February 24, 2021 Reanne Duffy

As anybody who has ever ridden a powerful motorcycle knows, one of the least dignified experiences that can tap you on the shoulder is the so-called low-speed car-park Drop. Registering slightly lower still on the embarrassment scale is the no-speed Drop…

Here we have a very attractive Ducati motorcycle cut from the same cloth as the popular breed of globe-girdling adventure bikes that now outsell all other types of motorcycle. It's not hard to see why. The riding position is upright and very comfortable. Visibility is therefore great. And performance is enough to scare anything on four wheels back to the garage.

The example we are looking at took a much shorter trip than it was designed to undertake very recently. From a vertical position it was inclined a little further than the side-stand would normally allow thanks to a bit of shifting terrain underneath it. There was a wall there to stop it going all the way over, but it took a few chunks out of the bodywork as the two connected.

The plastic bits on high-end motorcycles are affectionately known as Tupperware. It looks great, but it damages quite easily. When it does, fixing it comes at an eye watering price. So, how about a cover-up?

Jonathan Dudley at Milford Haven based D-Sign Studio heard the bike’s owners tale and said he could help. Having surveyed the damage and done a bit of basic evaluation work, Jon designed some stripes for the bike’s plastic that covered the chewed up bits and looked for all the world like a pricey, specified option that might have been fitted on the bike from new.

The stripes are informed by the design of the Italian flag and they obligingly accentuate the aggressive and angular lines of the fairing. It's a very nice job.

Jonathan Dudley used Metamark M7 coloured self-adhesive SignVinyl, pepped up with a little reflective just to add interest and with a note toward the importance of keeping visible on a bike. The application is nothing short of the usual total quality to be found at the D-Sign.

Dropping the bike is bad enough without being reminded of the fact every time you ride it by having to look at ugly plastic damage. On this example all the damage is hidden, and by something that's arguably more attractive than the original material the stripes disguise.

Another very nice job Mr Dudley.