harleyKmodel

The Royalite Saddlebags have a carrier with chrome bars and flat plates. There were 2 versions of the carrier. One was a solid welded unit with 2 horizontal flat plates on each side, and one was a knockdown version that bolted together with a larger plate on each side. I understand that Harley may have gone to the knockdown version to aid in shipping it out easier.

Does anyone know what the finish of the knockdown version plates are supposed to be? They look like silver paint or maybe cad plating. Was it cad plated or painted?

What about the mounting studs and nuts finish? Were the studs and nuts parkerized?

The tech page only lists the finish as chrome for the bars and cad for the hairpin clips.

All the hardware, nuts, bolts, studs, springs, washers, clips were cad plated. The bars on yours were introduced in 1961. The plates have a -59 part number and I have seen another version where they were welded on to the bars like the narrow steel trim of the early K version. So there is an evolution here like so many other K to Sportster parts that is not entirely clear. Your plates look like they are painted. Try paint stripper on a small spot and see if it lifts. I would expect them to be originally cad plated from the factory.