Decal removal

Got a 1980 KZ 1000 Ltd,the paint is very good,its black with the gray decals with red pinstriping on the gray decals,the decals are looking ratty.Is there a safe way to remove the decals without damaging the paint? I tried using a heat gun on the lowest setting,200 degs.dont want to go any higher,afraid the paint will melt.Appreciate any help/advice here,

I've used a product called "Goo B Gone" successfully to remove stickers and gummy substances from paint jobs. If u can let it sit on the edges of the tape it will soften the adhesive. Then repeatedly wipe it with clean paper towels to pickup the goo.

The magic ingredient in Goo B Gone is naptha,ordinary lighter fluid.It works great,lighter fluid actually works better than the Goo B.I planned to use it to remove any glue residue left after the heat application,but the heat isnt loosening the glue used here.If it were the usual glue used on stickers etc,the heat would have worked.There appears to be some type of clear coat over the decal,which is the reason they look so bad,its sort of blistering,the heat is making the clear coat crack and come off,but it isnt budging the decal itself.If I cant get them off cleanly,the only choice will be to have the bike repainted,which I hope to avoid because the paint is in such good condition.

I believe the factory stripe were clear coated over. I recently removed the pin stripes from an 80 Z1R and no type of solvent or heat really worked. Even strong paint stripper didn't fully remove the stripes. The surrounding paint was gone, but the stripes were still there. I ended up using a razor blade to scrape them off. The stripes didn't "peel" off. They were hard and brittle, coming off in chips. If you're extremely patient and careful, you may be able scrape them off without damaging the paint. However, I think you're right concluding that new paint is the easiest option. Plus you'll be able to clear coat your new decals without worrying about paint incompatibility with the old finish. I think the original factory paint was lacquer.

Yeah,thats what I was afraid of,MDZ.If it were just the pinstripe,I'd leave it be,but its pinstripe around a gray field.The gray really looks like s#it,as the clear coat is bubbling and looks so mottled.

Is the gray OK? get as much clear off, wet sand, feather edge the old clear. Then spray fresh clear on the whole tank.

Run water over the tank from a hose and see what it looks like covered by a sheet of water. That will give you a rough idea of what it would look like with a new clear coat.