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FAQ
● The most commonly asked questions...
00. "Is RACEshield local?
Who are you guys?"
RACEshield is
our own branding, utilizing USA made, high quality aliphatic
thermoplastic urethane for all its kits & protection, now made available
locally through AR2 PERFORMANCE. Urethane film originated from
helicopter blade protection, spreading worldwide & is now widely used in
the US and UK domestic market. It has also evolved as a common shield
for expensive motorcycles, bicycle frames & other components today.
We have started of as MTB
cyclists since 1995 where SICC trail, Rifle Range trail, Bukit Timah
trail, Clementi BB trail are (some were) very familiar to many of
you till date. As an
experienced cyclist back then in the 90s till today, we have
experienced the pain-staking issues on our beloved MTBs.
Chipping/pittings from debris, scratches on our spanking rides from
riding & handling.
With the adrenaline rush experienced
& gained from MTB, one will naturally "migrate" to the world
of action packed 2 wheel motorsports - motorcycles. So
did we somewhere in 2002! Riding as hard as we can,
from fast paced B-roads, long haul nation tours, Pasir Gudang Circuit &
Sepang F1 Circuit track-days to North-South Highway high speed rides. We
have experienced the very same issues with all our 2 wheelers all these
years. Chipping/pittings from debris, scratches on our spanking rides from
riding & handling.
We are extremely not very happy with what mother nature can throw us at (& our
common mistake in actions) to spoil our expensive 2 wheelers.
In February 2007 we
incorporated
RACEshield, to resolve all the issues faced from our
motorcycle riding. Our main concern is all due to our relentless years
of pursuit to keep spanking new items brand new --- & so will yours!
And we ride as harder as ever!
Even though bulk of our time
is spent riding motorcycles, the "other" moments are saved for our
"not
to forgotten hobby" -> Bicycling!!
In October 2008,
we have eventually branched
out
RACEshield
from motorcycles to bicycles (MTB, Roadies, Leisure).
Featuring various kits for frames, cable rubs, cranks & forks.
No more chipping/pittings from debris, scratches on our spanking
new bikes from
riding & handling.
01. "Why RACEshield is
a must?"
This picture answers it all. Why wait till the damage is done?
02. "Is RACEshield made of
just normal stickers."
No, RACEshield
is NOT like any normal stickers. The normal single colored stickers you
can purchase (i.e oracle) are made of normal vinyl material. They only
provide aesthetic benefits when cut to a desired shape/pattern, but do
not exhibit high/strong abrasion or puncture resistance. Try using a key
to poke the normal stickers and you will realize it will not perform
like RACEshield.
CAN YOUR NORMAL STICKER DO THIS?
RACEshield is
made of 100% apliphatic thermoplastic urethane. Urethane itself in the
family of plastics, exhibits high abrasion resistance in nature compared
to vinyls in the plastics industry, and is widely used in bushings etc.
03. "Is RACEshield
transparent or does it come in colours?"
RACEshield
only comes in transparent and there are no other color variants
available. Its material is designed to be optically clear (transparent)
so that it does not affect headlamp light emissions or visual aspects of
your motorcycle after installation. (And Of course to be LTA complaint
for the case of Singapore. i.e Unsecured foreign objects not "stock"
with motorcycle) Other competitors require an addition top clear coat
layer (which might fade in time), the Advanced Surface Technology on the
our material addresses gloss retention and dirt resistance at the
molecular level, ensuring lasting shine and paint protection for the
life of your vehicle. Have a look ---
Virtually invisible !!
RACEshield
installed on a 2007 MV Agusta F4 headlight, front cowl & fuel tank.
RACEshield
installed on a 2004 Honda ST1300 headlamps & front cowl.
RACEshield
installed on a 2007 Yamaha YZF-R1 headlight & front cowl.
04. "How strong is RACEshield?"
