Wrap the side bags

[redfjniner]

Had owyee today. Ran to the gas station to get gas for a buddy that ran out. Bought a 1 gal. container and returned. Forgot to lock the latch and just after pulling away the lid opened. I did really good through the first 4 corners at 65mph then on the 5 corner at 70mph the lid touched down. Finally he passed and stopped me before I tore it off. My owyee: My owyee
It could have been worse.  I could have torn it off!  Now, what to do?
 
30 min. before it looked like this:

 
 

[redfjniner]

Latest look:
 

[kneedeaggeemjb]

Ken,
 
Are those FJR side bags?

[redfjniner]

Ken, 
Are those FJR side bags?

Yes they are.  07's that were painted 05 color that I used on my second FJR.

[redfjniner]

I thought I would follow up on this thread as I have removed most of the vinyl wrap and painted the remainder of the bags.  Here is what I did:  first I took an exacto knife and slightly cut into the vinyl and peeled it off.  Then I took some kind of solvent and removed the glue (Goof Off).  Knowing that I had sanded the bags before installing the wrap, I didn't sand them again but just used solvent to clean them up (Acetone).
 
I found a rubberized paint at OReilly's, Dupli-Color.  The kind of stuff you put on plier handles.  Since I wanted a color to match the front fender, I had to buy two, black and silver and try to mix them out of the shaker cans.  So I put down two coats of black to cover the blue paint, then on the third coat,  I over sparyed the Graphite Metallic silver while they both were still wet.  Kind a worked.  I could get a good match by spraying the two onto the top of one of the can caps and did that for touch up.  I let dry overnight and the next day sprayed over the final colors with three coats of clear satin.  New design below:
 

 
 
 
 
 
I didn't like that finish as it changed the red to a flat color and the carbon warp lost the carbon look.  So I peeled off the clear satin coat from the red and carbon wraps and used a clear coat gloss over that portion of the bags.  At this time I noticed that where I had cut the carbon wrap, that some of the corner edges were pulling back (orignally streached and now nothing to hold it), so it was leaving a gap between the painted sections and the wrap, leaving the blue paint showing below.  I installed a red pin strip surround the wrap.  Kind of worked.  I also mix the paint on a cap to match the grey color and touched up using my finger to apply the paint.  It worked.  New design no. 2:
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
After my laydown (Crash) in Colorado, the right bag was scrapped up a little.  I cleaned off the mud and peeled off some of the clear coat to get rid of the loose stuff.  I then sparyed on a cap some clear coat and applied with my finger to get rid of the edges, then after drying, I clear coated the sides, but only where it was scrapped.  Finish looks ok.  I'm starting to like this kind of paint, as it allows you to touch up and most don't notice (you are really the only one that looks real hard at the bike).  Bags now look used, and that may be a good thing?  Still look better than aluminium adventure bags, IMO.
 

 

 
That's my update.  I still may strip every thing and do over after one more year of riding.  

[docsimple]

Sooo, ummm, whats the giant blue container for? Slurpies?

[redfjniner]

Sooo, ummm, whats the giant blue container for? Slurpies?

Water.  I installed day before leaving on Colo. ride.  Painted afterwards so it looks like this now: 
 

 
 

[fddriver2]

Don't tell anyone that you got the tailbag from the American Motorcycle Company....

[checkereddemon]

Nice tailbag! Does it offer good back support? I could sure use some of that on longer rides...

[fddriver2]

Nice tailbag! Does it offer good back support? I could sure use some of that on longer rides...

Not trying to hijack the thread. If you are talking to me. My tail bag was made for the HD XR1200 behind the FJ. Discontinued some time ago.
The one RedFJ has is a HD premium luggage tailbag. It's semi-ridged and not really in the right place for back support while riding. That said, I lean against it at lights and draw bridges all the time.....
http://www.harley-davidson.com/store/tail-bag 
And I use a Motocentric sport tailbag rain cover to keep things dry.
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/69515/i/motocentric-mototrek-sport-tail-bag-replacement-cover
 

[redfjniner]

Update:  Just in case you wanted to know what happened to these wonderful saddlebags after the deer strike  They didn't handle the crash very well.  They still held the inner bags, and the inner bags didn't get trashed.  The right side wore a hole in the cover and the left side received both the back and the cover breakage and are not repairable.  

So I looked on Ebay for two months for other FJR bags.  At one point I tried to negotiate the purchase of a 2014 FJR 1300ES so that I could use the saddlebags on either bike, as they are the same color.  When the deal fell through, I was lucky two days later to catch a post on Ebay for a pair of 2008 FJR saddlebags.  They looked good in the pictures with a note that one had some scratches due to a drop.  $450 including shipping.  I jumped on it and was first to respond.  Note:  Shipping was $84.  I feel this is a very good deal, even with the scratches.  They came and one is in perfect condition, no scratches at all, and the other only shows if you are looking down towards the underside.  I buffed them up and you can't even notice.  The color is very close to the matt color on the fender and side panels only the bags are gloss.  You can't tell they are a different color unless you clear coat the matt, at which time the fender is warmer and more bronze or browish, but if left matt, hard to tell.  (I clear coated the damaged front fender, but didn't like the color as a gloss).  I'm very happy with these and would recommend the 08 FJR or 09's as an alternative to the red FJR 14's on the red FJ's and as a very close use on the Gray FJ's.
 
 

[jimster]

I really like this thread. I'm planning to try the carbon look wrap but may for the paint before I'm done.

Either way the bike will look much better than stock. 

Thanks much, Jim

[jimster]

But if I try to paint instead. Can you tell me how you did the painting? Spraycan. spray gun, etc?

Thanks much

[rrm512]

Where did you get your rim stripe? color?

Rick

[redfjniner]

On 5/31/2019 at 1:55 PM, jimster said:

But if I try to paint instead. Can you tell me how you did the painting? Spraycan. spray gun, etc?

Thanks much

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you jimster.  I go to a local automotive paint shop and explain to them what I want to do and get them to color match a sample and fill three rattle cans.  I get extra nozzles, round and flat spray.  I have set up a corner with a 2400 cfm old furnace fan to exhaust to the exterior.  Method used is as per the paint shop directions:  Sand, seal, apply three coats approximately 10-15 minutes apart and you are done.  I have them put the pain in the clear coat so I don't have to do 6 or 7 coats.  Works very well as you cover lightly, there by not to worry about runs.  Do a little practice with some cheap paint and you will figure it out.  The paint that is mixed is for a flexible material and is automotive paint, most likely a Urethane.