Is there anything you have done to your bike that you regret?

I want to take off all the warning stickers that are stuck to my bike, but the salesman said that by doing so there maybe swirl marks underneath from when the stickers were applied. I don't know what looks worse, the stickers or the thought of swirl marks.

I also want to cut the rear rain guard down a bit because it looks way to long.

Anyone out there do something to their bike that their wish they won't have done and it is either too late or had to replace???

Why would there be swirl marks? If you can get the sticker off cleanly (tip: razor blade and rubbing alcohol) it should look fine.

Don't know first new bike so I'm not sure what they did at the factory. Usually when putting a sticker on just clean the surface with some denatured alcohol and stick away. There again, first new bike and I don't want to mess it up. The stickers are annoying.

I guess maybe I'll try it and see what happens. Worse thing that can happen is I have to buff it out or put a different sticker on.

yeah.
it wasnt stickers..
i bought that stupid spray tint, and followed the directions and attempted to tint the front windscreen..

DONT DO IT! lol

ive done plenty of taillights with it (about 7 cars total)

it became cracked and solid opaque.

my .02 lol 

Spray painted my fairings 

I took all the stickers off mine (Faring, frame and tank) its quite easy and it will leave ZERO marks or swirls.  All I did was use a hair dryer.  Simply warm up a corner and grab it with your finger tips (I wouldnt put anything like a razor near your bike unless you have surgeons hands and sloooooowly peel while applying warm air from the dryer as you lift.  Slow and steady wins the race on this one but it works perfectly and I didnt need any solvents, googone etc.  Once done a nice wash up and some wax and whammo...no decals

Forgot to add; As for regrets, I regret adding a slip-on.  Its loud and useless, I should have left the stock pipe on.  But thats a "too each his own thing".  Actually, if you want a slip on used lemme know, its a Yoshi SS.  

Do NOT get decals off with a razor. Then you'll be thinking "I was stoopid for using a razor cause now I got all these cuts in the plastic." The Proper way to remove decals is with a hairdryer or painting heat gun. Heat the decal and it will peel off. Be VERY careful if you're using a heat gun cause they are designed to blister paint - so wave it by the decal (and at a distance) until gradually the decal is hot and will just peel up.

Michael

Quote from: mister on March 24, 2011, 11:24:14 AM
Do NOT get decals off with a razor. Then you'll be thinking "I was stoopid for using a razor cause now I got all these cuts in the plastic." The Proper way to remove decals is with a hairdryer or painting heat gun. Heat the decal and it will peel off. Be VERY careful if you're using a heat gun cause they are designed to blister paint - so wave it by the decal (and at a distance) until gradually the decal is hot and will just peel up.

Michael

I thought he was pulling stickers off paint, not plastic. But it will work fine on smooth plastic, too. If it doesn't work for you, you may be using the wrong kind of razor. I use one all the time to pull off stickers, labels, price tags, velcro, anything. I even pull them off cardboard, it leaves no marks.

You need to use something like this:
or

Not this:


A heat gun is another way to do it, I've removed user-applied decals that way too.

If you're going to remove or install decals or stickers go and get yourself a cheap heat gun.  It makes putting them on or taking them off way easy!

you prob dont even need a heat gun.  try first with a fingernail and peel off the best you can.  after that use some adhesive remover like googone to clean up the reside left over.  keep in mind goo gone will strip the wax off the paint so just rewax it.  its just a sticker.  not a lot of science involved.  The only thing i regret doing to my bike was crashing it .  ive completely removed the rear fender/license plate holder and made my own brackets.  best thing i could have done for the appearance of the bike.  i also modded the tail light to fit more flush with the bike, and sprayed the spray on tint on the INSIDE of the tail light.  looks perfect even after several years. 

i wouldn't go painting anything.  you'll probably regret that.

The stickers were the first thing to go, and I don't really miss em.

Not that anyone recommended it, but I wouldn't put solvents anywhere near plastic. Melt right through it!

Regret #1:  I put cheap rattle-can clear-coat on to "protect my paint".  Ha!  First fill-up I dripped gas on my clear coat and now it's all chewed up and gross. Someday, I'll have to sand it all down and do a proper re-paint. Ugh.

Regret #2:  I took my bike apart a few winters ago, just for kicks.      It's still sitting in pieces in about 6 boxes in the basement, and the K&N oversize pistons I got to build it into a 541cc project bike... well, they weren't the right size and interfere with the head. Three winters later I'm still "thinking about" putting it back together....