Decal / Sticker removal

[rogfog]

Anybody got a good way of removing the stupid sticker on the fuel tank just above the filler cap.

Have got the other two off on the inside fairing but the one on the tank has partly peeled and then the top layer came off and now it looks plain scruffy. Don't want to scratch the tank and don't want to use something that might wreck the paint - any ideas anybody as to how to get the glue to let go ?

[ernieshrew]

I used a hair dryer on mine and it came off fine. Just heated it up, lifted it from the corner making sure I got it all not just the top plastic coating, and peeled it off. Got the little residue of glue left behind off with a little bit of petrol. Hope That helps, although I am sure there are loads of ingenious ways of removing them and no doubt there will be some weird and wonderful answers to your question ;)
Ernie

[rjk]

Good Lord!! That tank sticker was the biggest piece of crap I've ever dealt with. :shock: All the other ones came off relatively easy with the hair dryer technique. Obviously, Suzuki's lawyers don't want ANYONE taking off the tank sticker cause that took me about 2 hrs. of heating and scraping with my finger nails. Maybe soaking it in gasoline and burning it off would work....not recommended though. :ranting:

[ozthis]

the company 3M makes an adhesive remover that works real well....

[speedo66]

I used a hairdrier to the point of burning and blistering two fingers. Hated those MFs. Used WD40 and a product called GooGone to remove adhesive. Probably slightly less volatile than 91 octane. :o

[CottsSVS]

After half an hour with the hairdrier I lost my rag with it :ranting: :ranting: , luckily my missus was feeling sympathetic and finished the job. :wub:

Still got remains of a blister on my thumb !!

Took the glue off with some lighter fluid

[rjk]

Sounds like we all suffered a bit from the sticker from hell. :ryan:

[CottsSVS]

Looks like I might have to do the same with swingarm sticker, the one with tyre pressures on it.

The paddock stand lifted the clear coating and now I'm left with a grubby mess, thats the one sticker I would have left on, but such is life :shifty:

[jejenkins]

DON'T do what I did. I got the tank sticker off just fine with acetone, knowing that clear coated paints will not react with it. Well I move on to the ones on the frame and before I realized it was smearing the paint all around. Going to try to match the paint and reshoot that area, if unsuccessful will put my Arai stickers there to cover my mistake. You are now forwarned, DONT USE ACETONE!!!

[Avianblue]

Petrol/gas works quite well. Still takes forever though!! :lol:

[jimbo77]

I've had the bad experiences with acetone, gasoline, carb cleaner, etc. Now, I just take my time, heat them a bit, peel them off slowly but surely, and use WD 40 or GooGone to remove the adhesive. I will say, these Zuki stickers are some of the toughest I've ever encountered. Just when you think you're actually peeling it, off comes the clear part of the sticker, with the paper solidly glued to the bike. DAMN.... :ranting: :ranting:

[WHOrU]

I just did mine .Peal the top off the stiker (not the paint clear coat) that is coverd witrh a TRANSPARENT covering . Soak a small spot in a soft rag with GooGone.Apply rag to stiker, the ink will smear as googone penetrates.Work sticker gently with finger nail next thing ya know. your done!For an added treat run a LIGHT LIQUID POLISHING COMPUND on a soft rag over the area on the tank then wax . This will camoflage any scuffing to the paints clear coat.THEwarning labels are a hasel.The sv and suzuki labels on the tail piece are cake :D DONT try this on the tank suzuki ,they are paint clear coated!!!!!!There is no need to heat the warning decals.The tail piece decals lift easily with heat useing this method.Lighter fluid will work in place of googone but will require more time and patience.

[TornadoTRE]

I just been out to check mine, as I've never nticed them before - yuck, I'm popping off line for an hour to get rid of them, they are ugly!

[ReiL01]

I used a razor blade and lighter fluid...took me 10 minutes at the most. I also removed the SV1000S stickers on the front "fairing". Looks great (in my eyes).

[theguru]

i've heard nitromors works quite well, but wouldnt recomend it, a hairdryer on the low setting did it for me.
now thats what i call a blow job :niceone:

[TornadoTRE]

Yep, a blade used VERY CAREFULLY to lift up a corner, then once I had enough purchase I gently peeled both white stickers and the 'unleaded' off, took the glue residue off by dipping a duster in my fuel tan and bingo! Finished off with a little polish, and it looks much better now. :rolleyes:

[rogfog]

Spent about 1/2 an hour at the weekend - used a mix of hot air and ispropyl alcohol !! (always comes back to alcohol - not sure why !!!)

Came off OK but in bits, which was a bit of a pain.

[banger]

Hair dryer on a low setting and patience did it for me too......

[Skidz]

I had the same problems. Tried with a hair drier, got bored, then used my fingernail for the white one on the tank. Then unleaded came off without any persuasion, the others, the hairdryer worked fine. I will leave the swing arm / "don't drill holes in me" stickers as they are. IMHO they are not obtrusive

[TornadoTRE]

Cheers Warren, I totally forgot about that one! As I am contemplating getting the swing arm polished (if it can be that is!) I will have a look at this sticker tonight and see if I want to remove it!

