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Removing decals

3427 Views 46 Replies 23 Participants Last post by  Fukucacheme
Hey guys,

I have a blue/white k7 1000 and I do not like the white and red decals on the front fairing either side of the headlight. I have seen a couple of pics where guys have removed them and I think it looks much cleaner.

Does anyone here removed any of the decals off your bike, and if so what is the best way to do it?
Do the decals have clear coat over them?
Do you need to buff the area after removal?

Does anyone have any before and after decal remaoval pics?

Thanks, Rob.
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Use a hair dryer just to heat it up a little. Be careful not to burn the plastics.

I heard that eucalyptus oil is good as well
andrew270681 said:
Use a hair dryer just to heat it up a little. Be careful not to burn the plastics.

I heard that eucalyptus oil is good as well
Thanks Andrew, I actually have already used this method to take off all the warning stickers, but I am worried that with the actual decals they have some sort of clear coat over the top of them and if I remove the decals you may see where they were.
A heat gun or hair dryer works well, the newer the decals or bike the better, a lot of heat is needed to get them off easily too. Heat them up really good and it will make it easier.
I dont think they have a clear coating on them.

Dont quote me on it cause i dont own a K7..

Goog luck
the tank decal is the only one with clear coat over it, use a hair dryer ( heat gun can get to hot ). the go get some turtle wax bug & tar remover. be patient with the bug & tar remover may take a couple of times to get the glue completely off...i did this to mine. i'll post up a pic before i drop the bike off today
aaronass said:
the tank decal is the only one with clear coat over it, use a hair dryer ( heat gun can get to hot ). the go get some turtle wax bug & tar remover. be patient with the bug & tar remover may take a couple of times to get the glue completely off...i did this to mine. i'll post up a pic before i drop the bike off today
+1 just becareful with the heat gun. My boy tried to do it on the intake tubes of his K6 1k to remove the warning stickers and the retard melted the shit out of the plastic. Once you got the decals removed, if you have residue, i found goof off removed it if applied liberally. Actually any non abraisive citrus cleaner should work. then youll need to do the whole repolishing step just to bring that old gsxr glow back.

best of luck
Fukucacheme said:
+1 just becareful with the heat gun. My boy tried to do it on the intake tubes of his K6 1k to remove the warning stickers and the retard melted the shit out of the plastic. Once you got the decals removed, if you have residue, i found goof off removed it if applied liberally. Actually any non abraisive citrus cleaner should work. then youll need to do the whole repolishing step just to bring that old gsxr glow back.

best of luck
see if you use the bug & tar remover no re-polishing needed...shit works GREAT
I always had luck with a hair dryer and either "Goof-Off" or Naptha (lighter fluid) to remove the residue. Now, I'm trying to remove the "spike" decals off the tail, and what a chore! Hair dryer doesn't help, chemicals don't work....now it looks like a back alley abortion. It ain't clearcoated, but might as well be! Any good tips on this situation??

Thanks.
don't know what you mean by the "spike" decals
try bug & tar remover.... shit works great i'm telling you
Like others said, the tank decals are the only one's with clear over them


Removing Tank Decals = Re-Clearcoat the tank

Everywhere else....I use a heat gun and go to town. Hair Dryer works too, Heat guns are faster (just dont be stoopid)
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aaronass said:
don't know what you mean by the "spike" decals
try bug & tar remover.... shit works great i'm telling you
It's an '05 1K. Has a decal on either side of the tail that looks like the one on the tank. The vinyl decal is hard as a rock and simply doesn't want to soften up under heat, goof-off, naptha or anything else I've tried. It'll "chip" off, but that would take a month. Maybe I'll try the bug & tar remover.....
you have to get the decal off first before you use the bug & tar remover. it'll come off use the hair dryer and let it heat up a while, then use your finger nail to get started
Careful not to get any Goof Off around the windscreen. It will etch them instantly.

I used it to remove some numbers after a track day. Worked great on the fairings and headlight, but absolutely destroyed the 'screen.

Just an FYI thing.
just realize that if your bike has been sitting in the sun and you take the decals off that you will most likely see where they were due to paint fade from the sun, etc. If it hasn't been under the sun or sitting outside a lot then you should be okay.
Removing the decals is not 1/2 as tough as removing the glue residue that is left behind! I'd stay away from a heat gun as it generates too much heat. Spend a moment too long in one place with a heat gun and you'll be pulling paint with your decals! That being said, the glue left behind must have been developed by the N.A.S.A. space program because it is the most tenacious stuff on earth!
Unless the k-bikes decals have changed from my srads, that glue is unbelievably strong. I have used gasoline, kerosene, goo-gone, lacquer thinner, decal remover, motor oil, exorcisms, praying and eventually cursing (in several languages that i don't even speak) to remove the decal residue left behind.
If you find a way to easily remove that glue PLEASE share it with me/us!!!
....didnt have any residue left after peeling them with a heat gun on my 06 busa. At least not on the graphics stickers....the warning stickers...those are whole nother game.
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THE SRADIATOR said:
Removing the decals is not 1/2 as tough as removing the glue residue that is left behind! I'd stay away from a heat gun as it generates too much heat. Spend a moment too long in one place with a heat gun and you'll be pulling paint with your decals! That being said, the glue left behind must have been developed by the N.A.S.A. space program because it is the most tenacious stuff on earth!
Unless the k-bikes decals have changed from my srads, that glue is unbelievably strong. I have used gasoline, kerosene, goo-gone, lacquer thinner, decal remover, motor oil, exorcisms, praying and eventually cursing (in several languages that i don't even speak) to remove the decal residue left behind.
If you find a way to easily remove that glue PLEASE share it with me/us!!!
its changed. goo gone and other chems like bug and tar remover work wonders.
+1 to corey. good point as to the fading. totally forgot about that. but it was the first mod i did to my bike was removing the gay ass warning stickers:biggrin
My experience with decal removal has taught a couple of things.

#1 Peel SLOWLY and EVENLY. Taking your time with this step avoids a giant headache with the adhesive removal afterwards. IMO this is more important than step 2. By peeling VERY VERY slowly you'll notice that the glue is more adhesive to the decal itself rather than the surface its placed on so by being patient you can technically remove these with almost no residue left behind.

#2 Hair dryer, soft plastic scraper, rubbing alcohol. The bug/tar remover is good also.
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