Tank decal under or over clear coat?

[Brystheguy]

I'm currently painting my '89 and taking it back to the stock color after the previous owner painted it yellow with spray cans.  Is the tank decal under the clear coat or on top of it? 

I've been a reader of this board for a while but I'm finally getting around to working on and painting this bike the way it should be.  I've been wanting one of these ever since I sat on one in a showroom in the late 90's while in high school.  $300 later and I now own one that runs.  Time to make I it look like I remember it.  Of course, the paint cost $400 for everything but it will be worth it!

[a_morti]

I'm currently painting my '89 and taking it back to the stock color after the previous owner painted it yellow with spray cans.  Is the tank decal under the clear coat or on top of it? 

I've been a reader of this board for a while but I'm finally getting around to working on and painting this bike the way it should be.  I've been wanting one of these ever since I sat on one in a showroom in the late 90's while in high school.  $300 later and I now own one that runs.  Time to make I it look like I remember it.  Of course, the paint cost $400 for everything but it will be worth it!

If you're doing it right, clear coat over decals. Otherwise they lift up over time, and you also get bits of wax / polish stuck in the edges giving an ugly white outline.

This does make it much more important that you or your paint guy has a very steady hand when applying the decals, there are no second chances!

[Brystheguy]

Awesome.  Thank you.  I'm waiting on the decals so I have to shelve it for a bit.  I had to ask for paint instructions regarding the decal since there is a limited amount of time that I can have the color coat sitting before I spray with clear.  It'll be a good day when it's all ready.

[Efreeman55]

Tip when you clearcoat over decals: apply a very light mist coat of clear over the tank/decals and let it dry (half hour or so) before applying the first full/heavy clearcoat.  This way, you seal the decals with the mist coat which prevents the solvents from causing problems with the decal adhesion.  If you sprayed a full coat first thing, the solvents in the clear can cause the edges of the decals to lift.  I've done this on my CBX and GB500 with perfect results.

Eric