[XS650]

A razor blade? My hands are shaking just thinking of how easy it would be to damage the paint on my beautiful copper SV. A hair dryer and much patience was what I used. A little thinner (very little) to remove the residue, then a thourough wax job and its done.

[TornadoTRE]

XS650 Posted on 14th July 2003, 03:58 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A razor blade? My hands are shaking just thinking of how easy it would be to damage the paint on my beautiful copper SV. A hair dryer and much patience was what I used. A little thinner (very little) to remove the residue, then a thourough wax job and its done. 

It was quite easy actually. I laid the blade flat on the tank and just pushed the sharp side into the sdie of the sticker, applying a little pressure it slid through the glue with only a little difficulty and then just cleaned off the glue. The one on the upper fairing was even easier, I just raised the corner as I left the clear plastic bit over the sticker, and the whole thing peeled off in a oner! It also took most of the glue with it and only took a couple of seconds to get rid of the sticky stuff!

[spirone]

I guess I'm the only lucky one. Mine peeled right off..... The tank sticker came off in 3 peices but without much difficulty. :whistle:

[jtbgoode]

I was wondering if anyone had some great suggestions for the tons and tons of warning stickers that come on the bike. :ranting: I bought the bike this fall and love it so far but hate the fact that there are all these damn stickers screwing up the look of the bike (well, that and the arse end that I plan to do something about in the winter).

Anyone have suggestions for getting the stickers (which here in Canada are doubled because they come in both french and english) :doh: off the bike without leaving marks?

Thanks for the help!

[drmudd]

Suzuki knows how to make motorcycles but our governments put them through the eye of a needle if they wish to sell said motorcycles. A heat gun and a little elbow greese will take care of the stickers. Removing the rear ofender is covered elsewhere in this forum. Remove and replace it or chop chop.

[KRocket]

I can relate to the sticker problem you have being a fellow Canadian. The only thing that seemed to work for me was a bit of heat, some WD40 and lots and lots of elbow grease. It took some time over a few days but they are all gone. I thought it was well worth the effort.

Cheers

[brokenleg]

I took mine off with difficulty. I used a hair-dryer and wd 40 oil. My old sv650 warning stickers came of really easy. The sv1000 was a right pain, must be using different glue.
Be careful not to damage the paint.

[SV DAVE]

Let mine sit in the sun then the stickers just came right off, no problem. Washed then waxed it to remove any evidence.

Done :D

[TLtoM2]

heat gun and WD-40 work great...i just left them on this one though, got tired of taking them off.

-pat

[whiteadam]

Mine needed a dose of MEK, and if anyone knows what that stuff is then they know how evil it is.

[Skidz]

Originally posted by SV DAVE@Nov 16 2003, 04:04 PM<br /><br /> Let mine sit in the sun then the stickers just came right off, no problem.
No Chance of that in the UK!

On a different note, I remember with fond memories that Irish bar right on the River Front of Savannah and that Chow factory(?) restaurant along the front with all the fried sea food :niceone:

Oh and not to forget Winston Churchill Pub ;)

[one2many]

Heat gun and WD-40 for me also. Took about 15 min. I think I only had three stickers to remove, how many do you have in Canada? Six?

[CraigBellamy]

If you took all the pages about the stickers on the sv from this site since it was made you could make ur own library theres so many, this subject has been covered so many times it just not funny.

[Madjohn]

Originally posted by whiteadam@Nov 16 2003, 11:37 AM<br /><br /> Mine needed a dose of MEK, and if anyone knows what that stuff is then they know how evil it is.
Yes i do. I used to make paint and we used that stuff to make graffiti remover. It don'nt half stink. :argh:

[BJAM]

What goes around, comes around - stickers come, stickers go. See this subject again coming to a screen near you in 6 weeks or so!

You could always replace them with something more suitable:
<img src='http://www.doughfan.com/images/stickers.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

[rjk]

Originally posted by BJAM666@Nov 17 2003, 02:20 PM<br /><br /> See this subject again coming to a screen near you in 6 weeks or so!


Excellent :D

[BJAM]

<img src='http://www.chez.com/springfield/burns/smithe17.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image' /><img src='http://www.chez.com/springfield/burns/burns51.gif' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

[sv1k4animal]

Heat gun and WD-40 for me also. Took about 15 min. I think I only had three stickers to remove, how many do you have in Canada? Six?

My Canadian blue SV1k (S) has:

One on the upper right fairing underneath your arm on the blue plastic. One on each side of the fairing behind the windshield on the black plastic. Two on the left side of the frame. One on the right side of the frame. One on the right side of the swingarm. Two on the tank.

Try nine stickers!? What the hell were they thinking?

<_<

[CraigBellamy]

My Canadian blue SV1k (S) has:

One on the upper right fairing underneath your arm on the blue plastic. One on each side of the fairing behind the windshield on the black plastic. Two on the left side of the frame. One on the right side of the frame. One on the right side of the swingarm. Two on the tank.

Try nine stickers!? What the hell were they thinking?

