# HOWTO: Remove decals from Motobecane Ti frame



## equinoxx

For those wanting to remove the top tube and down tube decals of their titanium frames, I wanted to post what i found was the easiest way to accomplish this goal. Let me preface this by saying I had read tons of forum posts about using hair dryers, nail polish remover, acetone, mineral spirits, citrus based degreaser. I used these products on the top tube stickers and, while they worked, it still took a lot of rubbing and work. I ended up putting a ton of scratches into the top tube, which then had to be polished out and I am still not 100% happy with the end result in terms of matching the original finish. 

I should add none of the stickers on my frame were clear coated. On the advice of a friend, I took a different approach for the downtube stickers and here is what you need.

1. Can of Jasco Premium Paint & Epoxy Remover
2. Some q-tips or cotton swabs
3. A couple of clean rags (old t-shirts work great)
4. *PLASTIC* scraper
5. (Optional) Goo-Gone.

The Jasco product should be available at most hardware stores and looks like this. 









As noted above, do not get the metal type scraper as it will scratch your frame. Get the one with the plastic blades. It will typically look like this









THE STEPS:

0. Work in well ventilated area. Use gloves.
1. Use cotton swab and "paint" the epoxy remover onto the stickers. The epoxy remover has a thick, jelly like consistency, so it will stay on the sticker. 
2. Here comes the hard part -- Wait 15 minutes. This will be hard...especially when you see the stickers start to magically peel back after a couple minutes. But keep waiting.
3. Use the plastic scraper to scrape off the stickers. They should practically fall off by themselves. 
4. Wipe everything down with a clean rag.
5. If there is any sticker material left on the frame, repeat steps 1-4.
6. If you see any ghosting left by the stickers, you can use a little Goo-Gone with a clean rag and they should come out. 

I left the seat tube stickers as I kind of like them. The head tube sticker I was able to remove just by peeling with my finger and any leftover residue was cleaned up with Goo-Gone.

I finished this late last night so I have not taken any pics yet, but I will post some up as soon as I have a chance.


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## PhotoJoe

Many people have reported that it's even easier if you wrap the tube and decals with Saran Wrap after applying the remover.

What year is your bike. This will help others judge the clearcoat thing. Rumor is that MB started clearcoating 2012.


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## equinoxx

I should have said I tried the saran wrap thing too with the acetone on the top tube stickers. It did make a difference, but no where near as easy as Jasco product. 

My bike is a 2011 model.


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## PhotoJoe

Good update. Thanks!


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## equinoxx

Photo
http://db.tt/GCwuPSiD

http://db.tt/knV98L0f

Sorry the pics are upside down. Having technical difficulties..


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## equinoxx

Disregard lack of handlebar tape and long brake cables. I was in the middle of changing out my brakes.


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## Dresden

Sounds easier than my successful effort at removing the decals. I just used acetone, Saran wrap, and paper towels. Most of the decals came off very easily, but it took some determined rubbing with acetone soaked paper towels to make them disappear completely. Key to getting rid of them entirely was rubbing parallel to the direction of the brushed finish. 

I kept the seat tube decals, too. And I kept the head tube badge.


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## jackfish

Why mess around with chemicals when a decal eraser wheel and an electric drill will remove them in seconds?


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## jackfish

> Where does one get a "decal eraser wheel" and what do they run?


3M makes one that runs $40, or you can get a generic one for $10.



> And are we pretty certain they will not change the surface texture of the brushed Ti and be obviously noticeable?


Is rubber harder than titanium?


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## gdfred88

jackfish said:


> Why mess around with chemicals when a decal eraser wheel and an electric drill will remove them in seconds?


Where does one get a "decal eraser wheel" and what do they run? I'm considering the Ti, and the decals are one of the issues that has me dragging my heals.

Thanks.


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## gdfred88

gdfred88 said:


> Where does one get a "decal eraser wheel" and what do they run? I'm considering the Ti, and the decals are one of the issues that has me dragging my heals.
> 
> Thanks.


And are we pretty certain they will not change the surface texture of the brushed Ti and be obviously noticeable?

Thanks again. Greg


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## gdfred88

jackfish said:


> 3M makes one that runs $40, or you can get a generic one for $10.
> 
> 
> Is rubber harder than titanium?


I'm not certain about the hardness. But some have said that scratches can be diminished by using a 3M pad (which I thought were plastic) in the same orientation as the the brushed text and that it would show obvious scratches if used in the wrong direction.


