Ianonortheast
Registered user
Hi, new GSA owner here. Has anyone any advice on having ppf film applied vs having a good quality ceramic coating?
Ceramic coating vs Paint Protection Film
- Thread starter Ianonortheast
- Start date
Not had either but when I'm dreaming looking at supercar adverts on line a great number seem to have ppf film fitted so I'm guessing if your spending north of £250,000 it must be good. 
They're very different products. Ceramic coating will protect your paintwork from environmental damage and generally make your car or bike easier to wash. Whereas PPF will protect from mechanical damage such as scratches etc. It'll also protect from environmental damage
I did a blend of both.
On the painted panels, i installed PPF film. And i also got the Bike Ceramic coated - mainly for the protection of the metal components, and to help keep them protected somewhat. You can't PPF the engine!
On the painted panels, i installed PPF film. And i also got the Bike Ceramic coated - mainly for the protection of the metal components, and to help keep them protected somewhat. You can't PPF the engine!
I've done both. Ceramic is ultimately the best kind of polish type protectant that does work. The product itself is expensive however when someone applies it the main expense is their time and the preparation for the coating. depending on the use of the vehicle it will need a top up every few years.
PPF is the ultimate if you get a good quality product applied by an experience applicator. It will not be seen and will resist virtually all damage. i have applied to parts of both bikes and cars. It is the most robust thing you can do.
As an example you will see a lot of high end cars (Porsche 911 etc) that are PPF'd to the front end, mirrors. sills, sides of windscreens. If the car is being used ie not a garage queen you will get zero stone chips on the protected areas. In a lot of cases they will also be ceramic coated over the top of everything to promote shine. I'd thoroughly recommend it.
Barry
PPF is the ultimate if you get a good quality product applied by an experience applicator. It will not be seen and will resist virtually all damage. i have applied to parts of both bikes and cars. It is the most robust thing you can do.
As an example you will see a lot of high end cars (Porsche 911 etc) that are PPF'd to the front end, mirrors. sills, sides of windscreens. If the car is being used ie not a garage queen you will get zero stone chips on the protected areas. In a lot of cases they will also be ceramic coated over the top of everything to promote shine. I'd thoroughly recommend it.
Barry
Geon ppf comes applied with a ceramic coating on the film.
Ceramic will not stop the stone chips, it will aid cleaning tho.
Ppf will stop unwanted stone chips and can be removed to reveal as new looking panels, great for tanks to stop knee rub and stone chips to the fork legs.
If you go down the route of ppf yet want to make the bike easier to clean you can buy ceramic snow foam, you apply through a snow foam lance and once applied it’s very good at beading and aiding your cleaning process.
I’ve fitted hundreds of ppf kits myself because I’m a bit ocd, finding someone to do it for me is difficult, they’re mainly detailers whom fit kits now and again and I’ve never been 100% happy whereas I wanted someone whom does it everyday. So I’ve just had a car done @ Topaz and I’m extremely fussy and usually find fault, but I can’t fault it neither can you see any lines, very impressive.
Ceramic will not stop the stone chips, it will aid cleaning tho.
Ppf will stop unwanted stone chips and can be removed to reveal as new looking panels, great for tanks to stop knee rub and stone chips to the fork legs.
If you go down the route of ppf yet want to make the bike easier to clean you can buy ceramic snow foam, you apply through a snow foam lance and once applied it’s very good at beading and aiding your cleaning process.
I’ve fitted hundreds of ppf kits myself because I’m a bit ocd, finding someone to do it for me is difficult, they’re mainly detailers whom fit kits now and again and I’ve never been 100% happy whereas I wanted someone whom does it everyday. So I’ve just had a car done @ Topaz and I’m extremely fussy and usually find fault, but I can’t fault it neither can you see any lines, very impressive.
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Ceramic coating will protect more of your bike, but PPF will provide more protection than ceramic coating where it's applied. You'll need to check how long ceramic coating actually lasts as I've seen quite a few reviews singing it's praises on freshly coated bikes, but no long term reviews including an inspection under a proper detailing light to shiw how long it lasts. The beauty with PPF is you can always take it off and either leave it off (if you're selling the bike) or replace it if it gets damaged which if this happened with ceramic coating you'd need a respray or new panel.
