decal on my gas tank Harley Evo Discuss decal on my gas tank in the Motorcycles forums; I recently bought an 02 Night Train. It has a scratched up Harley decal on one side yet absolutely not a scratch on the pain or clear coat. I'd like ...

[dpr99]

I recently bought an 02 Night Train. It has a scratched up Harley decal on one side yet absolutely not a scratch on the pain or clear coat. I'd like to just strip the existing decals off and replace them with the newer Night Train emblem but it seems like the decal might be under the clear coat.

Is there any possible way to get the existing decal off without having to have the entire tank repainted?

[Buzz Kanter]

Originally Posted by dpr99

I recently bought an 02 Night Train. It has a scratched up Harley decal on one side yet absolutely not a scratch on the pain or clear coat. I'd like to just strip the existing decals off and replace them with the newer Night Train emblem but it seems like the decal might be under the clear coat.

Is there any possible way to get the existing decal off without having to have the entire tank repainted?

Sounds like a tough deal and you might have to repaint the tank but good luck either way.

[HarleyCruiser]

Nope decal is under the clear, and that would be hard to take off without re doing the paint.
You could just go over the decal and clear coat with the new decal, but then they are going to stick up a lot.
Question, how could the decal be scratch and not the clear paint over it?
Did someone scratch it then clear over it?

Originally Posted by dpr99

I recently bought an 02 Night Train. It has a scratched up Harley decal on one side yet absolutely not a scratch on the pain or clear coat. I'd like to just strip the existing decals off and replace them with the newer Night Train emblem but it seems like the decal might be under the clear coat.

Is there any possible way to get the existing decal off without having to have the entire tank repainted?

[dpr99]

I'm not sure how it happened since I bought the bike with this problem. There are only two gouges taken out of the decal. The rest is in tact. The clear coat is missing where the gouges are but the paint is in tact (weird I know).

I read somewhere that you could use a hair dryer to weaken the clearcoat and adhesive on the decal then use fishing line to scrape the decal off without damaging the paint but if I do successfully get the decal off, I don't know how I'd reapply the clearcoat where the decal used to be without it looking wavy and funny. Not to mention, I'm not even sure this tactic would work.

[HarleyCruiser]

Yea that will work, you can use the same procedure to remove warts, except use a propane torch it works better.
NOPE just kidding. Don’t try either, that wont work.This works on decals but NOT if they have been cleared over.
The heat might soften the paint, but if it does come off it will wreck any paint around it and under.
The decal will have the color of the tank under it so if the decal is scratched it will be that color at the scratch.
If I was going to fix it, I would sand off the decal, or at least sand it flat, then put on a new one, then clear over it.
Clear the whole tank then sand the excess off to make everything flat, then rub out the paint.
That will make a better than stock paint job.
Spraying on clear is not that hard, all that you need is a compressor, and one of those touch up guns to paint body work on bikes, and of course the paint and hardner.

Originally Posted by dpr99

I read somewhere that you could use a hair dryer to weaken the clearcoat and adhesive on the decal then use fishing line to scrape the decal off without damaging the paint but if I do successfully get the decal off, I don't know how I'd reapply the clearcoat where the decal used to be without it looking wavy and funny. Not to mention, I'm not even sure this tactic would work.

[tguil]

If you want the newer decals, just have the whole tank bead blasted and start over. Probably a couple of hundred bucks to make it look right.

[bundy bruiser]

I wouldn't try it, just carefully sand the top coats and decal off and get a respray.
I wouldn't strip it right back to metal, as this is more unessesary work. Use the original base coat/ primer and go from there. I am getting rid of my decals all together and going with badges.