Author Topic: Cleaning the shop to make room for 750 (Read 12905 times)

rb550four · « **Reply #25 on:** July 07, 2013, 03:53:51 PM »

Okay ,so I've been reading Frankenstuff's posts , between franken bike and the cafe bagger, it's clear that almost anything can be cool....
So I had this idea , and I don't know if it could be considered cool :or even worthy to exist but I thought that I might throw it out there and see what comes back. I need feedback.

Parts list include:
Bare frame in need of paint , tank too
pitted rims and fenders... paint could help
sidecar, needs everything...
Engine not yet built but possible new color scheme when finished
Hard boxes ....
TRAIN OF THOUGHT; All this stuff needs refinish, could camouflage paint scheme be the answer?
Should I put a white star or the black star?
Is this totally off the wall?
Could this be considered cool and does it have the right to exist?

davidtime · « **Reply #26 on:** July 07, 2013, 04:39:50 PM »

I was originally going to do the old war look on mine. I thought mine was almost perfect for it when I got it. It was lower though. White star is the norm I think.

rb550four · « **Reply #27 on:** July 10, 2013, 05:17:04 PM »

Was liking WWII OD Green and white star, but not an American machine and I'm not that old, decided to go back to original idea since I did shoot allot of trucks 70's camo and possibly go with a small sunrise in either flat blak on backdrop or red and white . Can't decide if that would be offensive to anyone, especially since I'm not Japanese either....Here's what I got so far

kinda blends in with the garden.

sticks out in the garage. I think that I'm liking it, The sidecar in the same paint should be great fun, although I don't care for the flat paint, I'm thinking that it would be so much better with a metal flake clear coat topped with a clear c/c.

Stev-o · « **Reply #28 on:** July 10, 2013, 06:47:40 PM »

Might look good with the flake clear.

Dude - your backyard is beautiful!

chewbacca5000 · « **Reply #29 on:** July 10, 2013, 07:43:24 PM »

Quote from: rb550four on July 10, 2013, 05:17:04 PM

Was liking WWII OD Green and white star, but not an American machine and I'm not that old, decided to go back to original idea since I did shoot allot of trucks 70's camo and possibly go with a small sunrise in either flat blak on backdrop or red and white . Can't decide if that would be offensive to anyone, especially since I'm not Japanese either....Here's what I got so far

kinda blends in with the garden.

sticks out in the garage. I think that I'm liking it, The sidecar in the same paint should be great fun, although I don't care for the flat paint, I'm thinking that it would be so much better with a metal flake clear coat topped with a clear c/c.

Looking good! How about some pics of the side car?

rb550four · « **Reply #30 on:** July 10, 2013, 08:10:16 PM »

I'm hoping to get some time in on that sidecar soon but I'm totally fixed on the cycle part of the duo right now. Once the finish is correct, the same will be happening to the sidecar after it gets disassembled and cleaned up. There will be pics when we have some progress.

goldarrow · « **Reply #31 on:** July 10, 2013, 11:49:50 PM »

I have always curious to see how a Camo rattle can paint would come out, look cool!

Post some pics of the 750s that you picked up?

davidtime · « **Reply #32 on:** July 11, 2013, 03:21:19 PM »

Quote from: rb550four on July 10, 2013, 05:17:04 PM

Was liking WWII OD Green and white star, but not an American machine and I'm not that old, decided to go back to original idea since I did shoot allot of trucks 70's camo and possibly go with a small sunrise in either flat blak on backdrop or red and white . Can't decide if that would be offensive to anyone, especially since I'm not Japanese either....Here's what I got so far

kinda blends in with the garden.

sticks out in the garage. I think that I'm liking it, The sidecar in the same paint should be great fun, although I don't care for the flat paint, I'm thinking that it would be so much better with a metal flake clear coat topped with a clear c/c.

Who cares what other people think. If they get offended then they need to be offended. haha. I think as long as it is tasteful and correctly done it won't offend people.

rb550four · « **Reply #33 on:** July 11, 2013, 07:04:01 PM »

Goldarrow, The funniest thing happened on the way to clean up the garage......The 750's are leaving on Saturday, to a forum member that likes 750's way more than I do, so they will be in good hands, and I'm sure that there will be pics as his projects progress. The up shot of this is that he has 500/550 parts and a machine to trade, and I like them more than he does . I think everyone will be happy, he gets 750's, I get 500/550's and I don't have to clean the garage.
Davidtime, When I was in the Army in the 70's ,when this camo was new and it was my job to paint all the equipment in my engineering battalion, so I've had some practice with this early camo scheme. Back then we were expecting to be in Europe or Northern Asia if the $hit hit the fan, that's why there is so much green, today it's all sand colors....well you know why....I think that I can be happy with this, I did shoot clear w/ metal flake on it afterwards and a couple coats of straight clear. I'm liking it much better, pics when it comes a little further along.

davidtime · « **Reply #34 on:** July 11, 2013, 07:34:08 PM »

Quote from: rb550four on July 11, 2013, 07:04:01 PM

Goldarrow, The funniest thing happened on the way to clean up the garage......The 750's are leaving on Saturday, to a forum member that likes 750's way more than I do, so they will be in good hands, and I'm sure that there will be pics as his projects progress. The up shot of this is that he has 500/550 parts and a machine to trade, and I like them more than he does . I think everyone will be happy, he gets 750's, I get 500/550's and I don't have to clean the garage.
Davidtime, When I was in the Army in the 70's ,when this camo was new and it was my job to paint all the equipment in my engineering battalion, so I've had some practice with this early camo scheme. Back then we were expecting to be in Europe or Northern Asia if the $hit hit the fan, that's why there is so much green, today it's all sand colors....well you know why....I think that I can be happy with this, I did shoot clear w/ metal flake on it afterwards and a couple coats of straight clear. I'm liking it much better, pics when it comes a little further along.

