Bubble bag paint

[portagepan]

How do I prep the plastic Harley bags for painting, and where do I get the right colored paint for the "white ones"?

[VPH-D]

The Royalite bags are not painted, the color is in the plastic.
VPH-D

[portagepan]

OK. How about the support bar, where the halves are joined? When I was doing the repair work on them, I sanded them, and they are black under the color. And the inside is black. I checked all 3 original sets I have, with either the jet, or rocket, and the white color is only on the outside of all of them. You can see where they are cracked that the inside is black, and just by looking at the edges. So how is that done?

[portagepan]

OK, I found out that is a thin plastic coating, that the makers of the plastic bags started applying to the standard black bags to sell them to Police Depts. who demanded white, and were HD's biggest customers at the time. In other words, unless someone owns a plastic factory, there is no way one could absolutely restore the bubble bags to original. You just have to try and make them look right. Also, the first swing arm bubble bag mounts were welded, not bolted together, but the dealers had trouble with the huge boxes required to ship them so they started using the four bolt system. Learn as we go!! So the ones that came on the first 58's, when they were sold, were welded, but the rest were bolt jobs.

[AdminGuy]

Now that is interesting. Thanks for posting that follow-up info.

[VPH-D]

portagepan,
You are correct about both color Royal Lites being black inside. I have a white and a black set which I checked Friday nite. I was unaware of this paste business, nice detective work.
I had my wife's bags painted Birch White several years ago, they look pretty good. If I had it to do over, I would ask for a little less gloss in the finish.
VPH-D

[portagepan]

Well, since we are talking about the bubble bags, one more thing. I have now been informed that the original delta emblem were silk-screened. Later, and I think this is just for Harley replacement parts, again in the late 60's(?), they went to the stick on scotch brites, or something like that. Like we talked about in another post, there can be quite a difference between original, and repalacement. This latest info I received from one individual, who I believe should know. I think I will stay away from names, just to try and keep this as strictly info oriented as possible. You can alwats knock me, I don't give a s--t.