Wheel polished and painted, front end redone

[tylerc]

Well I finally got my 98+ wheel polished, painted, and cloearcoated. it toook forever to strip/sand/polish it all. I thought I would post some pics of it here as I think it turned out really well.

I wish the camera picked up the graphite color better. it is a very metalic flakey and pops out when the sun hits it. I used the graphite wheel paint and wheel cloar coat out of a can. I also got a little ambitous and redid my 'dashboard'/brake resivoir/tops of the fork tubes with the same paint and left part of it just primered, then clearcoated it all. here are some before and after pics

After:

And a picture of the bike (keep in mind it is very in progress)


Comments/criticisms welcome, I would be especially interested in what you guys think about the bar end mirrors and where I mounted the tach.

-Tyler

[SweetLou]

Very nice. That rim looks awsome. Did you use the Duplic-color stuff?

[UFO8MyCow]

Um I hate to tell you this but useing those spotlites will fry your alternator. they pull way to much power.

[tylerc]

Yup, seemed to work very well, I was impressed by the clearcoat, we will see about the durability, however it went on to the bare aluminum great and make the polished lip look shinyer if anything

As for the spotlights, I only use one at a time and havn't noticed any dimming. They are only 55 watt which is what I thought the headlights originaly were, arn't they?

[Black_peter]

Yup 55 watt...
I like the streetfighter look..
What are your ideas about blending the
tank? I have a few ideas if you want to share...
One idea I had was mounting the front signals to the bracket
that used to hold the lower "birdcage" bracket..
I plan to make some fiberglass trim pieces to blend them in.
Also fiberglass trim for the top of the oil cooler..

The paint looks fantastic! Really looks slick!

About the mirrors!! Love 'em in fact have them!!
Mine are black..

[Nighthawk]

Very cool man, I love the tach mounted to the side and the bar end mirrors look great!

[tylerc]

Yup 55 watt...
I like the streetfighter look..
What are your ideas about blending the
tank? I have a few ideas if you want to share...
One idea I had was mounting the front signals to the bracket
that used to hold the lower "birdcage" bracket..
I plan to make some fiberglass trim pieces to blend them in.
Also fiberglass trim for the top of the oil cooler..

The paint looks fantastic! Really looks slick!

About the mirrors!! Love 'em in fact have them!!
Mine are black..

i actually had the exact same idea about the turn signal mount... I am using cut down side panels for the rear but i am stuck as to where i want to cut it all. i thought about using the stock front side fairing and cutting it along the top edge of the large hole but i still havn't decided. it needs something though. The oil cooler is ugly, I have been trying to figure out what to do about it as well, i would be very interested in seeing what you come up with for that. I want to do something for the lines as well, perhaps that stuff that comes in a hose dress up kit...

do you have any pictures of what the bike is looking like right now?

[Black_peter]

Yeah, dressing up the hoses is key, but those kits are pricey..
If the oil cooler trim I come up with looks good I'll share. I'm planning to make a mold so I can make a few.
Right now it's looking a lot like yours, except for the dash. I still have the stock headlight.
I haven't had a lot of time to work on it lately..
Though it is getting too hot to ride so this will be my winter! I like the way you mounted the lights.
Very "cyber" looking.

I tried to cut the fairing. I filled the turn signal hole,
and cut it just along the "vent slits" then left just enough to match the tank and down along the frame (to blend in the rear fairings. It looked nice,
Like an old FZ or Interceptor. But then I took them off to adjust the valves.. and Dammit I like it better with out them!

You know the rubber nut holders that held the front fairing bracket will pop out of the frame...

[woobie]

Great work on the triple tree, very nicely done. Wheels look awesome too.

[Black_peter]

tylerc
Here is what my side veiw is like with the fairing..
I made the airbox covers out of old fairing ABS
Welded up with a soldering iron and thin strips of ABS filler.. They are held on w/ double sided tape. They wrap around all the way to compleatly cover the airbox. Oh and I added a vew of my handlebar area in my ride profile..