Tape peeling on tank -- how to remove?

Title tells it. tape is cracked, lifting and peeling. How can I get the tape and glue off without damaging the paint?

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Probably ethanol, turps or even metholated spirits...

Try a small area first.

Madame's hair dryer heated up the tape and I was able to pull it off. I used Naptha (AKA lighter fluid, AKA Goof Off) to dissolve the glue residue. One side done. The tank seems to be a gloss silver with a Matte clear coat. The area under the tape is glossier.

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balistol

I had the same issue on my 2014 about a year after I bought it new. The stripes looked like they put a coat of matte paint on top of them. I had a hard time getting them off. I bought new ones but the tank really needed to be dried out. I ended up buying a tank from a wrecked bike and expoxy lining it.
You can buy new stripes but unless you use non ethanol gas, the problem will exist, unfortunately.

I am going to make new stripes with matte tape from the craft store and will replace as necessary. Thanks to you all for the suggestions.

The whole tank is lacquered after the stripes have been applied.
To do the job correctly, the whole tank needs to be refinished.

eeyore wrote:

The whole tank is lacquered after the stripes have been applied.

Indeed, and it looks like matte lacquer as the area under the tape is gloss. As of today, ghost stripes!

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Not many have Ghost Stripes. Winner!

Can you take a shot of the tank from one side?

Curious how it looks with the "ghost stripes."

Bill

I'm running red ghost stripes. The bigger stripes I peeled off with a plastic razor blade after they started to bubble and tear. The smaller ones in front are starting to bubble.

I even have new stickers sitting on my work bench, just can't get motivated to put them on. My paint and body man says to use soapy water to float them into place, like doing window tint.

I had a hard time trying to get the new ones I bought in the proper place. Floating them in place sounds like a good plan. It's harder than you'd think it would be to get them right.
For anyone else reading this: if you don't want to go through all of this, you can just remove the bad section and lay a partial new piece on top (with a little overlap at the ends). Doesn't look too bad (if you get the factory tape).

kubbie wrote:

My paint and body man says to use soapy water to float them into place, like doing window tint.

Good tip!  Here is the side view.  

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Indeed, and it looks like matte lacquer as the area under the tape is gloss. As of today, ghost stripes!


Yes, the Black Devil and Red Trophy final eddition bikes were a satin finish.

I like it sans stripes.

The raised decal "GRiSO" at the back of my tank came off years ago, and I like the faint image better than the original.

But, if going back to stock, yes, that "float" tip/trick works with many similar applications.

Buon fortuna.

Bill

The lacquer top coat crept under the tape in places so the lines are not perfectly straight. I will cover that up with tape stripes because it would drive me crazy.