decoupage: A Practical Guide to the Art of Decorating Surfaces with Paper Cutouts By: Dee Davis

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