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## gdfred88

gdfred88 said:


> I'm not certain about the hardness. But some have said that scratches can be diminished by using a 3M pad (which I thought were plastic) in the same orientation as the the brushed text and that it would show obvious scratches if used in the wrong direction.


I do like "easy" if it does not cause any problems. If someone tries (or has tried) a decal remover on the Moto Ti please let us know and post some pics please.


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## gdfred88

Has anybody done this on the 2012 model? I think I read somewhere on here that they started clearcoating over the decals on the 2012 model. Is that true?


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## jackfish

By the way removing the decals voids the Motobecane warranty.


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## equinoxx

jackfish said:


> By the way removing the decals voids the Motobecane warranty.


Thanks for your input. I'm not here to debate the enforceability or unenforceability of their warranty language. 

Suffice to say, I have yet to see one of these Motobecane ti frames fail due to a manufacturing defect. If my frame ever reaches that point, I'll deal with the warranty issue then.


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## jackfish

equinoxx said:


> Thanks for your input. I'm not here to debate the enforceability or unenforceability of their warranty language.
> 
> Suffice to say, I have yet to see one of these Motobecane ti frames fail due to a manufacturing defect. If my frame ever reaches that point, I'll deal with the warranty issue then.


Agreed.


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## drteming

I got the 2012 Apex model. It appeared that the graphics were painted rather than decals. I used Citristrip that I got from the local wallyworld. It's a gel that is easy to apply with a cotton swab and easily strips the paint off in less than 10 minutes. The goo wipes off without residue. A faint outline remained, but that disappeared after a wipe-down with a rag with some WD-40. I love the bare titanium look. I kept the ORA sticker because ORA Engineering is located 5 km from my ancestral home.


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## Wile_E_Coyote

^^^ How bout a few more pics of that bike? Great job.


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## vautrain

I was against removing the decals before, but I really like the look of that bike. How about removing the head tube badge and the Moto sticker on the seat tube?


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## drteming

The head tube badge was just a thin aluminum stamping, stuck on with double sided sticky foam tape. It peeled off easily and the adhesive was removed with some Goo-Gone. The seat tube Motobecane badge also appeared to be painted on on my frame and came of just as easily as the rest of the logos with the citrus stripper.


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## S.O.B.

Nice to see some new info on here. I have a 2012 Cross model and I can verify that it is not clear coated. I followed some of the advice from this thread and after a few snags, I am very happy with the end product. On a different topic, the one thing I am not happy with is the weigh of the bike. My LBS weighed it at 20.05 lbs (9095g). This is with light pedals and cages, and with Schwalbe tubes and tires (Durano)...but honestly, meh. Sure the Terry Fly seat and the Thomson post might be slightly heavier than the stock stuff, but 'whatever' as the bike rides wonderfully and has the versatility I was looking for. And it is a noticeable improvement over my old Fuji Cross (now my wife's bike, thanks honey). 

If you want to see the steps I used and pics taken during the process, click on the blog link in my signature.


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## S.O.B.

Ha, just found out that because I created a new account you cannot see any links in my post or signature, so it is at sobrider dot blogspot dot com if you are interested.


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## vautrain

So I used the Citristrip on my Century Ti frame, with no problems. It did take several applications to get all the lettering off, but I didn't really use the scraper, I was mostly just using a microfiber cloth. There was a bit of ghosting, so I took an abrasive rubber bar (used for applying brushed finish to jewelry) and that took care of it. I also removed the head tube badge, but I left both seat tube badges intact. 

The bike looks great "sterilized".


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## DoodleGirl

So, besides wanting the stickers off, are you happy with your bike? I'm seriously considering a Motobecane, but I'm nervous since I can't try one before ordering. Of course my LBS says the frame is junk.


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## Dresden

DoodleGirl said:


> So, besides wanting the stickers off, are you happy with your bike? I'm seriously considering a Motobecane, but I'm nervous since I can't try one before ordering. Of course my LBS says the frame is junk.



I've had my Motobecane titanium since Spring of 2008. If it were stolen or destroyed in a crash, I'd buy another one without hesitation.


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## DoodleGirl

Thank you! It's great to hear from someone who has owned/ridden the bike for awhile. I think I'm settled on BD and will order the Vent Noir. -Though Nashbar makes me curious- mostly because their frames are wonderfully naked!  

Cheers.


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## S.O.B.

DoodleGirl said:


> So, besides wanting the stickers off, are you happy with your bike? I'm seriously considering a Motobecane, but I'm nervous since I can't try one before ordering. Of course my LBS says the frame is junk.


