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Saddlebag Reflective Kits for ADV bikes, from MotoReflective


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Hello, all.  I own http://MotoReflective.com.  Many of you already know us or have seen our products on the road.  We've been making pre-cut reflective kits for saddlebags and top cases for more than 16 years.  We're up to more than 80 Reflective Kits, and we have dozens more on our ToDo list.  We're proud of our products, and the fact that we use only the highest quality 7-year/7-mil 3M retroreflective vinyl, and that our products are 100% Made in America, materials and labor.

 

A lot of our kits are for BMW's because so many BMW's come with saddlebags.  But we're starting to create kits for other brands as well.  In fact, after the first of the year, we will be developing reflective kits for Touratech Luggage, and for the KTM1290 Adventure.   Mostly new kits hinge on us getting our hands on a set of saddlebags for a few days, so we can do all of the prototype work needed to create a good-fitting kit.  So if you're in SoCal and you've got a Tenere, or are expecting a new Africa Twin, we'd love to hear from you.  For now, we'd like to share with you some of our BMW Reflective Kits, and show you our brand-new Reflective Kits for the Jesse Odyssey Luggage.

 

Oh, and as a THANK YOU for having us on this discussion board, we'd like to offer everyone a 10% discount on any purchase at http://MotoReflective.com, through Christmas.  Just type in the code XLADV in the coupon box at checkout, and you'll get 10% knocked right off the purchase price.  WAIT!  I have a better idea.  Let's make it a full 20% OFF.  And thanks again for having us here at XLADV.

 

This may take more than one post, so please bear with us.  There are going to be a LOT of photos.  And if you don't see your Beemer covered here, (like if you have an F800GS or an Airhead GS, or maybe a previous year GS Adventure), check out the website.  We've got many more kits there than we'll be able to show here.

 

 

 

 

Let's start with the latest R1200GS-L/C.

 

 

RK-36 fits the saddlebags of the R12GS-L/C Vario Cases.   $29.95

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RK-36X fits the saddlebag lids of the R12GS-L/C and not only looks good, but delivers outstanding lateral conspicuity.  $29.95

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Our basic kit for the R12GS ADV - L/C is the RK-38.  Available in black or white reflective (both reflect back bright white).  $29.95.  Matching Top Case Kits are $19.95.

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If you just want reflective on the corners, to establish your bike's true width in traffic and take your rightful "lane presence," the following are our vertical corner kits.  These fit all of the Adventure aluminum bags for all years, including the F800GS.  They're available in Black Reflective (reflects white) and Red Reflective (reflects red).  Again, matching top case kits are available as well.

 

RK-40B Black Stripe Kit.   $12.95

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RK-40R Red Stripe Kit.

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RK-44B Black Chevron Kit.   $12.95

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RK-44R Red Chevron Kit.

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RK-46B Black Checkers Kit.  $12.95

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RK-46R Red Checkers Kit.

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The choices are varied, but the results are the same.  You want to keep drivers off your backside.  In street traffic.  On the highway.  When changing lanes.  With these reflective kits and the others we offer, you can "Make Them Aware That You're There."

 

 

Thank you for taking the time to look.  Next, we'll show our new Reflective Kits for the Jesse Odyssey Bags.

Edited by EffBee
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Wow.  You've used multiple kits to create 360 degrees of reflective conspicuity.  It looks great.  Can't wait to see it with the saddlebags installed.

 

Here's a look at the basic reflective kits for the Jesse Odyssey Luggage.  Kits #RK-520, 524 and 526 all fit both the 8" and 10" Jesse Bags.

 

 

Kit RK-520R Red Stripes Reflective Saddlebag Kit.  $12.95.  Matching trunk kit also available.

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RK-520S Silver Stripes Reflective Saddlebag Kit.

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RK-524R Red Chevrons.  $12.95

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RK-524S Silver Chevrons.

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RK-526R Red Checkers.  $12.95

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Here's the full "X Kit" for the rear of the Jesse saddlebags.  It comes in four different versions (8" and 10", and for left exhaust cutout and right exhaust cutout) plus in two colors, silver and red reflective.  That'd be 16 photos.  Instead, I'll only show a few examples.  All of them are visible at http://MotoReflective.com.   At present, there is no matching trunk kit.

 

 

RK-528R-LX8 Red X Kit.  $29.95

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RK-529S-RX10 Silver Kit.  $29.95

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Remember, we'll should be working on Reflective Kits for Touratech Luggage in January and also hope to use a connection we made at KTM to borrow a set of 1290 Adventure bags.

 

In the meantime, we're looking for anyone with a Tenere in SoCal who has the OEM luggage, with no stickers or decals on it, and wouldn't mind loaning the bags and/or top case to us for a few days.  We'll provide free reflective kits for you and a couple of your friends in return.  And when the Africa Twin is released, we need to borrow the OEM bags for that one, too.

 

Thanks again.

Edited by EffBee
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Orders continue to roll in here at http://MotoReflective.com and we're glad to offer this initial 20% OFF Discount to XLADV Members (see the first post in this thread for details).  It's obvious that the members here understand the value of using reflective material on their bikes.  Our Reflective Kits change what a cager sees at night, taking your bike from something that only appears as wide as its taillight, to a vehicle that's 3-4 feet wide and has substantial "lane presence."  We believe (and have noticed) that when your vehicle looks larger/wider, you get more respect and people back off.  Whether it's in your own lane, changing lanes, at a stop, or just tooling around town.  You want to make sure to "Make 'Em Aware That You're There." 

