Removing The Safety Decals?

[SarahP]

Are these safety decals clear-coated to the bike? I don't think they are because places on them are actually pulling up off the tank already.

I'd like to remove them and put a 3M protective film on the tank so I don't scratch it all up. I lifted up one corner to find a fairly heavy sticky residue.
Used a little Goo-Gone and it looked as though it might not be a good thing.
Hoping I didn't mess it up.

UPDATE: Hit the Goo-Gone spot with a little WD-40 and a microfiber cloth and gently gently dabbed at it. It seemed to come up/off ok.

Any advice? Am I being too paranoid?

 

[SarahP]

OK, stand down! Secure from General Quarters!

I just decided to jump in and do it.

Here's a terrifying pic of the two areas with the decals removed:

I used a hair blower on low for a minute or two, being very careful not to get things too hot. The bottom one came off easily with almost no residue. The top one...errr...not so much, as you can see. Yikes!

I placed a clean microfiber cloth placed on top of the sticky area, then saturated it with WD-40, which controlled the overspray and mess. I let it sit for about 30 seconds
(that was all I could stand) and then started removing the sticky stuff with another cloth. You gotta be very gentle and very careful, I think: no heavy hands here.

It came up just fine. I cleaned the area with a weak baby shampoo/water solution and then waxed it.

I think I'm ready to start putting the film down.
This is probably old hat to you experienced guys, but maybe another newbie like me can glean some tips out of this.

Thanks!

FINAL UPDATE: Well, I finally got the film on the tank, but only after making some mods and doing a whole lotta cussing. I'd rather give birth without pain meds while having simultaneous kidney stone and gout attacks than to do that again. But it'll be under the tank bag and will do a good job protecting the paint from me.

 

[shanered6]

looking good ! .... sometimes there under the lacquer but those kind are not as they change depending on the laws in the country the bike is going to .

 

[Rocky]

Good job
That's more or less the way most do it.
You have to be very careful with Goo-Gone as it can attack many materials.
I warm the decals, peel them off and use WD40 to lift the residue.
A bit of car polish and it's done.

I've never applied any film to gas tanks so don't know anything about that.

 

[keystiger]

Safety decals????? SAFETY decals??/ we dont need no stinking SAFETY DECALS ! We ride Triumphs! The rest of the world needs safety decals FROM US! ---er wait perhaps thats just TIGER riders because....well --- we ain't "right"

 

[mrmvolz]

Wd40 and microfiber...was the first thing I took off!

 

[keystiger]

Thanks Shane--- first time I have been called "informative" --- usually people hide that compliment inside a sentence like
"man your full of " ---of course I see the compliment in there.....

 

[hemibee]

The sticker thingies fell off my Tiger. I just rode her during a warm Texas day and the sticker thingies just fell off.

I was lucky with the Matte Green paint the stickers didn't stick and just lifted off with no residue.

 

[hemibee]

Thanks Shane--- first time I have been called "informative" --- usually people hide that compliment inside a sentence like
"man your full of ::" ---of course I see the compliment in there.....

What a coincidence, I was told I was pretty. Well actually I was told that I'm pretty annoying but I like to focus on the positive.

 

[shanered6]

yes i know what you mean my mate all ways tells me ....you know Jack ! i say no i dont but i like the name Jack !