Hello to all motorcycle enthusiasts out there! Surely at some point, you've thought it was a good idea to put stickers on your bike, but now you're tired of them and want to remove them. Or you've bought a second-hand bike and the previous owner plastered it with stickers, and you don't know how to remove them without damaging the bike.

And that's why we're here today, we're going to explain how to remove those stickers from your motorcycle without damaging or ruining it in a very simple, effective, and quick way. Let's get started!

Things to consider before removing stickers from your bike

You should be aware that if a sticker has been on your bike for a long time, the area underneath will likely have a different shade than the rest of the bike, since that area hasn't been exposed to the sun.

Another point to consider before removing stickers from your bike is that if the sticker is factory-original, beneath a layer of varnish, and therefore, wasn't applied by anyone, you won't be able to remove it using the method we're about to explain. In this case, you'd need to either sand the surface or paint over it.

Remove stickers from your bike by applying heat

To remove stickers from your bike, you should apply heat, as this will cause them to start peeling off where the heat is applied. So before starting, you'll need a heat gun, which is like a powerful hair dryer and usually costs between 20€ to 30€ in any tool store or the like. A regular hair dryer might work, but we recommend using a heat gun. Once you get one, follow these steps:

  • Step 1. Once you have the heat gun, turn it on and apply heat over the entire surface of the sticker. This will soften the adhesive, making it much easier to peel off.

    Heat gun

  • Step 2. When you see it starting to peel, grab an edge or corner of the sticker and begin to peel it off slowly and uniformly. Peel it off carefully so the sticker doesn't break, leaving pieces behind which would be harder to remove and leave more adhesive residue. If needed, you can use a spatula, but it should be made of wood or plastic, never metal, as that might scratch the fairing.

    Removing Stickers Spatula

  • Step 3. While you're slowly peeling the sticker, keep applying heat constantly until it's completely off. If it stops coming off at any point, stop pulling and apply more heat to that area until you can continue peeling it off completely.

How to remove adhesive residue after taking off the stickers from your bike

Option 1. After removing the sticker, you'll need a drill and a rubber eraser. Use this perpendicularly on the area where the adhesive is, and it will come off slowly. Be very careful with this method, as if not done correctly, you might risk removing the varnish from the fairing. Once you've done this, clean the area with water.

rubbing eraser

Option 2. After you've removed the sticker, it's likely to leave adhesive residue on the bike, which obviously doesn't look good and needs to be removed. Be very careful and don't use any kind of solvent to remove the adhesive residue, neither alcohol nor turpentine... Most are very aggressive and can damage your bike's paint.

To remove the excess adhesive, you should make a mixture of water and alcohol. Wet a cloth with this mixture and apply it to any area with adhesive residue.

If you want to give your bike's paint an extra shine, you can do it with specialized furniture cleaning products or acetone. But be careful with the latter as it can be harsh on the paint.

  • While you are slowly peeling off the sticker, you will have to keep applying heat steadily until you get it completely off. If at some point you see that it does not peel off, stop pulling and apply heat to that area until you see that it has peeled off and continue pulling until it is completely removed.

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