Decals

hey guys I bought some decals on Ebay for my old bike. Nothing fancy just some skulls with flames. I put two on my fuel tank and they looked good. Then after the bike being in the sun all day they look like shit. All bubbly looking and just crap. I'm guessing they are just made from the wrong material. What do I need to look at as far as decal material and what do you do to make good contact to plastic?
 

SRAD97750

Moderator
Staff member
I am pretty sure the plastic tanks "breathe" gasses when heated and cooled. Technically it's not adhesion failure, but gasses builing up underneath. Notice, fairings and mudgaurds don't have the same problems.
Everytime I have put decals on a tank, same result.
I started pinhole punching every inch. Yeah, up close there's pin holes, but it doesn't bubble. I think because it lets the gasses escape past the decal. Give it a try on some less expensive decals and see if you get good results! -BIG DAN:thumb:
 
Yes DAN is correct but even with the holes in my graphics(they came with Holes) mine still bubble some. You just have to work them out occasionally.
 
Tank decals normally have slits in them to let the gases breathe pass the decal. If you bought cheap ones, they do not have those slits, so you can add the slits and that should take care of the issue. or junk them for better ones.
 
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