Article: How to Safely Remove Stickers from a Motorcycle's Paint

[justsomeguy]

How to Safely Remove Stickers from a Motorcycle's Paint
From the October 2004 issue of Motorcycle Cruiser magazine. By Mark Zimmerman.

[Aitch]

Is the warning sticker on my bike bloody annoying, it's ENTIRELY in Japanese.
Luckily my ol school chum speaks and reads Japanse fluently so I had him translate it, and it's the same ol story...wear a helmet, don't ride naked bla bla bla.

[Jeremy]

I'm most disapointed mine didn't come with a warning not to ride naked on it.

I have noted that the SV650 warning label says not to store items between the fairings and the handle bars! Great place to store a coke if you ask me :P

[chickenfunkstar]

Do you think that would work on, say 6 year old stickers?
I've got about 4 or 5 of them.

They all either say stupid things or don't make sence.
Slow down when there's low visibility or whilst riding over slippery terrain. Really?
Keep the screen clean and scratchfree. Why? I couldn't look through it even if I wanted to.

Do you think after 6 years the paint which isn't covered by the sticker will have noticably faded?

I think I've missed my chance.

[Waylander]

Buying second hand usually the previous owner will have had them removed and buying new you can just ask the shop to take them off. So what's the point?

[chickenfunkstar]

Buying second hand usually the previous owner will have had them removed and buying new you can just ask the shop to take them off. So what's the point?

Mine still had them on and i'm the third owner.

[Waylander]

Mine still had them on and i'm the third owner.

Can't account for lazy people I guess...

[chickenfunkstar]

Can't account for lazy people I guess...

haha yeah, at this rate it looks as though the fourth owner will still have them on...

[Ghost Lemur]

...don't ride naked bla bla bla.

Do they have a problem with people doing that over there? Lots of biker babes?


*starts planning trip*

[Beemer]

Your mate would come in handy around here Aitch! Not only were the three stickers on my new Goose entirely in Japanese, but so were the two manuals! Suzuki sorted me out with some translations for the technical specs, but the stickers were really annoying me. We were going to try the hairdryer trick but the other day when I went for a ride I thought I'd just try carefully peeling them off. Voila! All came off easily, leaving only the tiniest bit of residue around the edges, which the husband polished off later. The (new) bike had been sitting in the dealer's showroom for two years or so and you can see where the stickers have been as the paint is not scratched underneath them! But the bike is black so it's not that noticeable.

I hated the stickers in Japanese because everyone thought the bike was a Jap import and it isn't!

[F5 Dave]

Haha, lookie at all the Suzuki riders complaining . Most zuks come so littered with Warning stickers you can hardly see the paint. How we all laughed when Hondas first came out with the tank warning sticker then every manufacturer started up on the game. Thank the good 'ol USA.
'Course you never see them on the bikes in brochures or shows.

What I can’t fathom is the people who leave them on. Maybe they think they’ll invalidate warranty?

Hairdryer works a treat & residue comes off with that DeSolvit orange cleaner, which you should buy to help take the residue off you CD cases when you remove the price labels.

[jazbug5]

Hairdryer works a treat & residue comes off with that DeSolvit orange cleaner, which you should buy to help take the residue off you CD cases when you remove the price labels.

I tried that, but the store detective got very upset with me...

[F5 Dave]