The tank on my F4 is nearly flawless... but it would be nice to have the peace of mind of a tank protector... I remember a buddy with a Harley asked to sit on my bike.. he got on and I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw his belt buckle starting to move towards the paint... luckily I stopped him in time... phew...

Anyway.. my bike is silver and red.. and I can't find anything that I really like the look of.. but I found a clear tankpad in the style (that Y look) that I like..

It is also 3M 0.8mil material that is listed as non-yellowing... I like the idea of a clear tankpad with my color combo, but I dont want somsthing that will look like *** in a few months or even a year... my last bike had a tankpad and it was nice insurance...



http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/3M-MO...item588bb2585b

What are you thoughts? Does anyone have any experiences with a clear one?

Thanks,
T

 

Never been a fan of the clear b/c they tend to show scratches/nicks/gouges more-so than standard dark tank pads. Dirt tends to get into those imperfections & doesn't look good. The pad edges tend to show wear/dirt as well.

Personally, I use the ProGrip CF tank pads & gas cap protectors on my bikes. They clean up easily & look like new w/ an application of the same wax I use on my bikes. The combo on my F4 has been on there for over 5 yrs w/o so much as any sign of coming loose. I don't go easy on them either. ;-)

Anyway, don't let me discourage you. Perhaps the 3M product you reference, has better properties than the other clear offerings I've seen in the past. But yeah, whatever you can do to protect your tank is a good idea.

 

I also use the progrip tank pad and it works great for zippers, and mines the carbon fiber look which looks good with just about any color combo, impo

 

I have never used a clear but id say go with it for your color scheme - a black/ carbon fiber pad wont look any good IMO. (unless you can find a matching silver color that will blend in?)

If it looks like crap in a couple of years just buy a new one.

 

I have started to also look for gray or silver ones.. funny you should mention...

How hard are they to remove? I always envision those types of adhesives pulling the paint right off.. lol.... if I could find a silver one to match the paint that would be perfect... I guess I kind of want a tank protector without it looking like I have a tank protector...

 

They come off w/o any ill effects. Park bike in sun for awhile to warm up adhesive/pad, pull edge, & remove. No worries.

 

A hairdryer works well also, definitely don't worry about having to remove it later.

 

thanks again guys... so forgive my newbiness when it comes to this.. never actually bought one before.. my last bike had one when I bought it..

I was looking at the ones from immortalgraphix.. are they worth the $30 over the $5 or $10 ones on fleabay?