I was at the dealer yesterday and was looking at the tank panels with a pouch, not too keen as they all made with very stiff leather, want to know if they stay flat on the tank or is it better to get one for a deluxe as I think they are leather and flat from the factory. I hate the plastic one I have.

 

Here's a pic of mine, it was on the bike when I bought it.

Yes, it is very hard leather, but it holds my smokes or my phone real well. It stays flat as in, it don't flop around or noticeably "rattle", it does move enough to where the stitching on the edges has actually wore through the color into the primer on the tank. I didn't notice it until I took the tanks off but it's there and after the re-paint I'm going to have to find a solution since I do like the look.

 

hey rebsix, I like your stars & stripes tank panel cover... that's awesome.

where'd you get it? or is it painted and if so who painted it?

 

Thanks Pen, unfortunately, like most of this bike, I can only wish I could take credit for it. I don't know if it's a Harley add on, or a custom job, but I was told it was pricey.

The best way to describe it is a silkscreen on the back of plexiglass, and glued into the dash.

With the dash and the Springer front end, I do get a lot of double takes from people though.

 

One of the first things I did when I got my 07 FatBoy was replace the leather panel with the chrome panel. The leather panel buckled after the first week, maybe due to when I washed it but, getting water under there didn't seem the leather panel was the way I wanted to go. The chrome panel sits flat and has stayed that way, plus it makes for a good mirror.

 

I replaced mine with a crome one

 

I got mine here.

http://www.timberwolfleather.com/cat...ANK-PANELS.htm

Great quality stuff.

 

I put the chrome plastic one on that Harley sells for it.
Mostly because I didn't think the leather or plastic one the factory put on would not like to get wet,
and I was also afraid of it messing up the paint like it did to Rebsix's tank.



I also had an idea that it would be a cheaper alternative to the pricey handlebar mounts for a GPS.
I could justify drilling holes in a $35 plastic piece much easier than paying a $100 or more for some of the bar mounts out there.
That is assuming I could find one that would fit the bars I have.

 

Thanks guys I think I will go for the chrome one, I have seen a few lifting off the tank and that just looks bad, cheap.