Pista decal removal.
 

I've seen the work on the 04's decals but has any one done removal on the 05 frames?

Does Jasco have the same effect for the solid white decals?

Yep

Do you have any close-up pictures of the frame so I can check out what it looks like? What did you do for clear coat on the parts that used to have the decals?

You can find very detailed instructions with pictures here:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...stripped+pista

This should answer all your questions.

hmm, i was actually going to use a dull-ish knife to scrape off the clear coat. i haven't started this project yet, but it's something i'm planning on doing. i just want everything to look cleaner, you know?

That will look terrible. There will be all little bits of clear that you won't be able to remove. Think a really ****ty, scratched paintjob.

Hey the 04 and 05 pistas are chrome. Chrome is heavy, unbelievably toxic and polluting to apply (which is why Bianchi caught so much **** for chroming a mass market frame), but it is bulletproof. You can use anything at all to remove the stickers and it will not hurt the frame. Don't clear coat it though, the clearcoat finish will always be a little foggy and ****ed up, just strip it and leave it alone.

Try a citrus strip or gasoline first, either should work.

Then hit it with Bike lust (silicon polish), or pledge (wax polish)) or turtle wax for a lasting clean surface.
It will repel dirt and make old stickers easier to take off.

yeah, i'd thought that might be the case.

hey, other dude...sorry to be asking questions in someone else's thread, but it seems like we're after the same thing. you're saying just sand the **** down (or whatever), take off the decals, and roll?

for sure, i saw the work on the 04 and it looked awesome so i wanted to make sure it works with the solid white bars, i am going to pick up some jasco remover and i'll let you know how that goes.

You'll be surprised at how easy it is to do, and how beautiful your frame will look. Any doubts you might have had about getting the Pista will magically disapear when you have the sleek sexy all chrome frame staring back at you.

Is the clearcoat only there to protect the stickers? How tough is chrome versus paint or powdercoat? Is there a chemistry major in the house?

I've been using the ace brand adhesive remover for a couple hours now removing decals and its amazing. First off it looks soooo much better, i've just been taking off all of the clear coat everywhere and the decals and it is...making me cry im so happy, well, not really, but still.

Time consuming but worth it.

Did you pull all the parts off the frame? I'm starting to like this.

Yes, the clearcoat is only there for the decals. As far as my research & question asking is concerned chrome is far superior to paint, but I'm no chemist. The only drawback to chrome is that it only comes in one color.

I told you you'd love it. It's like a whole new bike. Even the most hardened Pista naysayer has got to give the nude Pista props. Components aside, for a non-luged frame the Pista is quite beautiful. Great geometry, and....soooo......shiiiiiny.....

It's alot easier if you remove all the parts, but you can do it without all that work.

Oh man, you were so right, i love it so much more now....it was just doing track stands in my dorm and they made me go put it in storage, so sad, but tomorrow i'll put up a few flixxx.

I'm a chemist and I think that chrome would be stronger than paint or powder coat but there are a lot of variables to consider when comparing the three specifically the thickness of the chrome

so, the jasco takes off the clearcoat also? or do you need some paint remover for that?

I didn't use Jasco, i used the ace brand version, its cheaper, but you paste it on with a paintbrush, and wait like 15-30 for each spot then you just rub off the clear coat and decals. Some places took a second coating, but overall it was soo easy. It was really cool to watch it go to work too.

To answer an earlier question, i just took off the wheel set, seat post, fork etc, so that it was basically just the crank set and the frame and it was easy as pie.

Its snowing, soooo i am gonna sit around and play megaman 8 instead of going outside and taking some pictures, but soon, soon.

ace brand as in ace hardware?

and megaman x has some sickass music. i used to be in this grindcore band, and the other guitarist and i spent an afternoon learning how to play one of the songs, "flamestag"...we were going to do a metal cover of it and play it in our set.

megaman x. oh yeah. thats the jam.

yep ace hardware, its called adhesive remover (simple enough) and works like a charm.

ps. grindcore + megaman x = yes.

cool, now i just have to find an ace hardware store. ****, i've never even seen a hardware store period in portland.

and yeah, i know the grindcore/megaman x thing was a non sequitir, but i'm glad you liked it. i'm good at non sequitirs.

Ok so you guys removed ALL the clear on the bike? Or just on the decal section? What about the fork? If you didnt remove the clear on the fork but you did on the frame, is there a serious contrast difference between the two?

Im in class until 4, but around noon i was gonna snap some pictures hopefully, or maybe keep saying i was going to.

I removed the clear coat from like 90% of the frame, leaving the tough and not really visible spots alone (because it is kind of time consuming.) I removed it from the decals originally and noticed a big difference so i decided i wanted to remove it all.

To the second part, there was a very noticable difference for me between the frame and the fork, partially because i bought my frame used and the clear coat was a little beat up there, so i just took off the clear coat on the outsides of the fork. Huge difference.