Decal and Adhesive removal

Any tips on removing the adhesive after decal removal? I got the decals off the fuel tank but the adhesive left behind will NOT BUDGE. I tried "Goo Gone" Pro and it not work. I even tried soaking it and no change. I am afraid to razor blade it off because it is taking the paint off.

This is on a 88 model bike, so maybe the adhesive was different back then? Usually Goo Gone works pretty well.

 

Most adhesives will soften up (slowly) if you put a rag soaked in naptha or mineral spirits, but a hair dryer will usually work for the stubborn stuff... plastic scraper at most, scuffs can be buffed out later if not too bad. Heat until you can't touch it, keep the heat on (don't burn yourself) while you work at it. Sometimes it will "roll" off with finger pressure. You'll need lots of patience. If I feel I need an abrasive at the end, I'll use Novus #2 as it won't dull the gloss, perhaps the wax in it helps dissolve too. Microfiber cloths work better than any other rag or towel, seems they pick up stuff really well.

I use Novus #2 afterwards regardless, to even up any gloss differences.. if it's discoloured due to age, well, difficult to fix. Can you get new decals and put them on? I kinda like the look of warning decals actually... I bought a NOS tank, and left them on my 5th Gen. It cam with the Honda wing decals too, so lucky me didn't have to deal with any of it.

After the Novus, I'll use isopropyl alcohol to clean off any wax or oily fingerprint residue before I put new decals on.

Maybe some of the experienced retro guys will have some other ideas.

 

Thanks for the reply, that is good information.

This is actually on my NT650 Hawk GT, and I am doing a total repaint on the tank.

Just want to get the adhesive off without destroying the base layer of paint as it makes a good primer for the new paint.

 

So much for my belt sander idea.....

 

Yeah, I wanted to go medieval on that shit but thought the better of it.

 

WD40 has naphtha and other solvents, I used it to get the decals off my ‘89

 

These things are not cheap but they fucking work great. Friend of mine removed stripes off of a large box truck without harming the paint.

3M Stripe Off Wheel Adhesive Remover Eraser Wheel Removes Decals, Stripes, Vinyl, Tapes and Graphics

https://www.amazon.com/Adhesive-Rem...ocphy=9033279&hvtargid=pla-451421021261&psc=1

 

Manual version, a crepe block.... or if you have an old pair of crepe-soled shoes.......
https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/sho...g/accessories/20192-crepe-blocks?item=54K0102

 

I used turpentine on mine.

 

Damn....That looks pretty handy. I have some pinstripes I want to remove from my Honda Prelude fender. Looks like the ticket! Thanks!

 

How the heck did you figure that trick out? Not in a million years would I have known that. Learn something new everyday!.