I recently bought a set of SW Motech Blaze saddlebags, and love the ease of mounting and dismounting, capacity, appearance, almost invisible mounts when the bags are not on the bike, etc.
My sole concern is that the very wide tail bodywork of my 2017 ZX-14R of course unavoidably comes into contact with the bags' "crossover" strap, and SW Motech provides a generous amount of clear film to apply over the 2 areas of contact (left hand and right hand sides). I COULD simply install that clear film, BUT I have the following concerns:
- The filmed areas are obviously going to appear "different" than the paint around them, especially given prolonged use - like multi-day trips
- The film itself will necessarily become scratched with use and so look bad
- Removing the film after each trip, or when it simply becomes "too scratched" is not a solution, as the paint under the film will have had much less ultraviolet exposure and so look different than other paint around it
- Removing the film would also require buying new film for "next time", as it will surely be unreusable
I know that at least one other forum member simply applies painter's masking tape instead of clear film, and simply pulls it off after each trip (Painter's masking tape uses an easy-release / no-leftover-deposits type of adhesive). But I am wondering how well that has worked out over long-term use.
Can anyone with experience with these bags, or anyone with experience with similar setups, offer any advice?
I'd like to make a multi-day trip sometime soon, but would like to have a good solution in place before doing so.
Jim G