<_<

Rick held his breath for 6 months waiting on that answer!

[Slyboy]

The very first thing I did with my SV when I got it home from the showroom was to remove the stickers. The way I did it was to soak a little bit of petrol on a rag and pick the edge of each sticker so it started to lift then rub a bit of the cloth on it and hey presto! Removed the lot in 10 minutes.

[sv1k4animal]

Finally got mine off today. Yep, all nine of 'em. What a task...

So after some practice, here's my take on the best way to do it without using heat. (don't have a heat gun, don't want to borrow a hairdryer, and a little leariness about applying heat....)

First, try to remove any stickers as a whole if you can. reading some other people's posts, it seems that sometimes, you just get lucky. I got one off instantly (almost) with minimal glue left. as for the others, when the clear layer peels off, as it eventually will, soak the paper layer in GooGone. I found this to be really effective at softening up the stickers on both the plastic and gas tank and (less so) on the frame/swingarm. After soaking them, you'll pretty much have to remove the stickers on the gas tank and plastic bits by hand. ie. the nail of your thumb. It's a bitch to do, but effective. Some slightly sharpened wood has also been suggested, but I didn't have much success with it.

now the tricky part: on the frame, I used a new blade from a utility knife (without the knife itself) to separate the sticker from the frame. GO SLOW!! This will come fairly easily after a bit, but if you don't get a feel for it, you can start digging into the paint easily. I myself did leave a couple of very minor nicks, but nothing bigger than the head of a pin. Also, I used a new knife blade. I was worried that an old one may have nicks in it already and scratch the paint, but then again, maybe an older (duller) one wouldn't have gotten into the paint as quickly. maybe some of you guys have an opinion on this. in any case, it's almost unnoticeable, and will be completely so after a little touch up paint. :msn-wink:

as for the swingarm sticker. same deal, but you don't have to worry about the paint. the brushed finish on the swingarm would hide any scratches even if you did put some there, but you probably won't. after being probably the hardest to remove before the blade, this became one of the easiest afterwards.

and to finish: remove the glue using WD40. works like a charm. it can also be used to soak the stickers before you take them off, but I found it didn't work nearly as well as the googone.

Like I said, I had nine stickers to remove, and except for the above mentioned issues with the frame, you can't tell that there were ever any stickers there. :banana:

I realize that most guys reading this have already dealt with this issue, but I figured I'd put it out there for those new boys (and girls) doing their searches (as I did). Especially for the Canadians! (French AND English stickers?! Are you kidding me?) :shock:

[theshig]

What the mates says: wd40, & scrubbing, lots of.

[svjoe]

sounds like a dumb question, but bear with me! i just got back from iraq in late feb. bought the sv the day after i got back, and have been doing "other" :banana: wife and family related things since then. now i am in Ky for school for the next 3 months living in a hotel. i know the easiest way is to use a hair drier and gradually heat and pull them off, but i have no access to the aforementioned hairdrier, are ther any other ideas/ tricks of the trade to remove stickers and not scratch/ remove the paint? any help from you guys would be much appreciated!!

[Chris Shelly]

Try boiling hot water. Pour it onto a rag and then place it on the sticker for a few minutes. Then take an old plastic credit card or plastic hotel room (this is what I used) key and start working on it. Repeat as necessary. The tank sticker is the worst. It will take a few hours. The two located on the fairing should peel right off after one try. I have not tried removing the frame stickers yet. The one I did try would not come off at all so I stopped trying. The paint seems very soft on the aluminum frame.

[Tundra Tom]

sounds like a dumb question, but bear with me! i just got back from iraq in late feb. bought the sv the day after i got back, and have been doing "other" :banana: wife and family related things since then. now i am in Ky for school for the next 3 months living in a hotel. i know the easiest way is to use a hair drier and gradually heat and pull them off, but i have no access to the aforementioned hairdrier, are ther any other ideas/ tricks of the trade to remove stickers and not scratch/ remove the paint? any help from you guys would be much appreciated!!

I recall a post of someone melting the fairing with boiling water :wallbash:
Even with a blow dryer you will still have the adhesive left but the sticker has to come off first. Hard get off with-out a heat source.
I used Goo-off, any parts store should have it. soak a rag with it and lay it on the glue for 15 minutes. It should wipe right off with out rubbing the shine out. Use a clean section of rag each time. Be sure to wash the area after.
A well ventelated area is a must, unless of course you've had a bad day. :crazy:

[CraigBellamy]

Here we go again........There is such thing as a "search" on this site :weep:

[okimic]

I had good success with Goo-Gone and the ever trusty fingernail.

If you are real good you can get most of the sticker up at once. ( I wasn't really good ), but with time and some patience they work off all right.

[complete]

I know Craig. You think a subject has been flogged to death and then it reappears again from square one.
Guys, this site is like an encyclopedia of the SV1000. Most subjects have been discussed in depth.
Have a search and then add something new, or then start a new thread for a new topic.
Cheers.
Adam

[Scarface]

I had Suzuki dealership remove my stickers, couldnt do it myself.

