[Auf los!]

Well, I screwed-up my courage and changed the badge today. Thank you, particlewave! BTW, I don't think you could actually get a 3-spoke cover off without removing the charge, because the charge sits on top of a bracket that clamps over the cover molding. For future reference, the steps are:

1. Get your radio code.
2. Remove the negative cable from your battery.
3. Wait 30-60 mins.
4. Pull out your steering wheel as far as it will go.
5. Use a Torx T27 bit to loosen the two airbag mounting screws, accessed by holes in the rear of the wheel assembly. The screws do not come out, but remain in the wheel.
6. Pull off airbag assembly, use flat-bladed screwdriver to gently pry off yellow connector.
7. Put electrical tape over the connector hole.
8. Don eye protection.
9. Use 10mm socket to remove the four charge nuts.
10. Gently remove explosive charge and place in a safe, non-sparking environment (I used a cardboard box like particlewave suggested).
11. Remove bracket that charge mounts to.
12. Struggle to remove cover from bag. Press down on bag package to undo multiple hooks. A third hand would be handy, but if you don't have one, you might have to resort to using a flat-blade screwdriver to separate the cover from the bag.
13. Inside the cover you are looking at a rivet inside a round washer. Grind off the head of the rivet, and the badge can then be poked off the cover. There may be a little adhesive on the back of the badge giving you some resistance.
14. If you have a self-adhesive new badge, use an alcohol prep pad to clean the mounting surface.
15. Assembly is the reverse, and much easier, as all those hooks snap into the cover. The four nuts should be torqued to 4 ft lbs.

Interestingly, judging by the backside of my original badge, it once was gold! UV, or cleaning products, must have turned the front of it silver over the years. The process is a little unnerving, but the new badge looks terrific!