Bought a bike that the PO had put on a stick on tank protector. I'm planning on cleaning up and reclear the tank. Anyone have any luck removing these things without taking the paint off with it? Tnx IA.
Hi and welcome to the MadHouse I should stress this task can be much, much harder if the tank pad has been on the bike for years, as they can become very firmly embedded into the paint over time, and pretty well impossible to remove without leaving marks, or the tank needing a respray. However as you indicate the tank pad was installed by the previous owner you may be lucky. Hopefully with care, patience and persistence you can SLOWLY remove it using the well known combination of first applying WD40 along the edges of the tank pad and then carefully attempting to lift an edge/corner of the pad with a finger nail. Then to get the WD40 further under the pad get some dental floss and carefully use it to saw back and forth below the pad release the glue bond. Take your time and it should come off (in one or more pieces). If the weather is cold you may consider "GENTLY warming" (not superheating) the tank pad area with a hair dryer before you reach for the WD40. Obviously petrol vapour and a heat gun/naked flame can be a very dangerous combination. However GENTLE heat can help you to get that first edge/corner free and allow you to slowly release more and more of the pad by working carefully with the WD40 and dental floss. Once the pad is off, use more WD40 to remove any remaining glue traces and then enjoy your handiwork . I hope that helps and when you get a chance an Introductory post (+photo) will be most welcome in the "Introductions" section of the forum. Have fun SkiMad
Excellent thank you. Warming was already part of the plan but WD40 and dental floss I've never tried. Thanks again.