Of course they did. Did you press them on how they came to that determination? I would find a different lbs. I would not use an LBS if they were bike snobs who would make you feel unwelcome because of what you ride. Trying to make a sale by pointing out the benefits of free tuneups/adjustments/warranty etc. are one thing. Talking out of their asses to make a sale is another.

I have two lbs' near me and neither talks crap about motobecane frames (at least not to me or the others I know that attend their rides and own them). One guy races for the lbs on his Motobecane ("Sprint" I think...it's yellow)...that is what he could afford...they obviously are fine with it. 

I had a 2008 fantom team FS and it was solid. I sold it in 2011 to finance my 2nd Niner.
I have a 2012 Titanium Cross and it is fantastic. Love it.


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## ian0789

DoodleGirl said:


> Thank you! It's great to hear from someone who has owned/ridden the bike for awhile. I think I'm settled on BD and will order the Vent Noir. -Though Nashbar makes me curious- mostly because their frames are wonderfully naked!
> 
> Cheers.


I was literally a click away from buying the CR-2 Carbon Road Bike from Nashbar till I matched up Le Champion CF from BD and figured out id be getting a better deal with BD. The Nashbar bike caught my eye due to the naked look. Kind of sad it wasn't worth the price.


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## DoodleGirl

Thanks for the info. It's kinda sad how they talk to sway you one way or another. I've been to every good LBS in a 30 mile radius and they were all the same that way. -All very nice guys, but they are in retail. I don't think they'd say anything negative if I actually brought a MB into the shop. They just say things to put doubt in your mind, which is easy since you can't see or ride the bike. Anyway, I'm pretty certain I'm gonna order a MB. It would make me kinda sick to buy the Specialized or Cannondale in my price range knowing that the components and wheels are all entry level stuff. 

Thanks again! Enjoy the ride!


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## bobmcee

*MB Ti Heat*

Thanks to the posts here! I really liked the clean look of the bike without decals - so I tried the CitriStrip gel method. It took a lot longer than I thought, and I ended up doing 3 applications, with 30 minutes each. There was still some ghosting, and WD40 helped a little, and I also used a Scotch Brite pad to rough it up like the rest of the bike.

Here's the pic..


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## thebadgas

Thanks 

I like this thread, I just ordered the Rival model and will be going with the "naked" look.


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## m7pilot

i only hope the the frame is as well made as the decals. fwiw apparently citristrip has a shelve-life. bought Jasco and it worked pretty fast but took a couple apps. WD-40 helped a bit with ghosting. got tired of f'ing with it. going for a ride.


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## Hiro11

I actually like the "outline" decals on the Team frame I bought.


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## Dresden

Hiro11 said:


> I actually like the "outline" decals on the Team frame I bought.


When Mike(BikesDirect owner) was taking suggestions for what people wanted when he was designing the titanium bikes, people overwhelmingly preferred the outline decals. I doubt I would have stripped the decals if my bike had come with the outline decals.


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## MidwestBikeGuy

*It Works!*

I tried using the Jasco product and it worked 100 percent perfect. The stickers almost came off by themselves! While I've seen some comments about using an eraser wheel, I was concerned about getting into tight spaces with the wheel and if it would leave a lot of particles from heavy use like a regular eraser. I got the Jasco at Home Depot for about $10 but interestingly they did not have the product on the shelf. A guy had to get a box of it out from a storage shelf. 

I own a Merlin Titanium and can state that this Jasco product makes removing decals and stickers very easy.


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## spookyload

Just removed the decals from my 2015 Fantom Ti cross bike. Came off in about an hour. Not too much fuss. Did leave a ghost image that I cleaned up with a blue scotch brite pad.


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## topslop1

DoodleGirl said:


> Thanks for the info. It's kinda sad how they talk to sway you one way or another. I've been to every good LBS in a 30 mile radius and they were all the same that way. -All very nice guys, but they are in retail. I don't think they'd say anything negative if I actually brought a MB into the shop. They just say things to put doubt in your mind, which is easy since you can't see or ride the bike. Anyway, I'm pretty certain I'm gonna order a MB. It would make me kinda sick to buy the Specialized or Cannondale in my price range knowing that the components and wheels are all entry level stuff.
> 
> Thanks again! Enjoy the ride!


Yup my LBS was funny, I went in asking about a $1500 Defy 1 and the sales guy kept referring me to pictures, prices, and trying to test ride a $2600 Defy Advanced 1. I said something like my credit card doesn't go that high, laughed, and then left. Bought a used bike that was Motobecane priced. I would've probably gotten a Motobecane if I didn't find a nice used ride.

Obviously the curiosity is still there for the $2500+ bike, but I'm happy on what I ride now.


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