[mattztattz]

Has anyone tried this technique on a Harley gas tank? I'd love to get rid of the pin stripe and decal on the tank.

The guy in this video is removing the decals from a Honda Rebel. Doesn't look too difficult....

 

[1bdBagr]

just be prepared to re-paint your tanks....sticker is one thing but the stripes are another. Pinstripes are painted....the only way to remove them is sand them off.
Tim

 

[mattztattz]

Oooh!!! Man am I glad I asked before I started doing it. Thanks for the heads up on that. You saved me a major headache.

 

[Road King Cole]

In case you are looking for "part 2" of the video, there is none. He posted another video that is complete:

I wanted to see what needed to be done to finish it. Looks like it came out pretty nice.

rkc

 

[Larbaldi]

He sure makes it look easy ... but ... I'd be real nervous taking an Exacto Knife to my tank.

 

[kustom_flames]

I'll tell ya what, for the avg person that will NOT be easy. I might try it for the heck of it and let you guys know....but cutting with an exacto and not breaking thru to metal is tricky. Second, I'm not sure I would be spraying WD40 in my shop if I did painting either...in fact nothing with silicones is even allowed in my shop.

Tim is 100% correct about pinstripes - no way of removing them without repainting....

 

[mattztattz]

Thanks Kustom. I'll wait for your report back before I try it.

 

[master painter]

masterpainter

most decals are cleared over,not to be removed unless you want to repaint ....if you fingernail can catch an edge you can remove with a heat gun without harming finish,try a plastic razor blade from your local paint store.

 

[kustom_flames]

Thanks Kustom. I'll wait for your report back before I try it.

I'm gonna have to wait to get a job in that has a tank decal...right now, all the ones I have lined up have badges...a few more due in soon, so sure one will have a decal...

Even if you could do this, I would pretty much say that a reclear would be in order....trying to buff clear that has cured for months to years can be a pain...

I'll opt for the xacto on this since I use it frequently but the plastic razor is a good tip for someone who is a DIY type...less likely to cut right thru the clear into the base...

 

[lonslo]

I dont think the decals in the video were clear coated over, may be wrong. If not clear coated it is not much more than removing tape from painted surface. use heat and maybe buff area to blend in area of decal removal.

 

[kustom_flames]

According to the guy they had been...when he takes them off you can clearly see a line where the clear met the decal and you can see the clear underneath...I have never seen a decal on a bike that wasn't cleared over....

 

[Jayel2k]

I did this back in the '80's with a Honda Magna... I used a hair dryer just like the guy in the video... but when I was done, there was a decal-shaped outline in the clear-coat. I ended up taking it to a body shop to sand & re-clear the freakin tank.

You might want to consider that possibility...

JL