[Scarface]

Here we go again........There is such thing as a "search" on this site :weep:

Why do it the hard way when you can simply start a new thread and ask for help? searching through countless threads and posts is a waste of time.

[complete]

Why do it the hard way when you can simply start a new thread and ask for help? searching through countless threads and posts is a waste of time.
Thought that would be your attitude. You rebel.
By the same topics coming up two, three or more times it makes the site harder to navigate and you'll find that members who have posted in the original thread wont bother giving their advice again.
Cheers.
Adam

[CraigBellamy]

Why do it the hard way when you can simply start a new thread and ask for help? searching through countless threads and posts is a waste of time.

If everyone had that way of thinking the site would be full of threads containing the same old questions which would do nothing more than bore people to death. You dont exactly have to search through "countless threads and posts" usually one related word will pull up the answer you require in a matter of seconds.

Craig

[complete]

I had Suzuki dealership remove my stickers, couldnt do it myself.
Too much bother was it?

[CraigBellamy]

Complete beat me to it :oi:

:hug:

[complete]

Craig, you may be able to design and build your own underseat exhaust but i can type faster, so there....
Cheers.
Adam

[CraigBellamy]

Craig, you may be able to design and build your own underseat exhaust but i can type faster, so there....
Cheers.
Adam

:surprise: Theres that quality sense of humor again

[bullpup]

Those warning Stickers on SV1000 anyone knpow how to get them off
easily as they are a bugger to remove???? :angry2:

[JeffSV]

Check HERE (http://www.sv1000.zyns.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5189&highlight=sticker+removal) or HERE (http://www.sv1000.zyns.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6873&highlight=sticker+removal) lots of ideas on this site mate...just gotta search for 'em

[Timothy]

OR....use a hair dryer!

[Ebenhorst]

BUT use anything witch is sharp and made from metall...

[bullpup]

Check HERE (http://www.sv1000.zyns.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5189&highlight=sticker+removal) or HERE (http://www.sv1000.zyns.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6873&highlight=sticker+removal) lots of ideas on this site mate...just gotta search for 'em

THANX :blush:

Did do a search
But as the 2 examples you gave are titled sticker removal? , so you mean i should have known to put a ? mark on the end , if i dont put ? mark on end it doesnt come up and as for f#*king stickers how am i supposed tio search for that ..
Now i know you are going to say just enter stickers but that then brings up 224 options which i can not be arsed to wade through..

So doing a search isnt always the best idea unless your spelling it the way the author spell it in the first place ..
for more uncommomn words i agree SEARCH works well
but entering stickers might as well entered the word AND.. :bye2:

[bullpup]

BUT use anything witch is sharp and made from metall...

I think you meant to put a DONT in there somewhere

[CraigBellamy]

I think you meant to put a DONT in there somewhere

I hope he meant to aswell......But you never know with ebbo :D

[Mr. Furious]

Heat is up with a hair dryer, and scratch it off with your finger.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

I know, it's a bitch, but you gotta keep heating, and scratching, etc. etc.

[tacosauce]

THANX :blush:

Did do a search
But as the 2 examples you gave are titled sticker removal? , so you mean i should have known to put a ? mark on the end , if i dont put ? mark on end it doesnt come up and as for f#*king stickers how am i supposed tio search for that ..
Now i know you are going to say just enter stickers but that then brings up 224 options which i can not be arsed to wade through..

So doing a search isnt always the best idea unless your spelling it the way the author spell it in the first place ..
for more uncommomn words i agree SEARCH works well
but entering stickers might as well entered the word AND.. :bye2:

Ride around for a half hour or so until the whole bike is warm, then peel slowly from the corner of the stickr. Don't know what the weather is like where you are, but I did it middle of summer so the thing was HOT. May or may not come off in one piece. Patience is the order of the day mr. bullpup. Oh, btw did i mention patience?

[solPowder]

This way worked really really well for all but the black vin sticker. . that one was a pain. . .

Use blow drier to heat up the surface of the sticker. Then while it's still hot rub in some compound that breaks up the adhesive. I used some goo gone stuff that was in a spray bottle. Used a paper towel to rub the stuff in. Works better on the paper stickers. Then heat the stuff back up with the blow dryer. Slowly peel from one corner using your finger nail. Make sure to get both the plastic and paper layer.

The vin sticker was a pain, i think it baked on or something. It was very fragile, and would break and chip really easily. I basically had to heat it up, and be very carefull with a razor blade.

Go back over with the goo gone stuff to get rid of any residue. Then clean that crap off cause it might just try to eat through the paint/metal if you leave it on long enough.

Taking the bike for a ride works well on the frame parts too. It doesn't matter too much where the heat comes from, but you need heat.

[John Gibson]

I took mine off with WD40. You just spray it on and let it soak in and start peeling. Once you get an edge up you can spray under the edge and it comes off faster. I didn't look to see where you are from, but an penetrating oil or frozen bolt remover will do, and it shouldn't hurt the paint.
Cheers
John.

[Maui]

I took mine off finally two nights ago. Tank sticker took the longest at about 15 minutes with the hair dryer and still kept flaking. The other stickers came off one piece and like a breeze with about 3 - 5 minutes warming.

