I know how to make a Harley look older. I found the perfect answer in the M.W.E.E. ledgers.

Apparently they liked this sidecar outfit so much that they torched it !

the results so far....

email (option): mr.bighealey@hotmail.com

Well Maarten I much prefer the brown look over the orange colour of the new items..... Would they really have been that orange colour originally It makes me think that any Harley rider at the time would have been a potential target. Probably the enemy would even have had to wear sun glasses Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

That's why the 9mm bullet holes Gert suggested are a realistic modification...

email (option): mr.bighealey@hotmail.com

The finish on the leather is a matter of personal preference, I think. But patina on a WD bike is inevitable unless you do not use the machine or re-restore it every few years. Again, personal preference, but my bike was restored to WD trim some 13 years ago and what with the nature of the paint used as well as use on and off road, plus petrol leakage and oil splashes, it has attained a natural "patina".........and I think the bike looks better each year as it gently ages, unlike its owner!

Do not use neatsfoot oil on old bags in more than small amounts as it turns leather into something like licorice. It darkens the leather and softens it. That's ok if the leather is very dry but not so good if it's already supple. Neatsfoot oil is also known to rot cotton based thread, so not so clever. I never use it commercially any more. It's boiled up hooves. If you want to bring hard leather back to life far far better to use Westgate Gold Label Hide Food which is lanolin based, ie Face Cream that Old Bags use.

What a sales pitch...'Buy Westgate Gold Label Hide Food for you motorcycle panniers...Tested extensively on old bags'... ...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com