Went to wash my street glide yesterday, to include removing the bags to clean all of the covered parts and the wheels. Put the bike out in the driveway, and jacket it up on my motorcycle jack, just as high as the first mechanical safety-stop on the jack. Wouldn't want to damage anything, right?

I disconnected the pins between the bags and the brackets, and closed the lids, thinking that once I'd washed the bags, I could set them off onto soft pads to dry while I washed everything else (How many of you are smiling already).

Everything was going pretty well washing the first saddle bag. Then I heard the "klunk" from the other side of the bike that turned out to be the other bag hitting the driveway (how many of you aren't smiling yet).

Scratched up the bag in enough places that the lid, lower bag, and the latch will have to be repainted. After I'd cleaned and dried everything and put the bags back on, I rode the bike over to my favorite local body shop. Guess what -- you can only get paint for a harley FROM harley. Can you guess what that does to the price on the materials?? Well, your guess is right.

Paint and hardener ($133 for a pint of each) will be here in about a week -- the non-HD clear used at the body shop will suffice (but may void my warranty). Total for repainting, with the HD paint and hardener will end up being somewhere in the neighborhood of $325.

OK everybody, pile it on -- I deserve it!


Bryon

 

WRONG!
PPG is Harley's paint.
Coulda got the paint code from under the tank and went to a PPG paint house.

 

That's one of the benefits of having saddle bag trim rails. Bag won't fall off anywhere unless you lift it out. I remember reading a story of a guy who lost a bag on the road because it fell off, now that can't happen. Plus the trim rails protect the bag as well. Anyway, you either like the trim rails or you don't from a "looks" perspective, but they do offer distinct advantages as far as protection too.

 

+1 what he said...PPG paint...A paint shop can scan the saddlebag color and they can mix it perfectly......

 

Now if you could paint those rails and guards to match your bikes paint, that would be the ultimate protection. I may have to look into that!!!!

 

Somebody lied to you. I found a big knick in my lid from my FLHT and tried to compund it out. Well, my dumbass rubbed all the way down to the primer. Pissed me off something fierce. I found an indy shop this cool guy runs and he fixed my bag up perfect! He ended up re-clearing the whole lid and I tell you, you can not even tell were it was damaged. Set me back $150 bucks. Black is a tricky paint too. Shows everything. You just need to find a guy that know his stuff!
Oh, yeah. Don't tell your the service dept that your having someone else paint your bags. Then it won't void anyhting

 

you might try here for paint. May or may not have your color.


http://www.colorrite.com/index.cfm?killnav=1

 

I feel for yah , Dropped one bag many years ago and had to do the same thing. Hope it will be a good match when you get it re-painted

 

Re-painting a bag isn't voiding anything other than maybe that particular bag.

A radio, motor, tranny, primary warranty issue can't be denied unless the dealer can prove that re-painting that bag was the direct contributor to the reason a cam bearing failed. See where I'm going with this? There ARE laws regarding warranties.

 

Where do people get this information??

Your warranty will be voided if you repaint your saddlebag!!!!

Yeah right and dealers will start selling '09 touring bikes for $5000 under MSRP starting on Monday.....