New DB7 Sticker Discoloration

[minkhollow]

Just got my new DB7 last week and was blissfully happy for a couple of days until I pulled off all of those annoying stickers Bimota puts all over the d*mn thing. After removing the stickers on the top of the tank, I can clearly see where the it has some discoloration issues on the tank paint.

There is a definite color difference between the surrounding paint and the paint that was under the stickers as though it has seen a lot of sun and faded the surrounding paint. It's very apparent when you're sitting on the bike.

After bringing this to the attention of the dealer, he is claiming every one of the DB7s has that discoloration issue under the stickers and that he is working with Bimota to resolve it.

I can't find any mention of it anywhere on the web. I'd think that if such a defect was common on a $40k bike, someone would have mentioned it in one of the forums.

Is this a known issue? Anyone else own a DB7 with a similar issue?

[Vic_Ducfut]

Originally Posted by minkhollow

After bringing this to the attention of the dealer, he is claiming every one of the DB7s has that discoloration issue under the stickers and that he is working with Bimota to resolve it.

Don't expect any help from Bimota. Welcome to the club.
Break out some Meguires Cleaner-Wax and give it a go.
If the problem is in the clear coat, it will work wonders.
If it is in the color coat, never fear, the tank will pimple from the ethenol in the fuel, and will require repair and repaint eventually.
(There is allegedly a pre-emptive fix for that too.)

By the way, my black tanked 7 didn't have the sticker discoloration issue.

Edit: Don't let the nits get in the way of your affair !

[minkhollow]

Thanks for the tip. Not sure if its the clear coat or the paint at this point, but I'll give it a shot and see if there is any improvement.

[dukethedog]

My question is how you get the freakin stickers off in the first place. I have tried citrus based stuff, sticker-off, but nothing budges those pesky stickers. Took me about an hour to get one off, and my fingernail was about gone.
Advice?
Thanks

[minkhollow]

They are tough. No doubt about it. They're also plastic so nothing soaks through.

I use a credit card to push the edge up enough to get hold of it and peel slowly. It won't come off in one piece so it will take time and patience. But the credit card lets you get under it without screwing up the finish.

If they are old, I use a hair blow dryer to soften them and the scrape with the credit card. Never used my heat gun on it, it gets too hot and I don't trust myself with it not to melt the plastics.

Hope this helps and good luck..

[Chili Pie]

I did the same thing as "mink" for the most part w/ the stickers. I also found that any adhesive remover didn't really do a thing. I also went after them w/ a hair dryer, but I used a few different guitar picks of varying thickness- one heavier one to "push" the edge of the sticker up, the thinner ones to get under. It's really tricky, but if you keep consistent heat w/ the hair dryer and go slow, you can get the stickers off in one piece. There were like 8 that I took off my DB6- the first few came off in 100's of little pieces and took an hour, the remaining came off in one piece in a few minutes after I had some practice. Consistent heat seems to be the key to the whole thing. Once you get a little edge up, don't get too excited- keep going slow and get heat under it. These do have to be the worst stickers I've ever had to get off in my life, though.

[minkhollow]

I like the guitar pick idea. Wish I'd have thought of that.

Couple more things

1. If they are new stickers, they tend to hold together better and come off easier without heat. Older ones, like on an old new stock bike, tend to dry out and become brittle making them harder to get off. You'll need some heat for these. Ditto if they've been baked by the sun or engine heat.

2. I use WD40 to get the last bits of glue off the finish and then clean the WD40 off with a bit of S100 special surfaces cleaner.