Yamaha Swoosh Logo for XS650 and Others

prusaprinters

UPDATED 2022-01-14: Added an R8 that includes a little extra "background" below the first letters and to the left of the "swoosh" to help hide the indentation in the tank underneath. The original version had this feature but I forgot it when I redesigned the whole thing. I'm leaving the R7 so you can choose which way to do it. UPDATED 2021-12-28: The previous STL was not "watertight" and thus was a pain to work with. This revision uses the same original drawing, but mildly improved skills on my part has resulted in a watertight model. It's no longer rotated, as I now have access to a much better slicer than the one I was using when I created this. It's an even 3mm thick, but you can fix that if you want. And I'm not so ashamed of my FreeCAD skills as I was, so I'm now including the current source file. Original Summary: I own a 1980 Yamaha XS650. The right-side tank logo is missing the lower left corner, and has been since I got the bike. I planned to buy OEM replacements, until I saw a T-shirt with a rather cool alternative logo that borrows design elements from the standard Triumph logo. I created from scratch my own version of that logo, somewhat different than the one on the shirt. So to be clear: This is NOT any trademarked Yamaha logo, but an original creation. It's not copied or "traced" from the T-shirt photo I saw (honestly, that's too hard anyway) but created from scratch by me. It's 3mm thick, possibly a bit thinner than would be ideal, but my original 2.8mm prints have held up well. No, there are no holes; drill them the old-fashioned way. 3D printed items sometimes shrink a bit, so measuring and drilling seems smarter. The best approach is to print this logo with black filament, sand the tops (faces) of the letters and the "swoosh," then paint them with gold paint; this will echo the original color scheme. See below for a painting hint. I printed this in PLA. Your mileage may vary. The print flexed easily enough around the curve of the tank, but judicious use of a heat gun might be needed for a curvier tank. Yamaha used the same logo found on my 1980 XS650 on several other years and models, so this logo may be usable elsewhere, though I'd argue that the specific design is especially relevant to the XS650 as it's kind of a clone of British bikes like the Triumphs of the 60's. ADDED NOTES: -- Be careful marking and drilling the holes; a small error means a hump in the logo. Don't ask how I know. Heating the logo carefully with a heat gun may make it shrink a little. -- The paint shown in the photo was applied using a brayer (ink roller). I used ordinary craft paint, squirted a small amount onto a hard surface, and rolled it out. But it's too thin, so after letting it get tacky I applied more. It took at least three tries to get the right sticky non-runny consistency. After applying it carefully with a thinly-loaded roller, l let it dry completely before applying three coats of a urethane protectant with UV blocking. It was not as easy as I hoped, but it looks fantastic. Category: Vehicles