Tank Graphics bubble up

[tctrailrider]

I put new Factory Effex tank & schroud decals on this spring, looks good but the tank decal bubbles up. I rub bubbles out and they come back the next day. Called FX and they say the tanks on Yamaha's are thin and the gas leaches through, only fix is to drain gas after each ride, are they pulling my leg? I preped tank with Acetone before applying.

[Dodger]

Nope, their not pulling your leg...........fact of the matter is tank graphics are going to bubble. Slotted graphics help some, but really you need to look at these as nothing more than expensive stickers..........replace as necessary.

Peace

Dodger ?

[mike_dean]

My stock graphics never bubbled, they just looked bad, so I replaced them with Factory Effex and they bubbled right away. Mike

[diablo682]

My graphics bubble too! Dont think it is tank thickness causing it though. I stripped my tank and applied a thick coating of bed liner on, sanded thoroughly, cleaned and applied the decals and they still bubble. I think there is nothing to prevent it. I will just continue to rub them

out. I kinda think the reason they bubble is because of the many small perforations that are in the tank sticker. Those holes seem like they would let small amounts of air under the sticker gradually building up.

[YAMAKAZE]

Some Factory Effex Graphics and N-Style Graphics are prone to bubble because they can't breathe. N-Style has attempted to correct this with placing long slits in some of their newer graphics like the "Patriots" The successful companies like CEET have used a shotgun pattern in their graphics which allow the entire graphic to breathe and they don't bubble. You can carefully take a razor blade in the affected areas and slice a small area in your graphics, but normally another area will just appear later.

Bonzai ?

[RSA210]

My CEET graphics have never bubbled up.

They just peel up at the edges.......

A little Goop adhesive and away I go ?

[diablo682]

I will have to try CEET next time. I am just starting an accessories web site and have Factory Effex and One Industries so far but not CEET yet. I will check them out.

[Thumpy420]

Here is the reason tank graphics bubble up..Blow up a baloon at 9:00pm tonight go to bed. When you wake up you will notice that the baloon will be almost empty. The reason for this is that there is micro pores in your plastic that let the vapor molecules through if they have no where else to go. The way to alleviate this problem is when you store your bike longer than 1 day go ahead and pull that one-way valve from your gas vent hose and let the vapors escape through the cap and not your plastic. I have a set of 1999 Factory Effects graphics that look almost new besides the crash damege. Give it a shot I bet you will be suprised! ?

[Dan_Lorenze]

I think that graphics look great on bikes, it really makes the bike look clean. However, I've been meticulous about cleaning the tank with Acetone,Naphtha or denatured alcohol when applying graphics on the tank. I've tried all the tricks,I get the same results, they all bubble or peal over time. I'm done with it. I've tried everything. The best I can do is to have cool graphics on the shrouds and a black gripper seat cover. For those that have graphics on their tanks that have lasted you are my hero's because I don't care what brand of graphics that are available because they've all failed me. They all peel over time...........

peace out.

[levy1]

I have all new graphics for my bike. Most of the articles suggest installing them with a heat gun after prepping the plastic. They say to “burn” the decals in with heat. I will be using a mixture of glue and Portland cement. If it works I will let your guys know how it steers.

[SMD]

For what its worth......I replace my tank graphics a couple of times a year. I never have a problem during application looks great. But I have noticed that once the temperature reachs 75 degrees and the bike is sitting the bubbling starts.I never have a bubbling issue during the winter months.