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Author Topic: Metal Sidecovers  (Read 2198 times)

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Offline bill3749

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Metal Sidecovers
« on: November 03, 2007, 09:34:20 AM »
Are metal sidecovers available for my 78 CB750K?

Thx

BC
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Offline cb750k7

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #1 on: November 03, 2007, 09:39:21 AM »
+ 1

TNX

Jona
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Offline OldSchool_IsCool

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2007, 11:15:54 AM »
I had often wondered if side covers could be molded from fiberglass or some other "home shop" type of material.
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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2007, 11:40:27 AM »
I have made some fiberglass parts before, and it isn't that difficult. It is especially easy if you want to make a one-off part. I'm simplifying things, but basically you just carve a shape out of foam, lay the fiberglass over it, then carve out the foam or use a solvent to destroy it. Making a mold/plug for laying up multiple copies of the same part is a bit more involved.

As for metal side covers, I plan on making a set for my CB550F once I relocate the electrical panel. But they will be pretty simple "raw" looking pieces, nothing that involves compound curves. There are some good metal workers out there who can do wonders with sheet metal and an english wheel, but I certainly am not one of them.
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Offline Short Round

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2007, 12:30:13 PM »
instead of using a solvent to destroy the foam mold, cover it with real ducting tape, the kind that has real aluminum on it and then cover the tape with a mold release wax, floor way works well also.  Makeing molds out of foam are easy but the resin used in fiberglass will dissolve it.  You have to cover it with something like the ducting tape.  It is a simple process as long as you get you mixing ratios correct.  Easy but extremely messy.
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Offline mkramer1121

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #5 on: November 05, 2007, 02:03:55 PM »
yamiya750 has a set of aluminum sidecovers for our CB750's....for $400... :o
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Offline bill3749

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #6 on: November 05, 2007, 02:14:18 PM »
Yeah, well I'm not much into $400 sidecovers.

I do have a friend who is an excellent body man and he seems to think he can mold some using carbon fiber. If he can I'll just leave'em black. Like I said it's not that mine are in bad shape, it's that the tabs broke off and I now have them mounted with slothead screws and unless I'm super careful I'm scratching the right one when I remove and replace the screw to check / change / add oil and ditto for the left if I need to get in there.

Then again... anything carbon fiber on my almost 30 year old beastie might cause some un-natual shift in the universe....

BC
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Offline Terry in Australia

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #7 on: November 05, 2007, 02:23:59 PM »
I could buy good fiberglass sidecovers back in the day, and I made a couple too, but now there are so many good repro plastic ones available quite cheaply, why bother?

I just bought a repro K0 airbox from these guys, they do sidecovers too. I've heard that they're very good, but I'll let you know when it arrives. Cheers, Terry. ;D

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/L-P-M-Plastic-Motorcycle-Parts
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Offline mkramer1121

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #8 on: November 05, 2007, 02:35:13 PM »
I can vouch for LPM, they make a great product.
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Offline eurban

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #9 on: November 06, 2007, 07:41:21 AM »
This is probably not the "angle" your going after but I made an aluminum side cover for the electrics side of my 78K project.  I liked the look of the exposed late style oil tank on my 78 but needed something to give bit more of a finished look to the electrics side and be similar in shape to the oil tank.  I used a piece of 1/4" aluminum plate, cut it to shape, routed the edges for a round over and thinned down the thickness to 1/16" everwhere except at the edges (not really necessary but seemed like a good idea at the time . . .what a messy process that was!)  It attaches to the electrics with industrial strength velcro!  Being flat, it looks a bit primitive but has a bit of that racer look.  It certainly doesn't keep the electrics dry but I have most things sealed up pretty well.  Here's a few pics including the oil tank side which I was trying to emulate . . . .



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Offline 754

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #10 on: November 06, 2007, 07:50:50 AM »
Make a wooden form and use .06 to .09 soft alum, should be able to get a 1/2 or more of an edge on it more like a real sidecover.. if you slit the corners then weld it would be real easy..
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Offline Jygge

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #11 on: November 06, 2007, 08:59:11 AM »
Take a metal plate and weld some chain from a bicycle around the plate.. black spray on and you've got a ruff-looking side cover ;D
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Offline merc2dogs

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #12 on: November 06, 2007, 09:29:01 AM »
ezpanding on 754's reply, do a search for hammerforming, very interesting, and you'd be surprised at the things that can be done.
 Not hard at all, and best thing is that nearly everyone has the material at hand to do it.

Ken.
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Offline OldSchool_IsCool

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #13 on: November 06, 2007, 10:17:01 AM »
Curious,

When I did a google for hammerforming, I came across this site: 

http://smartflix.com/store/category/26/Motorcycle

Looks like a site where you can rent how-to videos and they have a TON of vids for motorcycles!
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Can I have a motorcycle when I get old enough?
If you take care of it.
What do you have to do?
Lot’s of things. You’ve been watching me.
Will you show me all of them?
Sure.
Is it hard?
Not if you have the right attitudes. It’s having the right attitudes that’s hard.

