Vintage Triumph Decals & Transfers

Shop reproduction decals for Triumph 500, 650 and 750 twins. They cover the tank and side panels, oil tank, air cleaner, seat and instrument panel. Most designs come in two forms:

• Water-slide transfers: these have part numbers starting TBS-S. They’re the thin, original-looking choice, and you can clear-coat over them.
• Peel-and-stick: these have part numbers starting TBS-P. They’re quicker to apply but more visible on the paint.

Where the original Triumph part number is known (60-xxxx), it’s in the product title. See the application guide below the grid, and our step-by-step water-slide guide.

Review All Vintage Triumph Decals & Transfers Topics

Table of Contents

What Makes Vintage Triumph Decals Different

Badges on the tank, decals almost everywhere else

• Tanks: Meriden-era tanks mostly carried chrome badges rather than decals. There was the “mouth organ” from about 1957 to 1965, then the “eyebrow” for 1966–67, then the “picture frame” from the late 1960s to 1979. Decals returned to some 1979–83 models (Run Motor Run – Triumph logo history). Shop tank badges and Triumph tank parts.
• Elsewhere: decals named the model on side panels (toolboxes), oil tanks, air cleaners, seat pans and instrument panels.

Many decals did a job

Several Triumph decals are instructions or warnings, not decoration:

• Minimum Oil Level on the oil tank
• “Dry Element – Wash in Petrol” on the air cleaner
• valve clearances under the seat
• the hydraulic brake caliper cover
• Smiths trip-meter reset

The electrical decals warn about polarity

Triumphs were positive earth until 1979, when the T140 switched to negative earth (webBikeWorld). The under-seat warning decal tells anyone connecting a battery or charger which terminal goes to the frame:

• Important – Positive Earth (60-0052)
• Important – Negative Earth, 1979–88 (60-7159)

Fit the one that matches how the bike is wired now, and see Triumph electrical for polarity-sensitive parts.

The speed-record decal tells the Bonneville story

On September 6, 1956, Johnny Allen rode the Texas Cee-gar streamliner, powered by a 650 Triumph Thunderbird engine, to 214.17 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats (Cycle News). The FIM refused to ratify the record in 1957 because the timing gear lacked its seal of approval (AMCN). Triumph still advertised the record, and the “World Motorcycle Speed Record Holder” decal comes from that (AMA Hall of Fame – Johnny Allen). It’s available as a water-slide, as a peel-and-stick, and in black for the 6T Thunderbird.

Designs changed by model and year

• Lettering styles: script, block letter and cursive styles belong to particular models and years. For example, the 1968 TR6R used cursive Trophy 650 (60-1920), and the 1968 TR6C used Trophy Special (60-0679).
• Other markings: these follow the specification too, such as the Five Speed fender decal and the 1978.5–82 T140/TR7 instrument panel decal.
• Check before buying: use the Triumph parts books or photos of an original bike.

Water-Slide vs. Peel-and-Stick

	Water-slide (TBS-S)	Peel-and-stick (TBS-P)
Look	Very thin film. It looks painted on, especially under clear coat.	A thicker film with a visible edge.
Positioning	Slides on water, so you can adjust it before it sets.	The adhesive grabs on contact unless the maker allows a wet application.
Clear coat	Designed to be clear-coated.	Can be clear-coated with suitable products (Classic Transfers).
Durability without clear	Fragile, and easily scratched or lifted by fuel.	Tougher, but edges can lift.
Best for	Concours restorations and freshly painted parts.	Riders, quick refreshes, and under-seat or air-cleaner locations.

Pairs offered in both forms include:

• Bonneville 120 script: S0022 and P0022
• Bonneville block letter (tank): S118 and P118
• Minimum Oil Level: S114 and P114
• TR6 Tiger 650 (tank): S116 and P116

How to Apply Triumph Decals Without Problems

Read our Tech Blog: Application Techniques for Waterslide Decals

Preparation (both types)

1. Let fresh paint cure. Classic Transfers suggests leaving new paint about a week, because transfers applied too soon can bubble (Classic Transfers).
2. Clean the surface. Remove wax, polish, oil and dust. Wipe with a tack cloth just before applying. A speck of dust under a sticker leaves a permanent “pimple” (our water-slide guide).
3. Mark the position. Use small pieces of masking tape as guide marks. Take position from the parts book, a factory photo, or the matching panel on the other side.
4. Work at room temperature. Most vinyl makers specify roughly 50–90°F for both the air and the surface (FASTSIGNS vinyl care sheet (PDF)). Water-slide decals also behave best at room temperature.
5. Rehearse first. If you’ve never applied a water-slide decal, practice on a spare decal or the scrap border of a sheet.

Applying a water-slide decal (TBS-S)

1. Trim. Cut close to the artwork to minimize visible clear film, especially if you won’t clear-coat (our guide).
2. Soak briefly. Dip it in lukewarm water for about 5–10 seconds, or lay it on a wet cloth and mist the top (our guide). Don’t use hot water, and don’t leave it submerged for more than a minute, or the film can separate and tear (Kadee decal instructions (PDF)).
3. Slide, don’t lift. Hold the decal against the panel and slide the backing paper out from under it. Lifting the film off by itself folds and tears it.
4. Float it into place. Keep the panel wet so the decal can be nudged into position. If it starts to stick, add water at the edge.
5. Push out water and air. Work from the center outward with a soft cloth or rubber squeegee, then blot (Phoxy Design). A stubborn bubble can be eased with very gentle warmth from a hair dryer (our guide).
6. Curved surfaces. A decal setting solution such as Micro Set improves adhesion and helps the film conform (Microscale (PDF)). Test it on a spare piece first, because softeners can wrinkle some films.
7. Dry fully. Leave it overnight, and allow at least 24 hours before clear-coating (Classic Transfers).

