Painting - parts removal

[bluesman]

I'm going to get the bike painted - currently blue/silver going all black (black is faster right?) any tips from those that have done the fender, tank removal etc. Also would like to re use the silver bag strips and tank badge as the painter said to remove them for a much cleaner look after painting.
Thanks

[jestephens]

the bag stripes will not be reusable. At least I've never heard of anyone getting them off withour ruining them. They are expensive to replace too. Once you take them off, the best practice to replace them is with vinyl, paint in the stripes, or smooth out the bags with body filler . . . all look good.
I'm still in planning my paint job, but I had to replace my stripes a while back. I used a chrome look vinyl.

The tank badges can be reused with some new 3M adhesive.

[ringadingh]

Soaking the strips in varsol or Goo B Gone for a couple days may dissolve the adhesive and allow you to remove them. Don't rush the process by trying to pry them off too soon. You have to allow the varsol to soak in thoroughly and soften the glue.
I spilled some varsol inside one of my bags a few years ago and didn't realizeit for a few days. When I opened the door the bottom of the hard bag was saturated in varsol and the foam mat that is glued in there had totally released itself from the bag.
I washed everything out well and reglued with contact cement. You would never know that it had once been removed.

[cactusjack]

The bag strips are aluminum and are easily deformed. Once bent, you'll never get them straight again, and they run about $45 EACH to replace. Do the math ($45 x 6 = $270). Try what Ring suggested to dissolve the adhesive. I've never tried it, so I can't vouch for it.

Removing the tank, front fender, and side covers are easy. The rear fender and the saddlebag latches/handles are much more difficult.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

Anyone tried using a hair dryer to remove the strips on the bags? Looks like if you got the glue or resin hot enough it would allow for the removal of the strips.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by AlabamaNomadRider

Anyone tried using a hair dryer to remove the strips on the bags? Looks like if you got the glue or resin hot enough it would allow for the removal of the strips.

The heat could warp the door on the bag, it's made out of ABS. Anybody attempting this had best use caution in doing so.

[fubarjohnnyr]

Personally, if I was having the bags worked over I would scrap the aluminum strips and simply have the grooves painted with the color of your choice. No more worrying about them peeling off or bending back.

[rickyboy]

My saddlebags are being painted, but I'm not sure if the painter is masking them off or removing them and then replacing them with new ones. he mentioned he was removing the tank badges. I know the insurance will be paying for them though. Thank God !

[Jared]

I removed mine without destroying them. It took a lot of time and because I was filling lines I was able to use a razor blade without too much concern.

Imho, 'if you're repainting, I would either fill the lines or just paint them and leave them colored.

[ridemslow]

Gadget has an article n his page on how to do that on the cheap, the bag stripes that is. Maybe you could sue fishing line and a hair dryer to loosen the doublesided tape to remove those stripes, but if you bend one, they are expensive. I'd be curious as to how it turns out if you are able to remove them without bending them.

Originally Posted by jestephens

the bag stripes will not be reusable. At least I've never heard of anyone getting them off withour ruining them. They are expensive to replace too. Once you take them off, the best practice to replace them is with vinyl, paint in the stripes, or smooth out the bags with body filler . . . all look good.
I'm still in planning my paint job, but I had to replace my stripes a while back. I used a chrome look vinyl.

The tank badges can be reused with some new 3M adhesive.

[bluesman]

Thanks everyone for the input. The varsol soaking sounds doable Ring, might give that a try otherwise if I bend them I'll either leave them off or use the chrome vinyl type - depends on what the grooves in the bags look like when painted. The painter said that masking them won't work as the paint will bleed and not give that crisp line. So either way they are coming off.

[skipper]

I like the smooth look of Jared's bags. I'm thinking of repaint also. I think I'll go with a lime green pearl. Its different and should stand out but not quite as much as Nightmare's "Glomad"

Kip

[macmac]

I used to blow out injectors with varsol.. Not sure what you guys use it for.

That should help alot, but I would also use 75 pound test mono filiment used for fishing. Get that just under on strip and lay down as much as you need to each side and use that like a hand chain saw.

If that works you will need to clean the stripes and get 3-M two sided tape, which ain't cheap either.

Plain black? Not me not on a bet.

Man if I was gonna do a black bike the first thing i would do is paint it white, then all colors all over here and there, then clear, then more colors, then more clear, then tape of places like rain drops, and paint it black. Pull all the raindrop tapes and see right thru that black.

Feel free to make the rain drops lightning bolts, but plain black?

[1badbagger]

buddy of mine painted his bike and just had the painter use some silver paint and paint them back on - I think it looks better than the stock ones.

[bluesman]

Mac, I gotta paint it black to match my boots. and hat (hee hee ................. actually I was thinking of two tone metallic black and metallic chocolate brown. Black where the blues is and brown where it's silver, blue and silver just doesn't do it for me and I'm kinda conservative so purple or lime green etc wouldn't work for me either. Hey but each to his own. Is the rear fender etc hard to get off?