[Robbo]

I took mine off finally two nights ago. Tank sticker took the longest at about 15 minutes with the hair dryer and still kept flaking. The other stickers came off one piece and like a breeze with about 3 - 5 minutes warming.
Wait till you do the one on the swing arm!! I used a paint stripper and the metal scraping attachment to lift it and the glue from the bike.

The frame sticker is the easyiest, simply peels off if you have got the bike warm.

[llama_boy]

I think you meant to put a DONT in there somewhere

Too much Salmiakki Ebenhorst?

[redbull_pilot]

Jet washer blasted them straight off for me

[Ebenhorst]

I hope he meant to aswell......But you never know with ebbo :D

Thanks Craig...:D

No metal objects to the tank... :D

[Chris Shelly]

Yesterday I had decided to remove my warning stickers from my naked. It had been 8 or 9 months since I had bought it and I was just lazy taking them off because its always difficult. In the past I have used a 3M Adhesive Remover. It worked well but the stuff is highly toxic and would probably make your privates fall off and your body glow green. Not to mention killing every brain cell you have from the smell (think model glue but 20x stronger :sick: ). So I prefered the hair dryer and boiling hot water method. It works but its a slow process and can take an hour or more just removing the difficult stickers. If you are not careful you will scratch the paint.

When I was at my local Lowes picking up a can of kerosene I noticed a bottle of Goof Off Professional Strength. So I decided to buy some and give it a go on my warning stickers. When I got home and opened the can I was expecting a very strong citrus smell. However it smells a lot like the 3M stuff but not as strong. I was thinking it will work but probably not as good. In reality I believe it might actually work better then the 3M stuff. I saturated a rag with the stuff and placed it on my tank sticker. After a minute or so the clear plastic coating peeled off in one piece. I repeated the process and soaked the rest of it. After about 5 minutes I removed the rag and could already see the sticker bubbling up. I then took the rag and wiped away the entire sticker in one sweep.

The Goof Off did not work as well for the gummy residue. It would loosen it and spread it around but never really helped pull it away. So I just let it dry and then took some auto wax and that removed the gummy stuff. Not a big deal really and I had the same problem with the 3M stuff.

Overall I am very satisfied with this stuff and it does not seem as bad for you as the 3M stuff. Goo Gone might be the same thing but not sure. I have used Goo Gone before on other stuff and I don't think it worked as well. I remember Goo Gone being more citrus based.

Its hard to get excited over a product like this. However it worked good enough that I can recommend it and felt it was worth a mention. As a warning I have not tried it on plastic yet. Its safe for painted surfaces but probably not for plastic. Being that it smells like plastic glue I doubt it is plastic safe but you never know.

[rjk]

I use Goo Gone and yes, it is more citrus based. Worked fairly well but still had to break all my finger nails to get ALL the stickers off :argh: I scratched my swingarm too. Those flippin stickers suck! :wallbash:

[tmb1975]

Used a hairdryer on the fairing stickers this morning. Came off in 10 min each side. Going with the goo gone to help remove the gummy stuff. I have also found that using a bit of rubbing compound (light duty stuff) will help with the gummy stuff. Well, back to work, must put chewy's "SV996R" on the bike this morning before I go riding..... Gorgeous day in Hawaii today.... :niceone:

[Maui]

I used both Goo Gone and Hairdryer for optimum sticker removal performance!

[kitkat]

stickers on the frame are easily removed after a long ride on the bike, engine warms the frame, making the frame sticker easy peel

[TitanNeil]

I've looked up posts regarding frame sticker removal, and most of them seem to recommend a hair dryer or other heat source. A few mishaps with acetone and other solvents are also mentioned. Well, nobody mentioned the tried-and-true method which bodyshops the world over have been using for ages with great success: Rubber.
If you want to remove the decals with no troubles, go down to your local auto body supply shop and pick up a rubber 'erasing disc', it is a 4" diameter wheel that you can use in a regular electric drill or whatever. ANYONE, SKILLED OR NOT, CAN USE THIS AND DO A PERFECT JOB. Just like using a polishing wheel, this rubber disc works just like a pencil eraser and rubs the decal AND ADHESIVE right off, without harming the paint. I mean you would really have to be holding the spinning disc in the same spot for a LONG time to do any paint damage. I have used one before (once, with no training or experience, and did a perfect job), and dug it out to remove the decals off my SVk frame. Five minutes later, the decals were in tiny bits on the floor (along with lotsa rubber bits), and the frame was perfect. Not a trace of a decal left. Not even a SHADOW of a decal. Like it was never there.
THERE IS NO BETTER OR FASTER OR SAFER WAY TO DO THIS. Trust me. I run a sign shop/vehicle graphics shop and deal with decals/adhesives/botched up paint jobs (not mine!) all the time. An eraser wheel should be under $15, useful for removing all sorts of old decals and crap. A very good item to have. Get one. It's easier than matching frame paint. :D

[mountash1]

Sounds a bit dodgy to me.