Will you be an all year biker, how many miles do you do and how often do you clean your bike, do you use a bucket of water and washing up liquid with a halfords sponge or do you clean it carefully using premium detailing products and methods to keep it lookingvas new as possible?
There's also different types of PPF. The cheap stuff sold by Nippy Normans etc which is a clear vinyl and the more expensive variety. I've had the latter applied by Tony James design at Cotswold Motorrad to the tank on my 1250GS after a warranty claim for the matt side panels after they started to mark up. Tony is a real perfectionist and he's also done my 2023 2250 RS now, applying PPF to more of the bike. If money was no option I'd have both done with the more vulnerable areas protected with PPF.
I'm quite anal about keeping mine clean and am a self confessed fair weather rider so I have PPF to protect the high traffic parts on my tank and side panels and the vunerable areas on the fairing protected with PPF against stone chips. I use bead maker detailing spray after every wash on the ret of the bije and protect the underside/lower rear end of the bike with XCP clear coat and the bottom of the engine with Lanoguard
Will you be an all year biker, how many miles do you do and how often do you clean your bike, do you use a bucket of water and washing up liquid with a halfords sponge or do you clean it carefully using premium detailing products and methods to keep it lookingvas new as possible?
There's also different types of PPF. The cheap stuff sold by Nippy Normans etc which is a clear vinyl and the more expensive variety. I've had the latter applied by Tony James design at Cotswold Motorrad to the tank on my 1250GS after a warranty claim for the matt side panels after they started to mark up. Tony is a real perfectionist and he's also done my 2023 2250 RS now, applying PPF to more of the bike. If money was no option I'd have both done with the more vulnerable areas protected with PPF.
I'm quite anal about keeping mine clean and am a self confessed fair weather rider so I have PPF to protect the high traffic parts on my tank and side panels and the vunerable areas on the fairing protected with PPF against stone chips. I use bead maker detailing spray after every wash on the ret of the bije and protect the underside/lower rear end of the bike with XCP clear coat and the bottom of the engine with Lanoguard
my 3 pence:
- PPF works for chips up to a point.
- PPF ages badly and looks tatty. On a bike with limited coverage, that might be ok to redo. On a car, it's a faff. Removing it is as hard/expensive as installing it. The only people who can remove it are the same ppl who will pester you no end to re install a fresh one. Annoying bunch
- Ceramic def works for a few months, perhaps a year without heavy soiling/commuting use
- Some ceramic is better than others. Application def makes a difference.
- I personally don't think the rugged GS which is supposed to look tough, would benefit from either. It's just a farkle
- PPF works for chips up to a point.
- PPF ages badly and looks tatty. On a bike with limited coverage, that might be ok to redo. On a car, it's a faff. Removing it is as hard/expensive as installing it. The only people who can remove it are the same ppl who will pester you no end to re install a fresh one. Annoying bunch
- Ceramic def works for a few months, perhaps a year without heavy soiling/commuting use
- Some ceramic is better than others. Application def makes a difference.
- I personally don't think the rugged GS which is supposed to look tough, would benefit from either. It's just a farkle
Had PPF professionally installed on last 5 bikes
Saved stone chips to plastic body, aluminium side panels on the GS and on rear panels on previous sportsbikes where you might scuff a boot against throwing your leg over
Easy to remove with a gentle wafting from a haidryer
3M film by Invisible Patterns
Quality fitting everytime
https://www.invisiblepatterns.co.uk/
They can create their own patterns if you want something covered that's not it the standard kit as I did with some Akrapovic carbon panels
Even did the headlight glass and the TFT screen
Matt film on matt body parts
For me, it works. Especially keeping marks off the side of the tank
At 2 1/2 years, and 14000 miles in it doesn't look shabby
Saved stone chips to plastic body, aluminium side panels on the GS and on rear panels on previous sportsbikes where you might scuff a boot against throwing your leg over
Easy to remove with a gentle wafting from a haidryer
3M film by Invisible Patterns
Quality fitting everytime
https://www.invisiblepatterns.co.uk/
They can create their own patterns if you want something covered that's not it the standard kit as I did with some Akrapovic carbon panels
Even did the headlight glass and the TFT screen
Matt film on matt body parts
For me, it works. Especially keeping marks off the side of the tank
At 2 1/2 years, and 14000 miles in it doesn't look shabby
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