Offline miles nowhere

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #14 on: November 06, 2007, 12:58:12 PM »
wow, great link. thanks
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Offline scondon

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #15 on: November 06, 2007, 04:16:02 PM »
 eurban, nice work on that cover :)  I had a local shop make me a set of aluminum side covers for the '78 750F(sorry, no pic. Sidies are vacationing in Australia, should be back in the New Year). They have pegs to mount just like the stock ones and a bend all around to try and bring the edges back in towards the frame. They are either "neat" or "hideous", I can't decide which. Your cover has the lines that I was looking for but didn't get ;) :)
« Last Edit: November 06, 2007, 04:17:43 PM by scondon »
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Offline bill3749

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #16 on: November 07, 2007, 03:18:28 AM »
Hey, that is a great link.
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Offline merc2dogs

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #17 on: November 07, 2007, 03:47:57 PM »
 Fournier and Covell both wrote a few books on metalworking, I think they collaborated on one with a heavy focus on hammerforming, have a couple by them in the 'stacks', will see if I can dig them out and get titles and numbers from them.

Ken.
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Offline Terry in Australia

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #18 on: November 07, 2007, 05:21:09 PM »
Quote from: scondon on November 06, 2007, 04:16:02 PM
eurban, nice work on that cover :)  I had a local shop make me a set of aluminum side covers for the '78 750F(sorry, no pic. Sidies are vacationing in Australia, should be back in the New Year). They have pegs to mount just like the stock ones and a bend all around to try and bring the edges back in towards the frame. They are either "neat" or "hideous", I can't decide which. Your cover has the lines that I was looking for but didn't get ;) :)

G'Day Sean, well it's been awhile since I opened the box, but all I can remember is that they made my eyes hurt! Maybe they need some "speed holes", ha ha! ;D
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I was feeling sorry for myself because I couldn't afford new bike boots, until I met a man with no legs.

So I said, "Hey mate, you haven't got any bike boots you don't need, do you?"

"Crazy is a very misunderstood term, it's a fine line that some of us can lean over and still keep our balance" (thanks RB550Four)

Offline scondon

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #19 on: November 07, 2007, 05:34:42 PM »
Quote from: Terry in Australia on November 07, 2007, 05:21:09 PM
Quote from: scondon on November 06, 2007, 04:16:02 PM
eurban, nice work on that cover :)  I had a local shop make me a set of aluminum side covers for the '78 750F(sorry, no pic. Sidies are vacationing in Australia, should be back in the New Year). They have pegs to mount just like the stock ones and a bend all around to try and bring the edges back in towards the frame. They are either "neat" or "hideous", I can't decide which. Your cover has the lines that I was looking for but didn't get ;) :)

G'Day Sean, well it's been awhile since I opened the box, but all I can remember is that they made my eyes hurt! Maybe they need some "speed holes", ha ha! ;D

   Fhuckin' speed holes!!! Awesome, mate ;)  :P :o 8);D  :D       As said before, I may scream some ideas from across the planet, but you have carte blanche to do whatever the #$%* pleases ya. It has always intended to be a scondon/TIA/Mrieck bike with me just puttin' the pieces together :)
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Offline Terry in Australia

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #20 on: November 07, 2007, 11:36:33 PM »
Ha ha, no worries Sean, I'll go buy some shotgun cartridges! Have you seen that episode of the Simpsons where Fat Tony and the boys are after Homer? That was what I meant by "speed holes", ha ha! ;D

(but now I'll have to think of something a tad more aesthetically pleasing...........  ;D)
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I was feeling sorry for myself because I couldn't afford new bike boots, until I met a man with no legs.

So I said, "Hey mate, you haven't got any bike boots you don't need, do you?"

"Crazy is a very misunderstood term, it's a fine line that some of us can lean over and still keep our balance" (thanks RB550Four)

Offline merc2dogs

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #21 on: November 09, 2007, 10:33:23 AM »
another prospect I've been thinking about is here:

 http://www.machinablewax.com/using_machinable_wax.htm

 Mostly because of this paragraph:

 The self-releasing properties of machinable wax make it an ideal choice to use as a master model. Epoxies and polyurethanes can be poured directly onto the wax surface without the need for sealers or release agents.

 Seems to me that you could use this (any hard wax maybe) to make a mold from a part and easily duplicate it with fiberglass, most of the work of making fiberglass parts is in the mold, so being able to 'pour' a mold would make the whole process quick and easy.
 since it's soft and workable, You should be able to modify the mold easily for custom parts.

Ken.
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Offline Terry in Australia

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #22 on: November 10, 2007, 02:26:23 AM »
Quote from: merc2dogs on November 09, 2007, 10:33:23 AM
another prospect I've been thinking about is here:

 http://www.machinablewax.com/using_machinable_wax.htm

 Mostly because of this paragraph:

 The self-releasing properties of machinable wax make it an ideal choice to use as a master model. Epoxies and polyurethanes can be poured directly onto the wax surface without the need for sealers or release agents.

 Seems to me that you could use this (any hard wax maybe) to make a mold from a part and easily duplicate it with fiberglass, most of the work of making fiberglass parts is in the mold, so being able to 'pour' a mold would make the whole process quick and easy.
 since it's soft and workable, You should be able to modify the mold easily for custom parts.

Ken.


Hmmnnnn, that looks interesting............... ;D
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I was feeling sorry for myself because I couldn't afford new bike boots, until I met a man with no legs.

So I said, "Hey mate, you haven't got any bike boots you don't need, do you?"

"Crazy is a very misunderstood term, it's a fine line that some of us can lean over and still keep our balance" (thanks RB550Four)

Offline SEBNN

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Re: Metal Sidecovers
« Reply #23 on: November 10, 2007, 06:52:37 PM »
A friend of mine made some real nice brushed aluminum covers out of some 1/8" aluminum.  Made some snaps that fit the stock mounts and had a slight bend to them.  He shaped the edges using a sander.  Looked very good when he was done and didn't cost 400.00.
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