tank slapper protective film

[tripntx]

Received my tank slapper protective film the other night and I'm installing the tank pieces today. Curious how long the product will last. Who is using it and how long have you been using it?

Here's a pic of the pieces laid out before intalling them on the bike.

 

[pawtracks]

I've had it installed on my 2005 since ~May 2006.

3M on the headlights, lower cowl and side bags.

Tankslapper material everywhere else.

It has held up well for me.

I take it off and clean the tankslapper film a few times per year.

In between full removals I wipe it down after washing the bike with some plexus spray polish to buff off the water spots.

 

[SkooterG]

How long they last is directly related to how well you install them.

The 3M pieces (with the adhesive) will last damn near forever. I still have a few of those on my 04 that is almost 5 years old with 147k. The tankslapper made (non-3M) pieces won't last as long. Depending on where they go and how hard they are to install and their exposure to wind and rain, they may come off. Eventually, I lost a couple of the sidebag pieces in the rain. But that was well after a year or two and may thousand miles. The tank pieces lasted a long time.

I ordered replacements, all in the 3M material. Much harder to install, but they won't go anywhere.

 

[FJRandy]

I bought the kit when it first came out. Every piece was Tankslapper, not 3M. It lasted all of a week. Biggest piece of crap I ever wasted money on. Trust me when I say it was installed surgically. There seemed to be no (or not enough) adhesive on the Tankslapper pieces. One of the 3M pieces stayed put the whole time, while the others started flapping in the breeze every time it rained.

I then bought the MagKnight kit and it's been looking good ever since.

My advice...if ANY of the pieces in your kit are not 3M, send them back and demand they make them out of the 3M stuff.

 

[ngarider]

You can get the whole kit made from 3M material, for a surcharge, right up front. Just call, they'll do it.

 

[FJRMGM]

There seemed to be no (or not enough) adhesive on the Tankslapper pieces.

there is no adhesive on any of the Tankslapper kits. It sticks in the same way Glad wrap sticks.

If it doesn't stick its because the surface it was applied to wasn't clean and not all of the water underneath the film was squeegeed out.

Mine has been on for about three years and 55k miles but I am replacing it because......it took the scratches from my tank bag, zipper and shoes dragging across it.......like it was supposed to do.

 

[Rondo777]

I ve had mine on the bike for just over a year now. Actually I didnt use the 3m pieces at all. I couldnt get them on well enought for my liking and gave up. The tank pieces were all I was really interested in any way and I love them. Been on for over a year, never removed, never have come loose and you can barely tell they're on.

 

[zenwhipper]

I got 'em. Installed two months ago on my '08. Went with the tank kit (inner thigh, and crotch pieces). Seems to do the trick. Easy to install. My only issue is they make the applied areas look dull. In other words, its the age old question...

-do you enjoy the beauty of something, but risk the beauty being degraded, since you have not protected it.

OR

-do apply protection to the beauty, but then you're not able to enjoy the beauty as much since the protection masks the beauty.

Me not know. :blink:

Scott

 

[SkooterG]

In other words, its the age old question...
-do you enjoy the beauty of something, but risk the beauty being degraded, since you have not protected it.

OR

-do apply protection to the beauty, but then you're not able to enjoy the beauty as much since the protection masks the beauty.

Dude!

You just made my brain hurt.

 

[Rondo777]

My only issue is they make the applied areas look dull. Scott

Thats the problem with Black. On his 06AE thats not an issue. Black just happens to show everything.

 

[tripntx]

My only issue is they make the applied areas look dull. Scott

Thats the problem with Black. On his 06AE thats not an issue. Black just happens to show everything.

On my '06AE silver, they are barely noticable.

Installed all tank (and molding) and sidebag pieces, along with 3M front piece. Could not get the headlight pieces to work. Left frame piece doesn't work since my sifter plate is for the AE. Have a couple of lower fairing pieces left over that I could not figure out where they went.

 

[TechJunkie]

I got 'em. Installed two months ago on my '08. Went with the tank kit (inner thigh, and crotch pieces). Seems to do the trick. Easy to install. My only issue is they make the applied areas look dull. In other words, its the age old question...
-do you enjoy the beauty of something, but risk the beauty being degraded, since you have not protected it.

OR

-do apply protection to the beauty, but then you're not able to enjoy the beauty as much since the protection masks the beauty.

Me not know. :blink:

Scott

+1 except the side pieces that looked so dull now look great! I use microfiber towels and when I used my detail spray on the tank I use it on the tank slapper panels as well. After a few times of this the dull panels on the sides now shine pretty much like the tank. from two feet away you can't tell I have them on the tank. The center protector has always looked great and shinny. This may shorten the life of the material, only time will tell, but it works great and is almost unnoticeable on my 08.

 

[raitchison]

Bringing thread back from the dead.

I need to get some additional protective film to protect my FJR from my new Motoport gear, would people recommend this stuff or some other product?

 

[SkooterG]

I like it. Opinions will vary.

 

[raitchison]

Well I just ordered a full set including the tank protector, I noticed this weekend my motoport pants are already wearing the clear coat on my fairing after less than 500 miles.

 

[FJR Flyer]

Data point after about 3 years. The 3M pieces have held up well. The other TS film pieces have yellowed considerably and the pieces on the saddlebags eventually flew off.

 

[rfulcher]

I had the tankslapper kit for my tank. It protected the tank well. It was losing it's gloss and I took it off after a couple of years. It left a very faint line that marked the boundary of the protective patches. It is more like a very small ridge in the clear coat. I could not buff the lines out and stopped trying before I hurt the clear coat.

If I use it again I will move it around every few months to stop this from happening.

 

[Pat C]

I've had mine on since 07, still looks good.

 

[Pete Bansen]

I had the static-cling Tankslapper material on a BMW GS tank for quite a few years. It was still in place when I sold the bike, no issues.

There's a LDRider who was making and selling a similar product - Ned Snider, IIRC - https://www.snidersproducts.com/index.html