Topic: Side cover business model for CB750F side covers. And why I don't make them.

[eldar]

Ahh the blind idolism of everything honda. Honda does most everything very well but the side cover post is not one of them. Some uninformed people never bother to see if there is anything better or a better way of doing things. These people of course said man should not fly and do not like other opinions.

If these cover posts were so great, why are people constantly looking for new covers? My bike came with both covers broken at the posts. Rubber was fine on both sides. The post would have been fine if the base had been stronger. Maybe those of use who have onwed the bike since it was new do not have to worry about things like this, most of us are second, third, and even fourth hand owners.
The covers were shaped well and looked nice, it is just the post/cover junction that was weak.

If you can get original covers, good for you. They look great and do not scratch easily. posts are still weak. i however wanted a bike I liked( as do most of us, I think) that looked good in MY eyes and was reliable and ran good. I have other things to spend $50 on other than used side covers.

But what if poor engine design is what starved the engine of oil? It has happened before.

[Jughead]

Uh I have a fellow that does Reproduction panels for me for Suzuki's out of Fiberglass.If I had some Good Panels there wouldn't be any Charge for the Molds only for Each Part Produced. Not sure on what the Cost would be without some Good unbroken Examples to send for Examination.

[eldar]

The fiberglass reminded me that with a clam shell style mold, one could do a cover out of resin. Granted unless you really monkeyed around with the mold, you would not be able to add posts. I dont have a problem with that but some are sticklers.
It is another option though and resin is not too expensive.

Another option, if you have some minor equipment is to make a mold out of clay and make a cover out of aluminum. I have done molding with liquid aluminum and it works very well if the mold is decent. You do need to machine a bit but not much again if the mold is decent.

These are all options a person could explore. Hell if you had a decent vacuum and mold, you could even vacuum form plastic.

I have seen these for r/c car bodies and while these are thinner than cover, I would think there would be a way to apply this technique.

Right now, for me the meier covers are adequate though.

[ohiocaferacer]

If you would like to make your own.....cheap vacuum forming......heres a link to a "How to Vacuum Form":

http://www.hortoncustoms.net/hardcore/viewtopic.php?t=3259
Homemade vacu former....shop vac, plywood, stand, metal frame.....and ABS plastic sheet.....


and test part.....Honda 50 chain gaurd....


These guys at this Chopper forum know there stuff and it looks like a good way to form new side covers. Dont know how you would form the mounting pegs into it........but if you dropped a note to Randy Horton(the guy who wrote the info)....he may have to trick up his sleeve.

I hope to give this vacuum forming a try here soon........need to make some CR450 solo race seat pans. I post something as soon as I have done one.

Later,
Greg
www.OHIOCAFERACERS.com

[eldar]

That part looks very good. I thought a vacuum form might work. I think with vacuum form you can also use whatever color you want for plastic.

[ohiocaferacer]

Yep....any color you can find.

Mostly only in white, black and natural......for ABS

[eldar]

that works anyways as you can paint the covers. I might have to check into vacuum forming for myself sometime.

[Bob Wessner]

It is an interesting thought. Is there no form of epoxy that would be strong enough to attach posts to the formed cover?

[eldar]

You might be able to use epoxy. I have not found any that could fix broken posts reliably though. But then there is a difference between new plastic and old.

[Bob Wessner]

Did a quick search with my buddy Google and found this, don't know how well any of them would work, but thought I would get it included in the thread. Maybe someone can give it a try.

http://www.machinist-materials.com/adhesives.htm

[gregk]

My two bits

I worked with fiberglass years ago, building canoes and cat hulls.  It would be easy to take a mold off the orignial side cover.  If you use " boat cloth" , woven roving instead of the regular mat, you could build up the piece so it was strong enough to stand on!  The question of the fasteners is still a problem.  I wonder if magnets imbedded in the glass would work?  Place the magnets in the same locaion as the original stems and they should stick to the metal frame of the bike?  The cover would look like the original piece without the screws used in the aftermarket covers.

[eldar]

Magnets are an idea. The only concern there is the vibration and jolting to the bike. Would have to be strong magnets. You could however do a metal post system where the head is embedded in to the fiberglass. This would be much better than than the old honda method.