Tank decal ? issues

[hooligan971]

The black tank decals (I guess that's what you would call them) are starting to bubble up on the 99 Tiger. I guess it might have something to do with being stored indoors in a collection for ten years and now being subjected to sitting in the sun and riding on hot days then being put into a cool garage, so the tank I would imagine is expanding and contracting at a different rate than the decals. I would just heat them and remove/replace them but the clearcoat was applied over them. I know a guy that does good airbrush work but he doesn't have much free time these days to paint, so I'd have to leave my tank with him for God knows how long. Any suggestions on getting the bubbles out (some are 1 1/2 across and some are as small as 1/8, or another way to remedy the problem ? The bike is Mint other than this, and the bubbles are driving me crazy !

[moose]

Have you tried placing a pin hole in them and pushing the air out from the edges to the middle, probably need to be gentle doing this though????

I also wanted to replace mine as mine are damaged (no bubbles) but realised they had been clear coated over the top so decided to leave them be and live with it.

[Mustang]

plastic gas tanks and decals don't mix well together ..especially 11 years down the road time wise !

Learn to live with it cuz anything you do will just keep coming back . What's happening is the adhesive is on the decals (stickers really) is letting go under neath the decal and the clearcoat is probably the only thing holding them on anymore.

[Yukon]

I have the same problem with a 2006.  Here is thread that previously addressed this issue.

http://tigertriple.com/forum/viewtopic. ... ht=bubbles (http://tigertriple.com/forum/index.php/topic,4436&highlight=bubbles)

[hooligan971]

What kind of  clear coat did Triumph use in 1999 ? I have a guy that will wet sand, airbrush the black parts back on and clear coat the tank, but he says he needs to know the type of clear coat . He also said he has never seen that kind of decal (adhesive Backed) used under clear coat, but he doesn't usually do bikes, so it might be more common than he knows. He Paints cars, and on the side does other stuff like this guitar .If you look close, the eyes of the skulls glow. The band are friends of mine that I grew up with, and the painter is the drummers cousin.
http://www.badace.com/jg.htm (http://www.badace.com/jg.htm)
and this
http://www.badace.com/td.htm (http://www.badace.com/td.htm)