[Lockhart] [MagKnight] [Targa] [Capital] [Second Look] [Baglux]

  • Lockhart Tank Bra

    I purchased this item soon after I purchased the bike. I had noticed that my jacket was beginning to scuff up the paint on the gas tank and I quickly decided it was time for a tank bra. I chose Lockhart because my dealer said it was the only one available (the '94 VFR had just come out). I paid something like US$35 for it. It installs very easily, just have to remove the seat, and the leather fits the tank very nicely. Looks are (of course) a matter of personal opinion. I could do without the squidly "Lockhart Racing" logo, but since it is etched on the "leather", it is not too noticeable. I love the black "leather", and IMHO its lines actually improve the look of the bike. My only gripe is that I was told it would arrive in a week, and it took a month to arrive (this was, I believe, because it was a brand new item). ricm@iastate.edu (Ricardo G. Menendez)

    I purchased a new 99 VFR 800 recently and I love it. I really was concerned about scratching up the tank with my leather jacket so I figured it was a good idea to get a tank bra as soon as possible. The easiest one for me to find (in the L.A area, anyway) was the Lockhart Philips. I went with the full tank because, frankly, i am not all that fond of the way the half tank covers look. The bra installed very easily in about 3 minutes. The fit is very good, considering it covers the whole tank, and the construction seems sound. Got it at Cycle Trends in Sherman Oaks-818-902-9253 for about $48.00. Best of all they ordered it and had it inside of 2 business days. This saved my take from being scratched at all. GL to all! (mamhill@fmsn.com)

  • MagKnight Magnetic Tank Bra

    I have a '94 VFR, and like many others I was concerned about scratching the beautiful finish on my tank with the zippers on my leather. So I splurged and spent the ~$80 for a MagKnight magnetic tank bra. So far I'm very pleased, it took less than 10 seconds to install and comes off in a snap. I was concerned with how the bike would look with a tank bra, but I think It looks pretty good with this one. The flat black color of the bra matches the aircraft-style side intakes and somewhat blends with the seat. (the seat being not as flat colored as the bra). My only complaints would be that while it covers the sides of the tank quite well, it doesn't cover enough of the tank where I tend to lean over into. And it is really easy to steal, just peel and pull. You can order direct from MagKnight at (360) 805-0100 houghton@leds.enet.qntm.com (J.Houghton)

    I have a MagKnight magnetic tank bra on my 95 VFR, and it fits relatively well, but not perfect- it has little divets where it doesn't stick down, right where the literature says it might have some, but contrary to the installation instructions, I could not get them to go away once the bike was warm. Also, it's a little longer on one side than the other, and on both sides the cutouts are a little deeper than they should be, and thus protrude below the botton of the tank by 3mm or so. Of course, I'm really nitpicking here- the cover looks really good. On the whole, I am happy with the product. It looks good, fits pretty darn well, and doesn't blow around at all, at least not up to 100mph (over which I haven't had the bike yet). I give it an A-. Before this, I tried a Lockhart tank bra, which did not fit well at all - it was too small, enough so that the mounting brackets would not stay all the way down, and eventually the bra would blow halfway off and flap in the wind. _VERY_ annoying. A C- or D+. (Ed. here is Jim's followup) After calling MagKnight and asking them about it, and talking with someone on the VFR mailing list, I got the bike warmed up a couple of times, and then sort of stretched the sides of the bra out around the outside of the tank. The little divets disappeared, and the bra now fits just about perfect. Grade improved to a solid A. And when I took my bike in for an oil change this weekend, _everyone_ at the shop commented on how nice the magnetic bra was and how good it looked. Good work by MagKnight. The key is, you really do have to get the bra warm in the sun (best to leave the bike in the warm sun, and also run it for a little while on a nearly empty gas tank, so the tank will get warm) to get rid of the little divets. But they do go away, and once they're gone, the bra looks great. jwright@commsoft.com (Jim Wright)

    I just purchased a '98 VFR800 after selling my 94'VFR. As I had on my "old" bike I installed a Mag Knight Tank Bra (~$83 incl shipping) for the new one. The fit and finish are great and the new bra covers a wider area on the tank where a belt buckle or zipper may tend to rub.

    I highly recommend this product, especially if you wear leathers down below. fred_lewis@hp.com (Fred J. Lewis)

    I just bought a 1998 VFR800 and, based on some of the reviews found here, went out to get a MAG Knight tank bra for it. The product fit perfectly (he has tanks for all the bra's he sells & molds the material to fit) with just a touch of heat to smooth out a couple of bubbles. It sticks great and covers everywhere my stomach/legs used to rub the tank.

    Cost: $75.95 + tax/shipping.

    Mag Knight (360)805-0100

    Ken Snyder (kens@lsid.hp.com)

    Whether or not to get a tank bra was a fairly big decision. On one hand, even a great bra that fits well, even on a well waxed tank, is guaranteed to leave micro scratches. On the other hand, not having a bra is going to eventually leave macro scratches. The other thing to consider is looks. Since there is no way to improve on the good looks of the VFR, any bra detracts. Finally there is the philosophical issue of covering something so it will look nice when you uncover it.

