While at the dealer I saw a 2016 CVO with very light gray ghost flames. My question is, can you purchase something similar and then clear coat over? If so where can you purchase them? Or is it air brushed on?

 

following this.

 

I'm going to say that they have a template they stick on then airbrush the grafics on then remove and clear over. This is something that would be very easy to do if you have the time and patience to do so. It looks to me like they used white pearl on the black bike is saw them on.

 

I do some airbrushing and have done some helmets ghost and true flame. Real ghost flames should never be a decal. They are sprayed and are somewhat tedious in laying out the shape of the flames and thought needs to be put into the color used. Especially if they are really light in appearance. Paint depends on what you are shooting for. If you want contrast and the shape of ghost flames, then solid monochromatic or leaf. If you want the really ghostly translucent type, pearls and candy coats. You can be anywhere is between those as well. The moco is probably using a proprietary laser cut template but for numbered paint jobs I'm sure they are doing it by hand.

It's a paint job that is both easy and hard at the same time depending on the type of ghost flames. They are really just tedious but the really light translucent flames take more work and consideration of colors.

 

I'm guessing I'm wrong, but when I think of Ghost Flames I think of just pinstriping, nothing else, done in the shape of flames.....usually with the striping done quite thin in a color very close to the color of the bike. This way, the inside of the flame is the same color as the bike, & the striping with the close color match giving the "Ghost" effect. That can be done by any good sign painter by using a pattern to insure the same mirror design on both sides of the tank and bike. A very good pinstriper can do it freehand. But remember, most pinstripers use complicated designs to hide any imperfections, and flames are not that complicated, so mistakes will show. If Ghost Flames do include the inside of the flame being a different color, or colors (and I guess they do), then the flame would be masked off, airbrushed, the mask removed, then the outside edge pinstriped. I agree with Ragz Ultra that it should be a paint job, not decals. Good luck and show us some pictures when completed.

 

Yes you can get it done, just not by Harley, Harley will only paint CVO bikes with their CVO colors/designs - if you take a few good pics and take them to a good local painter, have him do a few test panels and once you find the combo you like, have him give you a quote.

Further another comment made, the CVO tins are painted by a company called Gunslingers here in Golden Colorado, they have templets they use for for all of the different CVO paint jobs, I've see their warehouse room full of all the different year templets they have - pretty impressive operation running 3 shifts a day 7 days a week.

 

You can do pin stripe flames that are nice and fairly durable.
They very rarely need touched up.
I've had mine on for 3 years and they still look good.
Had a couple areas touched up but nothing that took over a couple minutes.
A cheaper alternative.

 

Pinstripe flames and ghost flames are two different things, two different styles, two different methods, each unique and good looking in their own way.

 

This is something that would be very easy to do if you have the time and patience to do so ... Believe me it's not easy, and it it is very time consuming ... Been there, done that.

 

Daytona, you're not wrong
Ghost flames mean different things to different people. They can range from pinstripe 1 shade different to multiple candy and clear layers to solid color or gold and silver leaf. I've seen some that combine leaf, pinstripe and candy coats. What they all have in common is the general shape of the flame licks. Long, simple curves that evenly go from fat to thin. Some are extremely subtle while others are very bold.

It comes down more to what your idea of what ghost flames are and how you want your bike, car or helmet to look. Personally I wouldn't want mine done from a laser cut template that is used to produce several paint jobs as it lacks uniqueness that way. I would much rather they be pinstriped like lionsm13 or laid out by hand and sprayed.