a sticky situation
 

i have a new aluminum bike with factory stickers on the frame and forks, that i would like to remove. what are some products that will help me easily remove/peel off these stickers on this brand new, never even ridden aluminum frame bike, without harming the paintjob's finish (nothing special, lower level bike)?

anything that i can easily find like at a hardware store or such? thanks in advance.

First you need to see if they are under the clearcoat. Try to gently lift one edge with a finger nail or the like. If they are on top, use rubbing alcohol, wd40, goo gone, or a heat gun to loosen them. If they are under the clearcoat, learn to love them.

i never thought of that... under the clear coat. i don't think they are, cuz its a popular cheaper bike that i hear quite a few owners end up doing this.

The best way I've found is to heat them with a real heat gun($10 at Harbor Ft.) and scrape them off with a credit card or the like. The credit card won't mar the paint. If you can't full up a little corner pretty easily don't mess with them.

2nd the WD40/goo gone suggestion.

I'd soften the adhesive with a hair dryer and gently peel the stickers off. If the hair dryer isn't hot enough to soften the adhesive I would then try a heat gun but I would be very careful about applying too much heat as heat guns are used to soften and strip paint.

I'd use contact cement solvent/thinner to remove any adhesive residue. It should not hurt the paint but I'd check an inconspicuous spot first to be sure. It works better than goo gone, etc. in my experience.