    Anyway, I tried the tank bra and it was a failure. Despite being patient, warming it up thoroughly, and using pressure, it never fit well and I wound up sending it back. A Mag Knight tank pad then blew off at about 70 mph. I'm done with Mag Knight, and sewed a little flap of felt over the lower area of my zipper...the best solution I can think of. Bill Kalichman (KalichmanW2pamf.org)

    I use a MagKnight on my '99' VFR and have had nothing but compliments about how it looks, used my wife's hair dryer to help get the little bumps out. Larry Levesque (larryslabs@erols.com)

  • Targa 1/2 Tank Cover

    I was scratching my 1994 VFR tank by not having some kind of protection on it. I checked with my local Honda dealer and he couldn't provide me any details on the three items listed for the VFR in the Hondaline catalog. Since I live and work in Orange County California, I decided to pay a visit to Targa Accessories. They will accept walk-in customers, but not give discounts. The guy clinched the deal by goint into the warehouse and getting a 1/2 tank bra for me to examine. No logos of any kind and it seemed to be well made. I installed it in under 2 minutes and it fits very well, much better than the 1/2 bra we bought for my wife's Katana (they obviously improved their methods and materials). I paid right around $30 for it, but worth it IMO. chris.schlieter@smc.com (Chris Schlieter)

  • Capital Cycle Full Tank Cover

    Capital Cycle (Yeah. the Givi Guys) import a full tank bra/cover for the '94-'95 VFR's. The bags are made in France by Bagster. I called *all* over and this was the *only* full tank cover I could find for my '95 VFR. The covers come in red and black. Of course, I have a red one. :) The color match is pretty darn close and several people have commented that they couldn't tell that "the cover was a cover" until they were fairly close to the bike. The cover appears to be well made and has a soft backing material that tends to trap dirt and pull it away from the tank. If you notice dirt in the backing material when you take off the cover, just give it a good vaccuuming. The cover is secured to the bike at 4 points.

    1. A string at the rear -- I just tie this string through the holes in the piece of metal that sticks out under the front of the seat.
    2. A strap around the steering head.
    3. Hooks on straps that hook under the edges of the gas tank under the knee indentations.
    4. Hook under edge of other side of gas tank.
    You have to fiddle with the adjustments to get the cover on "just right". Initial fit was pretty good. It was a little tight the first time I tried putting it on, but, IMHO, that's a good thing in a cover. The cover has a cutout for access to the gas cap and has some padding where your knees contact the tank. The cover has hardware built into it for securing the Bagster brand of tank bags (yes, I bought one of the red Bagster tank bags, too). There are 2 plastic-shielded metal hooks on the front of the cover that hook into D-rings on the tankbag. There are also 2 small metal brackets to on the rear of the cover (left and right) which receive metal latching mechanisms on the tank bags. There is also a snap that is midline, but more rearward. This snap is a securing point for one of the other Bagster tank bags. I've had the tankbag/cover combination for a couple of months now and *really* like the mounting system. The tankbag comes on and off in seconds. The tankbag also stays put even during the most spirited riding. The only bad part about the tank cover is the price. I can't find my invoice, but the price is around US$90.00. Yes. That price is just for the cover. The Tankbag was around another US$90.00. I know that price is a bit steep, but I wanted a full tank cover so I wouldn't have to worry about scratching the beautiful paint on my bike's tank. :) So far, I've been very pleased with the cover/tankbag combo's performance. Capital Cycle can be reached at 1-800-642-5100 (USA) or 1-800-445-4175 (Canada) or 1-703-729-7900 (International). Their address is 21580 Beaumeade Circle #170, Ashburn, VA 22011 (in the USA, of course)... wiccan@nando.net (Robert Wingo)

  • Second Look Tank Cover

    I was an owner of a lockhart 1/2 tank bra for about a year and was never pleased about the fit - the covered metal tabs that you have to slide under the tank are cheap and never hold. About a month ago i ordered a Second Look tank skin - both colors red and black are available - I kept the black one as the red didn't match perfectly - the fit is perfect and the look tremendous - It doesn't stretch in the hot sun like the L-P and there are clips (plastic) which tuck under the tank in 8 places making the fit exact - it is more expensive than the L-P at $85, but if you own a VFR you're really not concerned about buying cheap gear are you...A must have. Second Look can be reached at 800-LOOK-753 - takes about a week to receive. (Brian Gagnon)

  • Baglux Tank Bra

    I recently bought a Baglux tank bra for my '98 VFR800. Fit is initially OK and is improving gradually just as described in the instructions. A couple of warm days would probably help the cover to fit the tank perfectly.

    Attachment is by:

    Fitting is simple with the only fiddly bit being fitting the plastic side hooks. It took about 20 minutes. The harness is very firmly attached and the Baglux Alpha tank bag is secure even when very heavily loaded. The bag is quick and easy to attach and remove.

    Appearence of the harness is excellent. It was described by a non-motorcycling friend thus: "Look at that bike. It's wearing leathers!".

    The only problem is the expense. I bought mine by mail order from M&P. It cost UKP70 for the harness alone. The bag is a similar price. (Piers Thompson - piers_thompson@ionica.co.uk)