RACEshield
have under gone and passed the gravelometer standard test in the
automotive industry (A box enclosed filled with gravel, and is
pneumatically thrown onto the test piece). The technical specs of what
RACEshield are
:-
1. Puncture Resistance (ASTM D-1000) = 18kg
2. Tensile Strength (PSTC-31) = 56 lb/in width (253 N/2.5 cm)
3. Shear Strength (PSTC-7) = 2.2 psi indefinite (15.2 kPa)
What these translates to is RACEshield
will be able to take on damage from almost any sized material on the
road, that can PICKED up by the tires of the vehicle in front onto
yours. Many race teams are adopting protection films as they not only
protect their expensive race paintwork for qualifying rounds and race
sessions in a season, they are also able to hold their bodywork in a
crash.
05. "Is
RACEshield like
the “Bra”, tankpads & headlight protector?"
YES & NO! YES because
RACEshield
provide very much similar in advantages, along with extra areas that
they cannot protect (cowlings etc). NO because it has less
disadvantages!
We have all seen these thick leather and plastic devices which are
effective in protecting the motorcycle from scratches, stone chips,
road-grime, etc.. As they have their advantages, but then .....
"Bras" & "pads"
* The "bras" trap dirt, dust & undesired molecular elements between its
own backing and the tank, causing damage in due to time. They need to be
washed cleaned regularly underneath.
* They must be removed and dried if they get wet.
* They cause shading of paint (color difference after a few years in the
sun) as they block all UV light.
* They frequently INCREASE damage when dust gets in or they flap in the
wind.
"Headlamp protectors"
* It's obvious visibility & velcro mounting systems simply invites
"itchy hands", hence more than often you get only the velcro mounting
systems left behind!
* The trapped air between the headlamps and protectors (air is a bad
conductor of heat by nature) causes heat build up, more than often
causes unnecessary heat build up on your lamps & also fogging.
06. "Does
RACEshield protects the headlamps from
cracking like how the plastic headlamp protector does?"
Our modern headlamps are not made of glass as of many years back. Modern
vehicle lamps (meaning main headlamps and all other signal/tail lights)
are now made of plastic, mainly Polycarbonate(PC) & Polymethyl
Methacrylate (PMMA).
PC is much softer and flexible but very sensitive to abrasion (i.e stone
chips and scratches) & UV (color change). PMMA on the hand is much more
brittle and can crack easily but very resistant to UV.
So PC is used for modern front headlamps because:-
It will not crack easily as it is highly flexible as
compared to PMMA when hit by stones/gravel during riding/driving at very
high speeds. It still remains sensitive to abrasion (stone
ships and scratches) from stones, gravel, sand & dust.
So signal lamps use PMMA because :-
They are by nature in much smaller pieces to achieve a crack, yet
retains its signalling (orange) color due to its high UV resistance.
That is why the signal lamp cracks so easily when a motorcycle falls
from stationary. To reduce its possibility of crack, flexible mountings
are used for the signal lamps.
So motorcycle headlamps are very difficult to crack unless in a
crash. Hence RACEshield
provides the same protection on the vulnerable PC headlamps' flaws
similar to an "extra" velcro'ed-on acrylic headlamp protector without :-
1. Getting it easily stolen.
2. Extra heat build up due to the still air between the
lamps and the thick protector, as air by nature is a very bad conductor
of heat.
3. Bulky look onto a motorcycle.
07. "After installation of RACEshield,
do I need to take any special care or maintenance?"
No. Once adhered to the RECOMMENDED "care period"
(http://www.ar2performance.com/support/support.htm), you only need to
take care of it like how you would to your motorcycle! You can use your
favourite wash or wax onto your motorcycle as if
RACEshield
were not present. In fact, we suggest you do wax the
RACEshield
protective layer just the same as the rest of your motorcycle.
08. "If I sell my motorcycle, can
RACEshield be removed?"
Yes. RACEshield
uses a patented acrylic adhesive, which can be safely removed without
much residue, leaving your motorcycle
looking as great as the day you bought it!
RACEshield
removed from a 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000 headlamp.
RACEshield
removed from a 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000 front cowl.
We frequently remove
competitor’s film to replace it with
RACEshield
during our testings and it frequently takes longer to remove the glue
residue their films leave behind than the film itself. Not a job we love
to do, & neither would you!
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