As far as paint protection was concerned, at first I settled with a clear tank pad. Looked neat and took all the abuse from zippers, belts and other sharp objects. After a year or so the sun got to it and started to become yellowish. It was time for a new one!
Was it? I thought I should try something different this time. A single tank pad would not protect the sides of the tank or the point where the saddle meets the tank. I heard about some membranes that are attached to the bike only with water.....great staff. Invisible to the eye, cheap and easy to install. What more would you want? These guys also sell "complete" kits, covering other parts of the bike, such as the headlight lenses etc. I ordered a kit for the tank. It covers the side of the tank, the back and the top (protection from tank bags).
http://www.thetankslapper.biz/
The only drawback of these pieces is that they don't allow power washing. This is the only way to loose these pieces. As you ride, they won't budge. Watch the video on their site. They have a good customer support too. Believe it or not there is one on this tank.