I have visions of things going wrong. :oops:

[hsracer]

does this method not leave any rubber ground into the paint? occassionally i will ride in normal boots and if i accidentally kick my seat cowl, it leaves marks. it seems like this method would exagerate these marks 100 fold. now i'm not saying it doesn't work titanneil, i'm just saying i would have to witness it firsthand on someone elses bike before i tried it on mine.

[paddy2bsure]

Get someone to pour brake fluid over your bike - certainly took my stickers off (even tho I kinds liked them)... :doh:

Seriously tho, hairdryer to warm the sticker up, then peel it right off (although it's hot enough here in England at the moment so you don't need a hairdryer). Then, if there's any adhesive left on there, use a petrol-dampened rag (gasoline) and wipe it right off. Also great for lights & screens with any sticky gunk on there.

Works for me, doesn't strip paint (imaging if petrol did) and leaves the panel like just painted :msn-wink: unlike brake fluid, which leaves it unprimed :doh:

[Maui]

Brake fluid can be quite nasty... That is for sure. I would be a little concerned using any power tool to remove stickers... There is a big difference between buffing out some paint swirls and actually removing something that is glued down.

I also would be concerned about scratches from this process from the glue lumping as will as if pieces of the decals do stick to the wheel, they should make marks...

[kenbarcon]

Get someone to pour brake fluid over your bike - certainly took my stickers off (even tho I kinds liked them)... :doh:

Seriously tho, hairdryer to warm the sticker up, then peel it right off (although it's hot enough here in England at the moment so you don't need a hairdryer). Then, if there's any adhesive left on there, use a petrol-dampened rag (gasoline) and wipe it right off. Also great for lights & screens with any sticky gunk on there.

Works for me, doesn't strip paint (imaging if petrol did) and leaves the panel like just painted :msn-wink: unlike brake fluid, which leaves it unprimed :doh:

Have to agree with "paddy2bsure" this is how i removed all mine, only i then followed up with a polish and you can't tell they was ever there.

[Metastable]

He's right. 3M has a disk that removes tape, stickers.... etc. I use to work for 3M. They use it at Tier Plants that supply the Car plants with bodywork. many of the mouldings are put on with VHB tape.... but sometimes errors happen and they have to take the tape off..... out comes that rubber disk he is talking about. I use to sell these things when I was in their Transportation Division.

http://products3.3m.com/catalog/us/en001/auto_marine_aero/automotive_aftermarket/node_GSY8P1PDPMbe/root_GST1T4S9TCgv/vroot_GSLPLPKL4Xge/gvel_4GV2DMPHQWgl/command_AbcPageHandler/theme_us_aad_3_0

http://multimedia.mmm.com/mws/mediawebserver.dyn?ttttttb9lEHtNXut2Xuttt0ykEwTTTT 6-

[Maui]

Interesting, and thanks for the links. Something to consider... especially when it comes to bumper stickers etc...

Thanks for the reasearch and postings!

[MrHM]

Can't see what all the fuss is about, I just picked at the corners and pulled mine off, using nothing more than a scraggy fingernail

[N2UF]

Well...don't do what I did-peel paint off removing the one above the headlight :disapint:

[keknight1]

The manual says to leave these on?? :weep: . Should I check with my dealer?

[kitkat]

I've looked up posts regarding frame sticker removal, and most of them seem to recommend a hair dryer or other heat source. A few mishaps with acetone and other solvents are also mentioned. Well, nobody mentioned the tried-and-true method which bodyshops the world over have been using for ages with great success

taking the bike for a ride of around twenty mile plus would generally warm up the frame enough to remove the frame sticker in one go, no problem there :whistle:

[Maui]

Only one that was tough for me was the tank sticker which came off in about 50 pieces

[ST]

Karcher power washer did mine, no glue either to worry about.

[TitanNeil]

It does work. The disc is a natural, soft, light-coloured rubber compound that looks and feels pretty much like the soft eraser on the top end of a pencil. Two people mentioned that it might leave marks like a boot scuff, or scratch like a buffing wheel with bits stuck in it, but this doesn't happen. The wheel wears down pretty quickly, much like a pencil eraser, leaving bits o' rubber all over the place. It is designed that way to protect the paint.
It is one of those things that you have to see to believe. Sounded like wishful thinking or snake oil when I was first told about it, but now I wouldn't use any other method. It's that safe, and laughably easy to use.

[rjk]

Well...don't do what I did-peel paint off removing the one above the headlight :disapint:

Hmmm...that one was pretty easy for me. Lots of the others weren't. That wheel does sound cool! Thanks Titan for sharing. That would have been MUCH better than any of the other methods I tried. :supsmiley

[CopperTop]

They work. I've used them before. Not too often because most of the decals I've removed were plastered on the side of trailers and larger than me (used propane torch) but for old pin stripe that wouldn't just peal right of I've used them (3M) and they work great.

[sv1k4animal]

Dammit! Wish I knew about this disc when I was removing mine. Sounds great. I'll be sure to grab one the next time I get a new bike.... in addition to the SV, of course.

