I just put a tank bra for my bike. I did it to protect the paint from scratches due to belt buckles/jackets etc. I had already put a couple small scracthes on the tank by accident. Now people are telling me that over time the bra will ruin the paint as well.

So, what is the lesser of the two evils -- the bra or no bra?

 

I'd opt for no bra and take more care to stop scratches.

 

No experience, but all I can think of is the bra that I had on a car several years ago that messed up the paint. Maybe that's not the case with the tank bra, I dunno.

 

The trick with the bra is this:

1) Get a good coat of wax on the paint before applying

2) NEVER let it get wet. Wet + Leather (or pleather or Naugahyde-a-Saurus) + Paint = Bad Joojoo

Hopefully your tank bra has a good soft felt-like matrial on the bottom side.

I had them on my crotch rockets... You had to you laid on the tank. The Softail has that strap of leather between the console and the seat. I have noticed the paint under there has a tendancy to suffer... Could be because I do not think there is anything to keep the leather from having direct contact witht he paint (like felt).

 

Never let it get wet? Woooahh -- that is an impossible feat!

 

I had a tank bra on my old Sporty (was on it when I bought it) and when I took it off, the clear coat and the paint were rubbed off where the edges of the bra met the tank. I tried several products to buff it out, but no luck. I thought the bike looked better without it anyway!

 

No I don't use tank brs's because I think they are useless and don't like the way that they look. When I rode a rice rocket i used them tho.

 

Don't like my wife wearing bras,let alone my scoot

 

Good one!

 

I struggle to see the sense in the protect the paint argument. Why do you need to protect paint that you are hiding under a bit of leather? If the bra is protecting the paint you can't see that it is working! So I would say only put one on if you like the look (personally I don't). Surely you can think of better things to put in a leather bra!

Of course I am an eccentric Englishman (so eccentric that many Englishmen think I am strange), so you chaps over the water may have different ideas.

Toodle-pip