Topic: 75 550 cafe build

[acteg]

I decided I would finally make a project thread for my 75 550 cafe build.  

Brief history:

I picked up this bike for $250.  It wasn't running, carbs off the bike, missing a few pieces, etc.  Overall the bike was in good shape, but she didn't look pretty.  So I got her running after doing a complete tune up and then I bought the pieces/parts to make her stock/original.  Eventually I got tired of the look, for some reason the gas tank with the big plastic opening just doesn't do it for me.  To each their own I guess.  

My plans for this build:

Custom tank
Custom tail/seat
customized front end (rework the current front end)??
modern sport bike front end with standard cartridges to keep the stock look???
wider front and rear rim (staying spoked) -> wider tires???
new head gasket + Paint the engine

I decided instead of tackling this all as one big project, I would do this as a series of smaller projects.  An evolutionary build if you will.

I'm going to apologize now for the crappy cell phone pics.  Im a cheap ass and after I broke my last digital camera I've been using my blackberry storm to take photos.  If the pics are too small let me know and Ill link the larger ones.

I noticed everyone seems to name there projects...  Well I'm not big into naming things, but since it seems to be the norm, I'll go along with it.  I chose to call this build Lauren, after an X of mine, since this is the only way I'll be able to ride her again.

So, I started with this:



After a little work she looked like this.



I rode her for a bit then I decided I wanted to change things up so I started taking things apart.  Playing with the angle of the tank gave me some ideas of where I wanted to go with this build.



While walking home from the park I found this big block of floral foam.



I decided to turn that block of foam into a tank buck...



A little shaping...





I want to interject here:  Do all your measurements, and adjustments while in the foam stage.  Certain aspects of the bondo stage are easier to work with, but its a lot more work as a whole to fine tune things.  Also, if you can draw a grid of some sort on the foam and measure off the block into easily divisible portions it will make things much easier.  Trying to create symmetry at the end of the project is a real pain in the butt.  I learned from the tank, and tried to be a little smarter with the seat.  Sandwhiching the foam block inbetween two pieces of "gridded"carboard would work fairly well for creating the initial symmetry/shape.  I wish I would of done this instead of just go at it willy nilly.

on to the bondo stage:

...cake anyone...?



sanding...





I added more foam to the bottom of the tank, to raise it up a bit near the seating area... then of course...

more sanding...





Since the tank was fairly close to what I wanted I started on the tail/seat area.  I created a quick template out of carboard.



I then transitioned this template to some foam that I had gridded out so that I could ensure proper dimensions and symmetry.



after a little cutting I had a foam seat pan..



kinda looks like a short condom..

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3453/3790764930_2991a7deca.jpg

Next I glued some foam together to make the hump...



then shaped it to this ...





quick mock up on the bike (tank is also getting a little rework)....







Thats all for now.  Next step is to finalize the tail/section and the tank.  Tail section needs to be bondo'd /sanded /prepped.  The tank needs to be touched up and some areas reshaped for symmetry.  Then the whole thing needs to be sorted out together because I want the tank to tail section to be a seemless transition.  I also want to make sure everything is visually balanced (to me anyway), and that the lines flow smoothly.  

Once all that is done, I will make molds of both pieces, and create a glass tank/tail from there.

Incidentally, does anyone have any idea of the cost of laser scanning/rapid prototyping?  I'm tempted to have the tank scanned, and then have one sided duplicated in cad program so that symmetry is perfect, and then have a wooden buck carved from that (via cnc carver/router/etc).  Cost for this would probably be prohibitive but it would save me a lot of time and make a perfectly symmetrical tank.  

[indyracer]

Wow, pretty cool man. Never seen this done before, especially with floral foam and bondo. So it sounds like your making a fiberglass version of this? Plan on selling it? It looks nice enough to...

[acteg]

its going to most likely be fiberglass.  I'm not sure if carbonfiber is in my budget right now.  If I can find some cheap off craigslist or something I will use it, otherwise its going to be fiberglass.

I've got another bike that I like to tinker with as well so, I'm trying to keep costs down on the honda.  My other bike is about to go into the shop to get a new paint job.



no plans to produce the tank or tail section at the moment.  If I was to do that then I would definately go with the laser scanning/ cnc carved buck because I wouldn't feel right selling an imperfect product.  I don't think there would be a lot of money in it, so I haven't really even considered it.

I'm hoping that having this project thread will help to keep me motivated.  I'm lucky to get 4 hours a week on this project, although some weeks are better than others.

[verboten1]

looking good, I just picked my CB550 up, I'll be watching for inspiration