[gsfan]

I used goo gone and a razor. If you can get the kind will a metal backing on one side and be extra careful you can remove the frame stickers easily without fingernail problems. Just work it as close to parallel to the frame as possible and slice them off. Then the remaining glue gets goo gone. For the stickers on the fairing I just worked a corner loose and heated them up with a hairdryer while pulling at a steady rate. As they heat up they just pull right off no problem. The frame is different and a major PITA unless you use the razor. Don't worry the frame is powder coated and tough.

[Grunt]

Like every-one else I used a hairdryer and my finger nails, but I used 2-stroke petrol for the sticky goo. Worked a treat, and I knew from experience that petrol does not damage the paint ;)

[Tundra Tom]

I used both Goo Gone and Hairdryer for optimum sticker removal performance!

Same here! For the thick glue residue you need to soak a rag with Goo Gone and rub it, turning the rag to a new unused portion till all the crud is sticking to the rag. PITA for sure but at least you don't hack the paint.

[Tradewinds]

I used a hair dryer and windex, windex took it off pretty well, after I let it soak a little bit.

Cheap stuff that I had around the house already ;-)

[one2many]

There was only one sticker on my new Z1000 when I picked it up. I thought that was kinda strange cuase past bikes have had them all over. I check my owners manual it showed stickers all over the bike. So me thinks that the dealer is the culprit and he needs to be stopped!!!

[Yoshi]

used a cleansol / prepsol from the shop works great. I use it to get the grease from the chain off the wheel and swing are too. wipes the grease right off. its like thinner only half as strong will not hurt the paint

[tacp_daddy]

acetone (or however you spell it) works FANTASTIC, on powder coated only though!!!!
DO NOT TRY IT ON PAINTED SURFACES!!!!!! Paint will bubble up instantly.

If you accidentily paint something, or want a mark off the fram, try some acetone.. I bought me a liter of it at home depot for just this purpose and have used it many of times in trial and error phases of seeing what I like/dislike

[tacp_daddy]

Oh, and WEAR GLOVES!! my god; my fingers were so damn cold after .00125 seconds it hurt :P

[Chainsaw Willie!]

Oh, and WEAR GLOVES!! my god; my fingers were so damn cold after .00125 seconds it hurt :P
Yes, acetone is very volitile and has a very strong evaporative cooling effect.
An even better reason for wearing gloves is that it is such an effective solvent that it will rapidly decompose the fat in your skin. It is very effective at tearing up paint, it is also just as effective at tearing YOU apart.

Eye protection and good ventilation are good ideas too

[tacp_daddy]

wow! you have a way with expanding words! :P

And I think you mad fun of me because I'm fat...but I'm not sure :P

And yet, I think you said it works well on non painted objects...
P.S. Is it so effective in disolving fat that I can slip it into my wifes margerita?¿?

[tacp_daddy]

wow, my last sentance makes me look drunk :P... oh, wait... I am :D!!

[Tampa Twin]

I used Hairdryer/Goof-Off to remove the stickers from my bike. Yes it worked well, a little too well I think. I started to notice that my rag was turning gray at the end. Was it the paint, or just a little dirt? I do know this: DO NOT use Goof-Off on the wheels! They are cheaply painted and will be bare aluminum in no time :shock: (unless that is what you want).

[cronos22]

I've always used this stuff called " Bug and Tar Remover " ..from a company that makes engine cleaners called " Gunk " ....it comes in a blue aerosol can....Dont' ! get the black can with lemons on it...that's some kinda environmentaly safe version that sucks...Get the BLUE can ! :D ...anyways no hair dryer or any real effort needed...you just spray it good and thick on the glue spot and leave it for a minute or so then wipe it right off ..the glue will be completely gone and the paint will not be damaged in the least ...i've used this stuff on at least a hundred stickers on all my bikes and cars and it works like magic every time ...Trust me ! :supsmiley

http://www.gunk.com/CAT_TR1.asp

[Tampa Twin]

How well does that stuff work for removing chain-lube overspray?

[cronos22]

How well does that stuff work for removing chain-lube overspray?
You know....i've actualy never used it for that ...i usualy soak down the chain lube over spray and fling off with Honda Polish and Cleaner real good then let it sit for a few minutes then wipe it down ...comes right off .....but if your in a hurry i'm sure the Bug and Tar Remover is stronger ....It's got that good chemicaly " kill'in brain cells " smell that tells you it's " The Good Stuff " :supsmiley

[mcwilliamsda]

I know this is an old post but for my warning stickers on my frame I used a blow-dryer to heat them up along with a car windshield scraper (plastic not metal) to scrape them off. Let the hair-dryer get them nice and warm first and the scrape off pretty easily. Used goo-gone to remove goo. Sprayed some on, let it set for about 1 minute, scraped the area with the windshield scraper to make sure I got everything and then wiped the goo off with a towel. Worked like perfection. Removed 3 stickers in 15 minutes. Haven't tried the black one with the VIN number yet. Might just leave that one.

[Matt Chappell]

Has anyone extoled the virtues of WD40 yet?
It helps to get off the sticky residue of the glue, and as long as you clean it up, is safe on paint and plastics.

