Painted Inside of Saddlebags

I have some very nice Black Aluminum Saddlebags. I recently painted the inside of the bags white w/ a rattle can spray paint.

Excellent !

For the upcoming month long (I hope) trip it's going to make a huge difference as to seeing the stuff inside, as I will be looking in there frequently, not to mention in low light conditions.

Wonder why I didn't do this years and years ago ?

Charlie

Please report on how it holds up.

Did you use an epoxy paint (or something else) with very sturdy durability?

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I used Rustoleum (sp ?) enamel that dries in 15 minutes. $4 @ Wally World and $6.58 at the local hardware. No prep except for a vacuum.

I really don't expect a lifetime paint job for $2 a bag. I'm more after function than performance, but $2 per bag/per year will be fine with me if it works as good as first impression suggest "Excellent".

I hope that it works so well that I will remember to report later.

I'm still reminded of the time a boss told me of one of my good ideas that "even a blind Squirrel will find a nut every once in a while."

Not related, but, that boss also told me on my last day before retirement "You'll be back"
Now I send him Postcards once a week from everywhere. For 6 years.
Motorcycles make me do that.


Charlie

Hopefully that works out as aluminum can be a tough item to paint.
I ended up glueing bunk carpet for boat trailers inside my Zega cases. It held up great over the years and provided a bit of protection for the insert bags I had.

I've been using the bags w/ the newly painted white interior, multiple times daily, for 2 1/2 weeks now and it's working out just fine. Im still "tickled pink" with the way it has worked out.
My wife even likes hers. Imagine that !

I failed to make it clear that I was painting over painted aluminum on the inside of the bag. (powder coated-black ?)
I would definitely do it again for any of my top loading bags that had a black interior. Just a lot earlier.

Charlie

Glad it worked out!

I have always wondered why most motorcycle gear (saddlebags, etc.) is most always black. It is like looking into the abyss. It would be simple for the manufacturer to make the inside white. I have more than once dropped a black object into my black Jessi Bags, only to have it "disappear" . EVERYTHING is against me .

Reporting back after a season of white paint on the black inside of saddlebags:

I don't keep the bags on full time, but did cross the country once (slow route) and did a week+ trip. Also the usual 2-3 day rides that end up somewhere beside home.

It has worked out great. Functionally the "difference between black and white". Still think that I should have done this to all of my bags for the last 45 yrs. There are plenty of scratches and may need recoating ater 2-3 yrs but foresee maybe 4 yrs service for me. That's 25 cents a bag per year for the bean counters.

Eliminated the "Abyss" so accurately described by Shortythorne.

Charlie

Another option would be white vinyl shelf/ contact paper.

98lee
Another option would be white vinyl shelf/ contact paper.

Click to expand...

Well that's a good idea.

Charliecharlie