2014 Triglide Faring and fender Bra

[Alan Oakley]

​Looking for opinions and experiences.....I have a 2014 Triglide (Blackened Cayenne) with 4.,300 miles. I live in the country south of Dallas, Texas. I had the protective film applied from my Harley dealer when I took possession of the Triglide. The film is not holding up well (not adhering as well as expected) and I am seriously considering the fender bras. Additionally, I am considering the full fairing bra as the summer bugs in the South, in the late evening and early mornings, are thick....not to mention the various gravel trucks. There is a rock/gravel quarry in the area. Riding in the late evening becomes an issue of constant cleaning. I know that the fairing bra would need to be cleaned as well but it sure appears easier/faster to clean. I ride the tike often and especially want to hear from those of you that have used the fender and fairing bra...both pros and cons... I really like the protection the bras appear to offer.....Not crazy about covering up so much of the pretty color but feel the need for protection and convenience.....thanks in advance.

[PIGGI]

I had the fairing bra on my 01 ultra, kept it clean. Now have just the fender bra's on the trike. I have heard the rocks hitting the fenders but no chips. Worth it to me.

[GARYD]

I understand your concerns. I just put on the 3M film last weekend on my '14TG. I put it on my '12TG 3 years ago and loved it. It was a bear to put on the fenders, but a piece of cake on flat surfaces. I am going to try the 3M spray on film as soon as I find it.
Personally I will never put a bra on anything (those too ), especially on the fairing. I'm not spending $32K for something and then cover it up with (to me) an unsightly leather bra.
I remember back in the day when I belonged to a Corvette club. There were a couple members that put a bra on their cars - after about a year they immediately removed them due to all the paint damage they had. And they cleaned under them regularly.

I'll put up with the occasional chip or two. Unless you get right up to within a few inches, you don't see some chips anyway. I've had baggers since 1990 and can honestly say I've had very few chips in my fairings.......of course I don't live close to a quarry.

I have the saddlebags on my TG so those protect the paint in that area, but I put the 3M film below them to protect the paint.
Good luck with whatever you decide.

[rhino 2]

Just me, I treat dings and small dents as badges of honor, When I sell or trade a bike in I'll let the other guy worry about it...

[m&lg]

​Looking for opinions and experiences.....I have a 2014 Triglide (Blackened Cayenne) with 4.,300 miles. I live in the country south of Dallas, Texas. I had the protective film applied from my Harley dealer when I took possession of the Triglide. The film is not holding up well (not adhering as well as expected) and I am seriously considering the fender bras. Additionally, I am considering the full fairing bra as the summer bugs in the South, in the late evening and early mornings, are thick....not to mention the various gravel trucks. There is a rock/gravel quarry in the area. Riding in the late evening becomes an issue of constant cleaning. I know that the fairing bra would need to be cleaned as well but it sure appears easier/faster to clean. I ride the tike often and especially want to hear from those of you that have used the fender and fairing bra...both pros and cons... I really like the protection the bras appear to offer.....Not crazy about covering up so much of the pretty color but feel the need for protection and convenience.....thanks in advance.

I bought the product offered by SeethoughBraz for the fenders. I've only have it on for a couple of weeks but I found the install extremely easy and it's barely noticable (see through). I'll post again after a few more miles but I think it's going to be a great choice. This week I'll apply the film for the area between the fenders and body and attach the TriGlide saddle bags using the velcro (also bought at STB) and see how well they hold. The film goes on first, then the velcro ( I didn't want to drill holes).

[Jerry/MD]

I was considering the fender bras on my '14 Tri Glide until I read all of the horror stories regarding paint damage. I have used the film and 3M Defender Spray and here is what I have found:

1. The film provides the best protection but the coverage is minimal. Due to the inner and outer curved surfaces the material only covers the very center of the fenders. Lots of area still exposed.

2. The 3M Defender Spray gives you the best coverage but does not protect as well as the film. A recent inspection on one of my fenders shows a rock must have penetrated the spray on material and chipped the fender.

So the spray allows you to cover more surface area but the thickness of the coating has it's limitations. No perfect solution exists that I have found. I guess you could use the spray to protect the paint then use the bras. Not my preference.

Frankly, the newness has worn off and I am loving the many benefits of riding 2 up on a Trike. IMHO living with a few fender paint chips is no big deal considering the enjoyment the wife and I are having.

Jerry

[msocko3]

I was considering the fender bras on my '14 Tri Glide until I read all of the horror stories regarding paint damage. I have used the film and 3M Defender Spray and here is what I have found:

1. The film provides the best protection but the coverage is minimal. Due to the inner and outer curved surfaces the material only covers the very center of the fenders. Lots of area still exposed.

A good installer can make the film cover all kinds of curves and valleys. The 3M film on both my 2012 Hannigan and my dads 09 Triglide was installed by a person who is able to wrap the film around the curves of the fenders perfectly. I was amazed at how this guy could make it fit concave surfaces along with going across a flat surface and wrapping around a curve and back onto another flat surface.

[dogman513]

3m paint defender spray works great. Did it myself, no wrapping, its a spray. Just follow instructions.

[GARYD]

Just finished installing the 3M on the fenders. Not as easy as I remember doing it on my 2012TG. It took a couple attempts, but I finally got it on. Yes, it does take time. I thought I was going to rip the film as I tried to pull it off to try again, but that damn film is STRONG. Reused it and it looks great.

I still have about 2' left of the roll I bought a couple years ago. Bike looks great with no leather hiding the beautiful paintwork.

[Jerry/MD]

GARYD,
How wide did you make the film on the fenders?

Jerry

[GARYD]

GARYD,
How wide did you make the film on the fenders?

Jerry

Just wide enough to go around the curves = about 1/2" past the start of the curve. Which is why it took so long to install since that was a compound curve. It just takes patience - lots of it.
If I just went down the middle it would have been a piece of cake.
I'm not even going to attempt to do the fairing.
Below the saddlebags, side covers, front of tour-pac above the seat and the forks were a piece of cake compared to the fenders.