RadNomad
Senior Retro Guru
Just in case you've ever wondered about removing / reusing them, yes it can be done..
After failing to find a replacement in original design i decided to have a go at removing mine before repainting the frame....
Pic1: Original as fitted by the factory 18 years ago.
Pic2: Warm through the metal with a heat gun, keep the gun moving don't melt the decal!
Pic3: Gently ease up the warm flexible decal with a blade, avoid tugging, stretching the decal. This only took me about 10 mins. The old adhesive remained on the frame.
Pic4: Tightly retape the now unsticky decal onto a clean section of frame (it's under the brown insulation tape), then reheat and press flat with palm of hand. This removes ripples and flattens the decal.
Pic5 and 6: Job done. Note all the damage on this decal like rough edges and holes were already there due to chain impact and not caused by the removal process. Unfortunately my decal was already quite rough. The removal process did no harm at all - just be careful to avoid stretching the warm decal during removal.
In my case, i might trim the rough edges then restick to the painted frame and maybe put a clear protector over the top, or maybe cut out the brand logo and stick it onto a new black protector. I haven't tried yet.
A NOS original protector would be better but without one this might be a way to retain some of the bike's original look.
After failing to find a replacement in original design i decided to have a go at removing mine before repainting the frame....
Pic1: Original as fitted by the factory 18 years ago.
Pic2: Warm through the metal with a heat gun, keep the gun moving don't melt the decal!
Pic3: Gently ease up the warm flexible decal with a blade, avoid tugging, stretching the decal. This only took me about 10 mins. The old adhesive remained on the frame.
Pic4: Tightly retape the now unsticky decal onto a clean section of frame (it's under the brown insulation tape), then reheat and press flat with palm of hand. This removes ripples and flattens the decal.
Pic5 and 6: Job done. Note all the damage on this decal like rough edges and holes were already there due to chain impact and not caused by the removal process. Unfortunately my decal was already quite rough. The removal process did no harm at all - just be careful to avoid stretching the warm decal during removal.
In my case, i might trim the rough edges then restick to the painted frame and maybe put a clear protector over the top, or maybe cut out the brand logo and stick it onto a new black protector. I haven't tried yet.
A NOS original protector would be better but without one this might be a way to retain some of the bike's original look.
