Adding a metal tank emblem to your motorcycle is a project you can do yourself.
Adding metal emblems to your gas tank can take your motorcycle from ho-hum to hot, allowing you to personalize your bike while kicking up its cool factor. You could add a vintage Harley or Honda logo, your favorite sports team's logo, a skull and crossbones, your initials -- whatever emblem you like. It's a simple project you can do yourself.
Instructions
Removing Any Existing Emblems
1. Park your motorcycle outside, making sure any existing emblems are in direct sunlight. Leave it in the sun for about 20 or 30 minutes to let the warmth begin to soften the adhesive on back of the emblems.
2. Blow hot air from your hairdryer onto the emblem for a few minutes. Make sure your hair dryer is on its highest setting. Don't be tempted to to use your heat gun for this purpose, as a heat gun's intense heat can melt or bubble your motorcycle's paint.
3. Hold a length of dental floss tightly, with one hand holding one end, and your other hand holding the other end. Slip the dental floss behind the emblem, and use a back-and-forth motion to cut through the adhesive.
4. Spray or wipe adhesive solvent on any remaining glue. Let it sit for a few minutes to dissolve the adhesive. Gently buff off the adhesive with a soft cloth. Repeat if necessary, until all traces of adhesive are gone.
5. Remove any residual adhesive solvent with rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth.
Attaching Your New Emblem
6. Hold the new emblem up to your gas tank and decide exactly where you'd like to place it.
7. Clean the spot with rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth. The area needs to be free of grease, dirt, oil, wax and adhesive solvent, or the new emblem may not adhere well.
8. Stick a piece of blue painter's tape to mark a level line where you'd like to attach the emblem.
9. Apply some adhesive to the back of your emblem. Use an amount generous enough so that the emblem adheres easily and permanently, yet not so much that there is excess adhesive that oozes out and makes a mess on your gas tank. If your emblem is the peel-and-stick variety, simply peel the backing off at this point.
10. Apply the emblem to the gas tank. Use the painter's tape as your guide to ensure that it is level and positioned exactly where you want it. Hold it in place for about 10 minutes to let the glue harden. Then, use painter's tape to hold the emblem in place for an additional 20 minutes to let the adhesive cure. If you have a peel-and-stick emblem, position it exactly where you want it the first time, because with this type of emblem you only have one chance. Hold it in place while pressing firmly for about 30 seconds.
11. Remove the painter's tape carefully after about 20 minutes. Use adhesive solvent to carefully remove any adhesive that is showing.
Tags: adhesive solvent, painter tape, your motorcycle, about minutes, exactly where, soft cloth
