Honestly... Are these really just stickers under clear coat on my FXST tank? If so, do they need to be removed if I were to paint the tank? Gloss black, if you were wondering...

What is proper tank prep before repainting?

 

I think most good painters will tell you that you have to have a clean and flat surface to start with if you want to have a flawless finish.
So the good ones will blast whatever paint is on there if for no other reason than they know what they are dealing with and can make sure the metal underneath is reallly flat and not coated with a filler material that might not take kindly to whatever type of paint they are going to be applying on top.
Most of the newer Harley's don't even have paint as a top coat. When I visited the plant they told us that the clear coat they put over the paint isn't really paint but a type of clear powder coat.
So if your planning on repainting your tins yourself, I think it might be wise to consider stripping all the paint off and start from bare metal.
Besides whatever kind/type of paint you plan to use may not be compatible with what's on there now and that would be a disaster.

 

I'm about ready to do the same thing myself and have been looking around the internet. The best prep would be to blast off the old paint and decal, but from I've read, you can get good results from sanding, cleaning, priming, top coat and clear coat. Worst case scenario is you may have to sand off any runs if your technique isn't just right. There's even articles out there about using rattle cans to get a good finish.

 

My painter took down the clear coat, and sticker. But left the black as the base coat. A couple of layers of black (he was painting a black car so no charge) and a few clear coats, lots of wet sanding and some emblems of ebay. Love the way it turned out. Hated stock red sticker.