Stickers and their removal

Dan · May 10, 2007

I just removed the stickers from my VFR. I've removed stickers before but never motorcycle stickers. These stickers have some real serious glue under them. In the process of figuring it out I tried a few different methods that had worked for me in the past but only one really worked. My guess is that if you've never removed motorcycle stickers before you could waste a good deal of time figuring it out (like I did) so I decided to write a How-To on it. (These steps are for the large stickers. Once these are done the smaller ones on the nose and tail will seem like a cake walk.)

The short steps;

1. Cover floor.

2. Remove side sticker A.

3. Mask below sticker A.

4. Spray Goo-Gone and allow it to soak in.

5. Remove side sticker B.

6. Mask below sticker B.

7. Spray Goo-Gone and allow to soak in.

8. Return to side A and remove sticker glue w. credit card.

9. Do the same for side B.

10. Wax and polish side A and B.

The expanded steps;

The way I did it was with a blow drier, some Goo-Gone, painters tape, a credit card, a clean rag, newspaper and auto wax.

To remove the stickers I used the blow drier to soften them up and separate them from the glue backing. They came right off. Note this!... It's easier to remove the stickers from the end of the words back. Pull the lower descender of the "R" in "VFR" back to where it meets with the rounded part of the "R." Next, do the rounded part of the "R" to the same point. Finally, work the entire sticker from the end of it to the beginning. If you take your time and use the right amount of heat you should be able to remove the entire sticker (without tearing it) with one long pull.

Once the sticker is off the work starts. The glue is dark and kind of hard. It's also quite impermeable. First, put some newspaper down under your bike. Since Goo-Gone can leave a mild haze I decided to mask off below the sticker and drape a piece of plastic off the part of the fairing below the sticker prior to spraying so as to prevent run-off on to the paint. Both of these tips will make cleanup a lot easier.

Spray the Goo-Gone on it and allow it to soak in. Spray enough so as to see it setting on top of the sticker. The Goo-Gone should sit on there for around 10 minutes. It will minimize the elbow grease you'll need but not eliminate it. You can go start the other sticker while it's soaking.

After the soak time it's time to go at it with your credit card. I put a slight bend in the card and basically wiped away the Goo-Gone and glue in long, narrow strips starting at one end of the top of the glue spot and going all the way to the other end. Start working from across the top and work your way down. It makes for less mess and allows any excess Goo-Gone to move down to the areas of the glue that you are about to remove. As you're doing it don't get too carried away with perfection. You'll be able to go back and wipe away any spots you missed as you clean up. Also, there is a certain angle and bend to hold the card. It's hard to describe but you'll have plenty of time to figure it out and when you do you'll know it. You'll just be able to remove a lot of glue in one long swipe.

As you remove your stripes of glue take the time to spray extra Goo-Gone on it. Every now and then you'll want to wipe the credit card clean, too.

Once you're done give the entire area a good, cleansing wipe to make sure that you're clean of all glue. Next, do the other side.

Your last step should be to wax and polish the areas to eliminate any potential for haze left from the Goo-Gone and to be absolutely sure that all of the glue is gone.

I hope this helps. :)

Best,

Dan

HispanicSlammer · May 13, 2007