Noob mistake using tank bag
- RhadamYgg
- Legendary 2000
- Posts: 2172
- Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 4:06 pm
- Sex: Male
- Years Riding: 7
- My Motorcycle: 2006/Yamaha/FZ6
- Location: Linden, NJ
Noob mistake using tank bag
So, I got the Icon profile tank bag... It is a really small bag, but actually big enough to hold dress paints and a dress shirt when riding to work on the extremely hot Monday and Tuesday this past week in the Northeast.
I ride to work up the NJ Turnpike, across the George Washington Bridge, a couple miles across the Cross Bronx and then up Webster ave.
So, I get home and pull the tank bag off my bike....
Scccccratch....
So, fellow noobs/newbs... Don't do that unless you want to see primer. Apparently, there are little bits of metal all over the place throughout my commute. And these little bits of metal must be ferromagnetic. And some of them stuck to the bottom of the magnet on my tank bag. I pulled them off after scratching the hell out of the tank.
My bike is in for the 3100 mile service and when I pick it up tomorrow I'll be purchasing (if they have it) a little bit of red Kawasaki screw up paint.
RhadamYgg
I ride to work up the NJ Turnpike, across the George Washington Bridge, a couple miles across the Cross Bronx and then up Webster ave.
So, I get home and pull the tank bag off my bike....
Scccccratch....
So, fellow noobs/newbs... Don't do that unless you want to see primer. Apparently, there are little bits of metal all over the place throughout my commute. And these little bits of metal must be ferromagnetic. And some of them stuck to the bottom of the magnet on my tank bag. I pulled them off after scratching the hell out of the tank.
My bike is in for the 3100 mile service and when I pick it up tomorrow I'll be purchasing (if they have it) a little bit of red Kawasaki screw up paint.
RhadamYgg
RhadamYgg / Skydiver / Motorbike Rider / Mountain Climber
FZ6/11302 mi|Suzuki B-King/5178 mi|Ninja 250cc/5300 mi| (rented)ST1300 850 mi
Hoping my kids don't hate me too much in the future.
Random 2003/Corwin 2006/Cordelia and Morrigan 2009
FZ6/11302 mi|Suzuki B-King/5178 mi|Ninja 250cc/5300 mi| (rented)ST1300 850 mi
Hoping my kids don't hate me too much in the future.
Random 2003/Corwin 2006/Cordelia and Morrigan 2009
- RhadamYgg
- Legendary 2000
- Posts: 2172
- Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 4:06 pm
- Sex: Male
- Years Riding: 7
- My Motorcycle: 2006/Yamaha/FZ6
- Location: Linden, NJ
Little bits of metal from the road stuck to the magnet and when I pulled the bag off, it scratched the paint on the tank.HYPERR wrote:I don't understand how the tank got scratched...
Were you leaning on it or something?

I didn't actually think it was something that was all that likely. When I pulled the tank bag off (admittedly I didn't pull straight up) I just didn't think there would be anything rough on the underside of my tank bag magnets.
RhadamYgg
RhadamYgg / Skydiver / Motorbike Rider / Mountain Climber
FZ6/11302 mi|Suzuki B-King/5178 mi|Ninja 250cc/5300 mi| (rented)ST1300 850 mi
Hoping my kids don't hate me too much in the future.
Random 2003/Corwin 2006/Cordelia and Morrigan 2009
FZ6/11302 mi|Suzuki B-King/5178 mi|Ninja 250cc/5300 mi| (rented)ST1300 850 mi
Hoping my kids don't hate me too much in the future.
Random 2003/Corwin 2006/Cordelia and Morrigan 2009
-
- Veteran
- Posts: 74
- Joined: Fri May 23, 2008 2:38 pm
- Gadjet
- Site Supporter - Gold
- Posts: 1195
- Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2004 4:01 pm
- Real Name: Owen Clark
- Sex: Male
- Years Riding: 19
- My Motorcycle: 2020 KTM 200 Duke
- Location: Red Deer, Alberta
- Contact:
The bits of metal don't have to be very big to cause a lot of damage. the pull of the magnets is very strong, so it takes a good pull to take them off the tank. If you drag the bag off, anything caught under the magnets acts just like 80 grit sandpaper. I've done it myself when I used a magnetic tank bag on my first bike.ChemicalTaste wrote:Little bits of metal? On the road... that somehow got under your bag. How big were they? Anything bigger than the size of a thumbnail seems unbelievable.
After I spent $250 to get my tank repainted, I tried not to make that mistake again.
1983 Suzuki GS650GL (sold)
2005 Kawasaki KLR 650 (sold)
2020 KTM 200 Duke
IBA#20953
IG: @greenmanwc
2005 Kawasaki KLR 650 (sold)
2020 KTM 200 Duke
IBA#20953
IG: @greenmanwc
- storysunfolding
- Moderator
- Posts: 3882
- Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2005 10:20 am
- Sex: Male
- Years Riding: 22
- My Motorcycle: Vstrom 650, S1000RR, XS850, ZX6R
- Location: Reston Virginia
I'm with Dr_bar. The chances of something somehow flying off the road and getting between the magnet and tank are infinitesimal if they exist at all. My tank bag picks up crumb all the time when it's off the bike even when I'm careful. I have to always brush the magnets off before putting them on the bike and then I take care to remove each one carefully.
Next bag will be strap on.
Next bag will be strap on.
- HYPERR
- Legendary 3000
- Posts: 3159
- Joined: Wed May 21, 2008 11:13 am
- Sex: Male
- My Motorcycle: Year/Make/Model
- Location: CT, USA
That's very odd that there were metal particles floating around. That's the first time I heard of somthing like that.RhadamYgg wrote:Little bits of metal from the road stuck to the magnet and when I pulled the bag off, it scratched the paint on the tank.HYPERR wrote:I don't understand how the tank got scratched...
Were you leaning on it or something?
I didn't actually think it was something that was all that likely. When I pulled the tank bag off (admittedly I didn't pull straight up) I just didn't think there would be anything rough on the underside of my tank bag magnets.
RhadamYgg

Regardless, when using a tank bag, if you care about your bike's finish, make sure the tank is spotlessly clean, and put a fresh coat of wax on it before mounting the bag. And definitely gently lift up the bag when removing.
2008 Ducati Hypermotard 1100
2006 Kawasaki KLX250S
2004 Honda CBR600RR
2002 BMW R1150R
1996 Ducati 900SS
2006 Kawasaki KLX250S
2004 Honda CBR600RR
2002 BMW R1150R
1996 Ducati 900SS
- RhadamYgg
- Legendary 2000
- Posts: 2172
- Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 4:06 pm
- Sex: Male
- Years Riding: 7
- My Motorcycle: 2006/Yamaha/FZ6
- Location: Linden, NJ
Hmmm, I didn't save them but they were really little bits. Not dust, but far smaller than a pebble.ChemicalTaste wrote:Little bits of metal? On the road... that somehow got under your bag. How big were they? Anything bigger than the size of a thumbnail seems unbelievable.
Of course, I'm not really sure how big a pebble is.
RhadamYgg
RhadamYgg / Skydiver / Motorbike Rider / Mountain Climber
FZ6/11302 mi|Suzuki B-King/5178 mi|Ninja 250cc/5300 mi| (rented)ST1300 850 mi
Hoping my kids don't hate me too much in the future.
Random 2003/Corwin 2006/Cordelia and Morrigan 2009
FZ6/11302 mi|Suzuki B-King/5178 mi|Ninja 250cc/5300 mi| (rented)ST1300 850 mi
Hoping my kids don't hate me too much in the future.
Random 2003/Corwin 2006/Cordelia and Morrigan 2009