 

Place your orders whenever you're ready (however, the discount only goes through Christmas Day).  We'll cut it just for you and get it out within 24 hours.

 

And thanks again to XLADV and its members.

Edited by EffBee
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  • 2 weeks later...

LAST DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS:  We ship our reflective kits via USPS, and the Postal Service says that Saturday, 12/19 is the last day to send mail for a pre-Christmas arrival in the continental U.S.  We'd like to thank all our customers whose orders keep us busy every day, but we also want to make sure that if you're looking for a Reflective Kit for your bike, or as a Christmas Gift for a friend or loved one, that you don't miss out.  So today Friday, and tomorrow, Saturday, are the last two days for us to get your Christmas order on its way.  We'll be taking the last of the orders to the post office at noon PST on Saturday.  We hope yours is among them.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all, and a great big Thank You for letting us be a part of XLADV.

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  • 3 weeks later...

2015 ended well for http://MotoReflective.com, as the warm east coast winter kept a lot of people out on the roads.  And the short days made having reflective on their bikes even that much more of a priority.  But now we're into winter, and that means winter projects.  Winter is actually one of our busier times as people look to accessorize their bikes in preparation for the coming riding season.  So if you're one of the many who will be adding reflectivity and safety to your ride for 2016, here are some tips for mounting your MotoReflective Kit(s) during these colder months.

 

The most important thing is temperature.  Get your saddlebags indoors and let them get to room temp before you prepare them for installation.  This is very important as the adhesive on the 3M vinyl material we use sets up best in the 70-90-degree range.  It'll stick in all weather, but the initial setting up works best in those temp ranges. 

 

Once at room temp, you'll want to wash the surface area of your saddlebag where your reflective is going to be applied.  For this, be sure to use hot water.  Not only does this help dissolve any dirt on the surface, but also any oils and slippery substances (like the silicones used in some cleaner/waxes).  You want your surfaces to be completely clean and dry.  So once you've washed those surfaces and thoroughly dried them, clean them again with plain alcohol, dry them well, and it wouldn't hurt to let them air dry a bit as well.  Regular drug-store alcohol will finish the job of removing oils and silicones, leaving a very clean surface for mounting your Reflective Kit.

 

The Reflective Kits shown above in this thread are our most popular ones for large Adventure bikes, such as BMW GS's and those bikes using Jesse Odyssey aftermarket luggage (we'll be adding Reflective Kits for Touratch Luggage this spring, so if that's you, stay tuned).  Getting the vertical reflective strips on straight can sometimes be just a bit trickier than it seems.  And with a perfectly clean surface, once it sticks, it's stuck.  So use a strip of masking tape as a guide to make sure you've got things aligned with the vertical lines on your cases.  And make sure the masking tape's aligning edge also positions the reflective strip where you want it horizontally.  Regular white masking tape, or the blue painter's tape, both work well, but if you have a choice, choose the color that best contrasts with the surface color of your panniers.  What's more, masking tape can be removed and reapplied until you're happy with the alignment line.  And if you botch it completely, you can peel it off and start over with a new piece.

 

Next, take a good look at your reflective strips.  Each strip has three parts.  

1. The paper backing that covers and protects the adhesive on the reflective vinyl pieces.

2. The reflective vinyl pieces themselves, and

3. A clear layer of "application tape" on top, which serves to hold the reflective pieces in place and evenly spaced, just like they are when our computerized cutting equipment finishes cutting your reflective kit.

 

Now trim the reflective strips tightly, so that there's very little extra material around the perimeter of each strip.  This will help you to align the reflective pieces tightly to the line you've created with the masking tape.  This is where the contrast between the masking tape color and your panniers comes into play.  It's much easier to line things up when the masking-tape guide you've created has a contrasting and clearly visible edge.  Peel the paper backing off the adhesive side of the vinyl, and put the reflective strip right where you want it, tacking down ONLY the edge that's against the masking tape.  Keep the rest of the reflective strip pulled away from your saddlebag until you can use a credit card to gently squeegee (or "scrape" might be a better word) the reflective pieces onto the saddlebags.  Scrape them a section at a time, going town the full vertical length.  Keeping the unstuck reflective pieces at an angle slightly away from the saddlebag, scrape down 1/4th of the width of the strip, then go back and do another 1/4th, then another and finally the last one.  This helps reduce your possibility of trapping air bubbles under the vinyl.  And don't worry, the Application Tape on top will protect the reflective pieces from getting scratched by the scraping action of your credit card.

 

Finally, once you've got the reflective strip applied, push it down into your bag firmly, using your hand.  Thumbs, thumb heels and palms work best.  You really want it to adhere strongly.  The last step is to remove the top layer of clear application tape.  Removing the tape works best if you pull it off the reflective pieces at the sharpest angle possible.  In effect, you're going to pull the tape at a 180-degree angle, so that the tape makes an immediate u-turn as it is being pulled off.  If you need a visual, imagine pulling the tape off starting at the top of the reflective strip, and pulling STRAIGHT down.  Pull the tape slowly so that you can make sure each reflective piece stays stuck to your saddlebags.  If a piece starts to pull up, stop and rub it back down very firmly.  Then proceed with removing the application tape.

 

Now that you're done, let everything sit in the house for a day or two.  The adhesive actually cures a bit during this time, giving you a much better, longer lasting result that'll help provide visibility, conspicuity and added safety for years to come.

 

That's it.  Enjoy your "indoor" winter motorcycle project.  Follow the tips above, take your time and you'll have a sharp-looking and effective method of keeping drivers off your backside, once the weather warms and you start riding this spring.

Edited by EffBee
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