I’ve now had the distinct pleasure of removing the gas tank warning sticker from two different SV650 motorcycles. It’s the motorcycle equivalent of that new car smell.
This sticker is a particular nemesis of mine. Suzuki must be serious about delivering this message because they designed the sticker to be resistant to casual fingernail picking. The adhesive is stickier than a 2 year old’s face after an ice cream party.
The secret to removing the sticker without marring the finish of the gas tank is to apply heat. Any basic hair dryer will do. Hold the business end of the dryer about 1 inch from the sticker and heat for 45 seconds or so. This will soften the adhesive enough so you can begin to peel the edge of the sticker up. Of course, the sticker will also disintegrate into an inordinate number of tiny fragments while you do so. Alternate 45 second blasts with the hair dryer with peeling sessions and you’ll have the sticker fragments gone in no time.
The adhesive residue left behind can be removed with Goo Gone, Goof Off, or a similar product.
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Would a soft plastic razor/scraper have helped?
Yes, I do this to everything I can find. I can’t stand permanent warning stickers.
I took my 2003 SV’s sticker off in 2008 (I bought it used). Needless to say there is a little square of perfect, unfaded, Suzuki Copper paint on my tank now. It’s not that noticeable, but I would rather have paint color differences than that sticker!
HEAT! Dang it. I spent nearly four hours using a water based gasket remover and Goo Gone to get the tank, and other stickers off my VX800. There are still a few random labels to remove from my little project bike. If I can borrow my daughter’s hair dryer, I will give it a shot. Thanks for the hint!
@ToolGuyd: Yes, somewhat. My first attempt on my previous SV was done entirely with a soft plastic scraper. The removal process took over an hour, and despite my best efforts I left a couple of fine scratches in the paint.
@John G.: I have a similar square on mine where the sticker used to be, but it’s mostly the remnants of that extremely tough adhesive that they used. I need to soak a rag in Goo Gone and see if that will finish it off.
@Ken: Glad to be of service!
Isn’t this kind of like tearing the tag off of a mattress? “Do not remove under …”
Thank you, I’ve never tried heat before.
Stacy:
I purchased my V-strom new last August, 2009. It had 4 stickers on it. There were two on plastic panels. It took forever with WD40 and the fingernail technique. So I gave up. I would really like to get rid of the one on the gas tank. Can I bring it over in July sometime ? I think I will be down there for the rally ’cause you already know that “Oregon has the best roads in the world”
bob
bobskoot: wet coast scootin
@RichardM: I hope not, or I might end up on a 10 Most Wanted poster for wanton warning sticker destruction.
@bobskoot: Of course you can bring your V-strom by for a visit. Then I can introduce you to my friend 10guy, who is our local V-strom guru.
Are you going to the big BMW rally over in Redmond?
+10000 Stacy, this worked great!! I had poked and prodded on my sfv650′s sticker , but it just didn’t want to let go. With your method, it was off in minutes.
-Jeff (in Aloha, just north of you.)
I like the new car smell, I’ve left the sticker on my Svnaked since I bought it new…
@Jeff: Sweet! Always nice to meet more Oregonian SV Havers…
@Mike: Now I have to ask: why?
Do you not mind the look of the sticker? Too much effort to remove it? Feel like you need to be warned? I’m really curious!
stacy:
I’m thinking about it, perhaps near the end of the BMW MOA (July 15-18th, 2010), then ride over to Albany, Corvalis and perhaps the Oregon coast and Hwy 101 Northward. There are a few people on our blogging network that were going to be there, including Iron”babyPicture”Daddy
bob
bobskoot: wet coast scootin
Those tank stickers are an eye sore. I finally got round to removing my tank sticker this week, I count it as my first true modification – hopefully I’ll be change the stock exhausts next.
One of the up-sides of having my SV and myself thrown off the road by a criminal 4-wheeled driver, and having to straighten and repaint the gas tank, was the utter disappearance of that hedious sticker nightmare.