First day

[Miairhead]

I took the Lake Express Ferry across to pickup my NT. I stayed over night, the next morning, I found it the NT laying on its side. Can you say I am the luckiest person in the world, I got a BMW R1200CLC and had it shipped to me before the first ride, $5K in damage to the plastic and chrome.

So I decided it was not worth a insurance claim.I just figured it will happen again with my luck I will drop it some how. I took some truck bed liner paint, and a car bumper guard. I figured I can touch up the paint if ever necessary, and will replace if I ever get bad enough damage.

The bags never had the oval badge on them, I should look to see how to get them.

 

[Bear]

That looks pretty slick. There are various truck bed paints that have finer to rougher texture. Done properly the panniers can be made to look like leather or anything else for that matter. I did see a bike--not an NT, that actually covered his pannier lids with a vinyl that one would use on car tops. It looked really sharp. It was a cream coloured Yamaha Star, and the vinyl was chocholate brown.

 

[kenstone]

yup, I tend to drag my right boot over the pannier, on the 1st dismount because I switch bikes too often and the NT is the only one with pans:redface:
Rattle can bedliner

 

[Chuck 500]

Both of these look really sharp. What kind of Bed liner did you use, Ken. I have a pair of scratched lids I may wnat to experiment with.

 

[artemedes]

I think Kenstone said he used "Dupli-color" brand and purchased it at Napa. Look for the thread on "painting plastics". the thread starts out about the black faded plastics and morphs into painting pannier lids.

 

[kenstone]

yep...Duplicolor/NAPA good
Rustoleum/Walmart not so good
Easy to touch up and removable with laquer thinner

 

[Comanche]

Wow! There aren't any marks on my panniers (yet), but that really looks good!

 

[Curious Mike]

Ken, you must be a professional painter. Nothing I paint ever looks that good.

 

[Miairhead]

I use Herculiner HCL0B7-01 Brush-on Bed Liner Quart, got it from Amazon, for about $27. It very easy to use and with a quart I could touch up for many years. I choose the design after I played with some vinyl adhesive paper. I did not want the whole bag black, I though it would look better like the black and silver already on bike. The bumper guard Amico Black Universal Bar Shape Auto Car Front Rear Rubber Bumper Guard 4 Pcs was $17 and you get 4 strips for a replacement is needed.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009N7XI8W/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002TDUXS/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1