Mine has the same but left it on for when I add my pillion seat, otherwise it's covered by a bib.

 

That came out good, but be careful. It will still scratch your fender if you are not diligent with cleaning. I mean like after every ride. The key to fender protection is having something stuck to the fender so that the friction from movement is between the seat and the protection, rather that between the fender and the protection. The rear fender on the Breakout lets lots of small dirt and rocks get thrown up on top of the fender. These work their way under the seats quickly. If they stay there for any amount of time between the seat and the unprotected fender, you will get scratches.

I like your idea, just don't want to see that beautiful black paint harmed.

 

i just slapped a fender bib on there - it's covered and still protects

 

Where did you get your fender bib from?

 

They give you a set of those same clear protective films to apply to your swingarm when you buy the H-D swingarm bag.
Those things are a bitch to apply without a bubble or two...

 

Has anybody used the 3M (or similar) paint protection film in place of the factory applied stuff?

 

I got the one HD makes, from the dealer

 

EagleRay, BRILLIANT, let us know how that works out for you. Does the seat slip around with that on there?? I figure the vinyl sticker probably gives it a little more grip...

 

Thanks man. Wasn't that easy to properly trim cut the edges but I think turned out quite ok. Actually I didn't have my OL joining in and probably will not for another few weeks.

The felt adds about 1.5 Mil to the bottom of the seat. Due to this I've got the impression so far that the fit of the pillion is a bit tighter than before. If the seat bolt is tightened securely I could not notice any movement of the pillion when pushing and pulling. May be different with some more weight on it. I'll let you know once I've had my OL joining me.

 

You can have a clear bra put on professionally anywhere you want on your bike and it is practically invisible. Just a suggestion for areas prone to scratching or paint chips.