Clear tank protector - looks bad !

[razteo]

UPDATE:

After 2 days, is getting worse especially at the extremities, the cloudiness become whiter, and in some places I can see it stat to pealing off!

I think I will take the bike (if I have time) this weekend at Cycle Gear (where I purchase the frikin tank protector), show it to them & ask for my money back.

I also want to consider a smaller one, may be better, or just better luck next time.

Anyway, it looks horrible!

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I just installed the MOTRAX Aegis Motorcycle Tank Protector to protect my bike from zipper scratches.

Because I like the clean look of the tank the way it is, I chose the clear one, this way won't be any color compatibility issue, etc.
(Also, I didn't like the other finishes: "carbon", black, blue (bike is blue, but this blue is slightly different), etc, I saw them all on other bikes, they look so "plasticky")

Yesterday after the installation I noticed that because is clear, the color of the bike reflects beautiful thru it, and the protector is noticeable but discrete, nice, BUT also because is clear, you can see the adhesive imperfections at the contact with the gas tank paint.
There no air bubbles since I was careful when installed it, but the adhesive doesn't go uniformly on the tank, and it looks pretty bad from close!
I used a towel & I pressed as much as I could, it made it 20% better, but not much.

I didn't take a picture, because I don't really know how much I can capture, but w/ the naked eye you can see the imperfections, unlike the "liquid" feeling that I thought is going to be.

This wouldn't happened on solid color protectors, I know.

It will look better in time? Any thoughts?
BTW, how hard is to remove it?

Thanks.

 

[Coopdman]

Not sure about removal, I'm sure it would clean up with Goof Off or Goo Gone but that may not be good for the paint. I'd test an area first.

As for laying it better the next time, you may be able to take the vinyl or window tinting approach, add a very small amount of soapy water and squeegee the liquid out as you apply the plastic. Again, not sure if this will affect this specific adhesive or not, but I'm sure it'd help the imperfections in the adhesive layer if it still sticks. Applying heat may also help, but again be careful of the paint.

If it were me and I couldn't see it unless i were a few inches away, I may let it live for a bit and see if being in the sun and such helps at all.

Good luck!

 

[wolfc70]

It takes time for the adhesive to even out. Let the bike sit in the sun for a few days, this will help make the cloudiness disappear. My clear tank protector took a few weeks to "smooth out" in appearance.

 

[(none)]

dunno about that product, but search try tankslapper.biz, that's what i used on my VFR and now have on the FZ6, work great. You can get 3m perminent or the stuff i use is their regular, re-useable stuff. Just mix up some water and soap, apply it like window tint, let it dry and you are good to go. If you are good at it, you won't even be able to tell it's on there unless you look for it, super cheap too at around $20 shipped for a 3 piece set pre-cut (one for each side of the tank to protect it from your knees and one for the rear/crotch area). They don't have it on their site yet, but they also are going to make a piece for the top of the tank to protect the tank from tankbags (i think i have one of the first ones they have done ). Want to move it? just peel it off (there is no glue), and you can reapply. It's really good stuff.

 

[SANGER_A2]

It's hard to get it perfect and I'm not happy with mine. I had a black tank protector on my black tank originally, but it started to peel off as it was too big and overhung. I bought a clear one and stuck it on. Two days later I took it off and bought a new black one to go on it. I also bought two clear bubbled things to go on the sides. They didn't go on perfect either and left cloudy looking patches. 2 months later, some of the patches cleared themselves, but not all. I don't notice the sides as much so I left it on. But in the future, they will be replaced with black ones.

 

[chemicalsmile]

dunno about that product, but search try tankslapper.biz, that's what i used on my VFR and now have on the FZ6, work great. You can get 3m perminent or the stuff i use is their regular, re-useable stuff. Just mix up some water and soap, apply it like window tint, let it dry and you are good to go. If you are good at it, you won't even be able to tell it's on there unless you look for it, super cheap too at around $20 shipped for a 3 piece set pre-cut (one for each side of the tank to protect it from your knees and one for the rear/crotch area). They don't have it on their site yet, but they also are going to make a piece for the top of the tank to protect the tank from tankbags (i think i have one of the first ones they have done ). Want to move it? just peel it off (there is no glue), and you can reapply. It's really good stuff.

+1....kinda. I ordered the total protection kit, was missing a couple pieces but finally got them 3 months later - have all the tank pieces (top/sides/rear) and the tail pieces and they were easy to apply and work great, can't even tell they're there.

Front pieces not so much...they listed the kit for 04-08 years when I bought it last year, the front pieces are actually only for 04-06 (they've since corrected their site) so I had to custom cut them to fit. I'm very happy with the product but the service was pretty crappy.

 

[jtarkany]

:needpics:

 

[razteo]

Update

UPDATE:

After 2 days, is getting worse especially at the extremities, the cloudiness become whiter, and in some places I can see it stat to pealing off!

I think I will take the bike (if I have time) this weekend at Cycle Gear (where I purchase the frikin tank protector), show it to them & ask for my money back.

I also want to consider a smaller one, may be better, or just better luck next time.

Anyway, it looks horrible!

 

[reiobard]

not sure what happened with yours, but mine went on easy and looks completely transparent after a 2 day stint in the sun. I will take pics later and show what they come out like when they work right.

What did you do to prep the surface for the product?

did you touch the back (sticky part) with your fingers at all?

take some pics so we can see what you are talking about, but my clear protector looks amazing IMO.

 

[razteo]

not sure what happened with yours, but mine went on easy and looks completely transparent after a 2 day stint in the sun. I will take pics later and show what they come out like when they work right.

What did you do to prep the surface for the product?

did you touch the back (sticky part) with your fingers at all?

take some pics so we can see what you are talking about, but my clear protector looks amazing IMO.

I didn't touch the sticky part at all, I know the trick, and I cleaned the tank with a cloth, although the bike was ultra clean, no dust, fingerprints, nothing.

I don't keep the bike in the sun, it sits in my garage, and now with this heat in LA in the garage are 110F at least.

Please show me yours if you can post a picture, thanks. (I'll try to find time to do the same..)