Clear-coating over a water-slide decal

• Compatible clears: two-pack (2K) lacquer and clear oil-based varnish both work over water-slide and vinyl transfers.
• Clears to avoid: clear cellulose and single-pack acrylic sprays can make transfers shrink.
• How to spray: start with light mist coats, then build to full coats (Classic Transfers; Rothko and Frost).
• Test first: always test your clear on a spare decal.
• Petrol resistance: oil-based varnish can take one to two weeks to cure before it resists petrol (Classic Transfers). For anything near the filler cap, use a fuel-resistant 2K clear.

Applying a peel-and-stick decal (TBS-P)

1. Clean. Wipe with isopropyl alcohol, not an ammonia glass cleaner, and let it dry.
2. Position. Peel back a corner or one edge of the backing, line it up with your tape marks, and stick that edge first.
3. Smooth. Peel the rest of the backing away gradually while smoothing from the stuck edge outward with a soft squeegee or a cloth-wrapped card.
4. Wet application. Spraying the panel with water and a drop of dish soap lets vinyl slide into position before it grabs (FASTSIGNS (PDF)). But 3M advises using the wet method only when the film maker recommends it (3M Instruction Bulletin (PDF)). Try it on a spare first.
5. Edges. Press the edges down firmly. Don’t wash the bike or let fuel near it for a day or two.

Common Decal Problems and Fixes

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Water-slide decal won’t release	Not soaked long enough	Give it a few more seconds in the water. Don’t force it.
Decal tore or folded	Lifted off the paper instead of slid, or soaked too long	Slide the paper out from under it. Keep the soak short.
Wrinkles on a curved panel	Film too stiff, or moved after it started to set	Keep it wet while positioning. Use a setting solution, tested first.
Cloudy or silvery film	Air trapped under the film, or a dull surface	Apply to a smooth gloss surface. Squeegee from the center. Clear-coat to blend.
Bubbles or “pimples”	Dust, or paint not fully cured	Prep with a tack cloth. Wait for the paint to cure.
Decal shrank or crazed under clear	Cellulose or 1K acrylic clear, or clear applied too soon	Use 2K or oil varnish after 24 hours. Mist coats first.
Visible clear border	Untrimmed carrier film	Trim close, then clear-coat over the whole panel.
Peel-and-stick edge lifting	Wax or oil on the surface, cold surface, edges not pressed	Clean with alcohol. Apply at room temperature. Burnish the edges.
Damaged by petrol	No fuel-resistant clear coat	Clear with a fuel-resistant 2K over tank decals.
Wrong lettering for the bike	The design differs by model and year	Check the 60-xxxx part number against the parts book.

Shop by Model and Location

Bonneville

• Tank and toolbox: Bonneville 120 script, water-slide, Bonneville 120 script, peel-and-stick, Bonneville 120 script sticker, Bonneville script toolbox, water-slide (60-0680) and peel-and-stick
• Block letter: tank, water-slide, tank, peel-and-stick, side panel, water-slide and side panel, peel-and-stick
• Bonneville TT Special, 1964–67

TR6 Tiger and Trophy 650

• Tiger 650: tank, water-slide (60-2102), tank, peel-and-stick, side panel, water-slide and side panel, peel-and-stick
• Trophy 650: tank, water-slide, tank, peel-and-stick, side panel, water-slide, side panel, peel-and-stick, 1968 TR6R cursive, water-slide and peel-and-stick
• Trophy Special and Trophy Sports: Trophy Special TR6C 1968, water-slide, Trophy Special, peel-and-stick, Trophy Sports TR6C/T100C, water-slide and peel-and-stick

500 twins: Tiger 100, Daytona, Trophy 500

• Tiger 100: Tiger 100 T100S, 1968–69, Tiger 500 T100R, 1968–70 and T100 script side panel
• Daytona: tank and side panel
• Trophy 500 T100C block letter: tank (60-2064) and side cover (60-2105)

Decal sheets

• 650 water-slide sheet, 1966–70 (about 11″ × 17″): tank, oil tank, side cover, headlamp mount, air cleaner and seat pan decals
• 500 T100 water-slide sheet

Oil tank, air cleaner and seat

• Oil tank: Minimum Oil Level, water-slide, peel-and-stick (P114), peel-and-stick (60-0003 P), oil tank top, water-slide (60-1816) and peel-and-stick
• Air cleaner (“Dry Element – Wash in Petrol”): water-slide, peel-and-stick and vinyl, 1967–70
• Seat: valve clearances under-seat decal, Positive Earth and Negative Earth 1979–88

750s, instruments and identity

• 750s and instruments: T140/TR7 instrument panel, 1978.5–82, Five Speed rear fender, hydraulic caliper cover and Smiths trip reset
• Made in England and script decals: Made in England script, 60-3361 and Triumph script peel-and-stick, 60-0061
• Speed record: the water-slide, peel-and-stick and 6T black versions

Related Categories

Tank badges · Triumph tank · Triumph seats · Triumph frame · Triumph oil & air · Triumph instruments · Triumph electrical · Triumph parts books · Triumph manuals · Accessories · Vintage Triumph parts · BSA decals · Norton decals

Brands: British Iron · Tri-Cor

Guide: How to apply a water-slide decal

Further Reading (external)

• Classic Transfers – do’s and don’ts of overcoating transfers
• Microscale – decal setting solutions (PDF)
• Kadee – water-slide decal instructions (PDF)
• FASTSIGNS – applying vinyl graphics (PDF)
• Run Motor Run – Triumph logo and badge history
• AMCN – Heroes of Bonneville
• Cycle News – Johnny Allen’s 1956 record

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Vintage Triumph Decals FAQs