[Chainsaw Willie!]

Yeah, as long as you do not mistake the stuff for a lubricant of some sort, WD40 is a pretty decent cleaner. It does a great job as a solvent for sticker gunk, grease stains, and chain-lube fling. All you gotta do is let it soak for a while and the crud and the WD40 wash off with soap and water.

[gregdb1]

Haven't tried the black one with the VIN number yet. Might just leave that one.

The black sticker on the left side of the frame is different than the rest. It's much thicker and meant to be permanent. I removed mine by peeling a little off with my thumbnail each time after a ride when the frame was hot. It took about five rides before I had it all off. Then I removed the adhesive with WD40. You should note that there are two small holes in the frame behind the sticker. They are probably used for aligning the sticker on the frame at the factory, or for pressing out air bubbles behind the sticker.

[amidroc]

if you want to try a not so safe alternative, use Ronsonol lighter fluid. I used this to take the TRD sticker of my brothers Tacoma and he was pretty impressed , and didn't know that it had more uses that lighting a Zippo.

[Magnum]

Anybody have any ideas on the best way to remove all the warning decals on the tank and fairing without damaging the tank? Thanks in advance for any ideas.

[rider1260]

Hair dryer, plastic putty knife and WD-40. warm up the stickers and they mainly peel off, the Frame ones are harder to get off I ended up using some rubbing compound to get the last of the glue off.

[pierre]

I went too the auto parts and got my glue be gone and adhesive remove.

[MJJ]

Hot air (hair dryer) was all I needed, worked great.

[suzukichic01]

A really good trick to get them started is to try taking them off after a long ride. The frame and bike is pretty warmed up and should peel off with ease. The warning stickers on the front fairing by the instruments should peel off pretty easily if you get em started right. If after a long hot/warm ride and the stickers still won't come off, just take some "goo gone" and that helps too. Break out a hairdryer like the guys said too, if you need more heat.

Oh, and make sure the putty knife is plastic. I have fingernails so I just used those to get under there without any scratches. :supsmiley

[retrogeordy]

Hair dryer. residue of any glue comes off with a rag with some petrol on it. Just wash off any residue.

[lessthanzero]

Hair dryer. residue of any glue comes off with a rag with some petrol on it. Just wash off any residue.

+1 and ten charactors or whatever

[JSC_SLP]

+1 and ten charactors or whatever

Parking it out in the Texas summer sun did the trick for me. What gluey residue was left I got off with a bit of Bug & Tar remover. It worked much better than the Kerosene (parafin) that I had been using.
Cheers

[Chainsaw Willie!]

So, should this thread be merged with:
http://www.sv-portal.com/forums/showthread.php?p=214994#post214994
or
http://www.sv-portal.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7647#post7647
or
http://www.sv-portal.com/forums/showthread.php?p=28894#post28894
or
http://www.sv-portal.com/forums/showthread.php?p=71129#post71129
or
http://www.sv-portal.com/forums/showthread.php?p=117437#post117437
or
http://www.sv-portal.com/forums/showthread.php?p=216619#post216619
or should I just merge 'em all and give the standard admonishment to do a search first before starting a thread on a subject that has been covered MANY times already?

[BigThumpa]

or should I just merge 'em all and give the standard admonishment to do a search first before starting a thread on a subject that has been covered MANY times already?Yup. That's why I didn't bother posting.

[1badb0y]

I desprately need to remove the tank sticker since I only ride after drinking/drugs.:cheers: Thanks to 2win for giving me instructions on how to do this on a completely different thread. Search, search, then search some more. I'm pretty much convinced it's all here already.

[oldguy996]

heatgun on low and go real slow tha a littel addhesive remover for the leftover sticky stuff :scooter::scooter:

[2WIN]

I desprately need to remove the tank sticker since I only ride after drinking/drugs.:cheers: Thanks to 2win for giving me instructions on how to do this on a completely different thread. Search, search, then search some more. I'm pretty much convinced it's all here already.

If ya'll can think it up... It's almost certainly here somewhere... Some of us 'ol timers know how it's worded so we can find it easier.:rolleyes:

[scott26]

I got rid of mine on the plastic to the right of the speedo and the one on the fuel cap I didn't know about the hair dryer trick so i used a knife......I would not reccomend using that as a way....unless your good at it.....cus i chipped off a part of my clear coat which really sucks..:wallbash:

[tmb1975]

that sucks big time.....

I removed all the upper stickers.... but i have been too lazy to remove the frame and swingarm stickers.... Too lazy for 4 years and counting.....;)

[Osamabigveetwin]

I just got rid of the last of my stickers, the sv1000 ones by the seat with a hairdryer and some Auto-Glym wax to polish off the adhesive. However if you want the 3M disc the part number is 3M™ 07498 GR-DC 100mmx16mm Stripe Off Wheel + Mandrel or 3M™ 07501/02 100mm or 150mm Stripe Removal Disc for the larger disc only. The 3M website also lists stockists. Now to order some of Chewies 996R stickers..............