No wonder it came out so good. I will surely stay tuned for the pictures to follow.

rb550four · « **Reply #35 on:** July 12, 2013, 06:19:32 PM »

It's a roller

Although not necessary, I thought that the bars and controls should be painted too.

And I finally found a use for not so pretty but solid rims

That's all I could squeeze in today.

davidtime · « **Reply #36 on:** July 12, 2013, 06:29:20 PM »

Are you selling this when done? I bet it will sell quick if you do. What brand of paint are you using?

rb550four · « **Reply #37 on:** July 12, 2013, 06:50:42 PM »

It's rattlecans , Rustoleum camo colors army green (light) , dark forest green, khaki (sand) , and that earthy brown color, that is being substituted for flat black. The metal flake is duplicolor Effex, and the top coat is duplicolor clear for mag wheels. all the rustoleum is compatible so you can shoot all colors while wet and change design immediately. I let that dry then hit it with effex a few times then keep the wet line with compatible clear wheel coat , all this stuff is dry enough to handle in about 2 hours. I'd have to wait a day on my air gun jobs. Haven't really used cans on much since I was building models as a kid, I'm having a blast!

davidtime · « **Reply #38 on:** July 12, 2013, 07:25:48 PM »

I used the brown on my bike in the avatar, the stuff is really easy to work with compared to others. I think its the flatest paint ever. I wish they had white and off white, I would like them for the photography props I build.

rb550four · « **Reply #39 on:** July 12, 2013, 09:24:07 PM »

Props? I'm not familiar with that, are they life size or scaled? Does flat colors photograph better than a smooth high gloss? Indoor and outdoors? Many questions,on this subject I am clueless. Another world I didn't know existed. I'm really not asking for a lesson , just a general description of what it is you do, and why the flat colors are wanted in a high gloss world? I may never use this information,but if I didn't ask, I'd never know.

rb550four · « **Reply #40 on:** July 13, 2013, 10:55:21 AM »

I have seen flat white before, I think Rustoleum made it, I know that 2 years ago I needed to touch up some aluminum soffet and I did get a flat white from Home Depot, and it was very flat.

It is official, I no longer have to clean out the shop to make room for 750's! Chewbacca5000 and friend (good people) came down from central NY with his collection of 500/550 stuff that was no longer wanted and picked up the collection of 750 stuff that I was never sure that I wanted. Looks like everyone is happy and we both have new projects.
I took apart the top end of a low miler project 550 engine to see how it looks inside, looks good so far . That it'll be going in the camo machine after I check the bottom end and zip it up. I will continue this thread until camo bike is finished.
Chew , sorry you didn't see the snow bike 550 during your visit , but i can show you how I checked it's welds
snowbike slide

Stev-o · « **Reply #41 on:** July 13, 2013, 11:57:57 AM »

RB - your snow bike?

davidtime · « **Reply #42 on:** July 13, 2013, 12:03:39 PM »

Quote from: rb550four on July 12, 2013, 09:24:07 PM

Props? I'm not familiar with that, are they life size or scaled? Does flat colors photograph better than a smooth high gloss? Indoor and outdoors? Many questions,on this subject I am clueless. Another world I didn't know existed. I'm really not asking for a lesson , just a general description of what it is you do, and why the flat colors are wanted in a high gloss world? I may never use this information,but if I didn't ask, I'd never know.

My wife and I are both photographers. She is far better and does it full time. link to her site.

http://kristinawhite.com/

Its actually very simple. Using non reflective paint doesn't get reflection from the studio lights and flashes. In photography the goal in studio photography is to have total control of the light.

I mainly focus on building crates, newborn beds, stands for backdrops. here is a link to my site.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/Itsafind?ref=si_shop

davidtime · « **Reply #43 on:** July 13, 2013, 12:05:22 PM »

Did you build that snow bike?

rb550four · « **Reply #44 on:** July 13, 2013, 04:26:04 PM »

Yes, I built the snowbike out of need to ride during the long New York winter, it took about 2 months,1 snowmobile,1 honda 550 , tube ,and a welder to do. No machined parts.
The winter before I wanted to ride but the shop is only so big and it's all left hand turns.
The day on youtube was first start up, shakedown and weld check, it was 10 below that day, a real eye opener even with a suit. This is the pond in front of my house, it's almost 2 miles long and plenty far enough at -10.
I was going for a chopper type stance but had to be reasonable in order to steer, and not to wash out or flip over. As you can see , it's hard to flip over, even when attempting a moving 360, takes 2 riders with ease.
Yes there are things I would do differently on the next one, I could only get this one up to 55+. the goal for the next one would be lower,4 ski steering, and 2 tracks, less wind on the body and 100mph, or more with a chute. It's less than 2 miles on ice.
One thing I found out, a man with a welder and wrenches will never have to walk. And it's easy to make your friends and neighbors say" what the hell is he doing now?!!"

chewbacca5000 · « **Reply #45 on:** July 14, 2013, 04:51:33 AM »

Wow! That thing is freaking sweet! Looks like tons of fun I could spent a whole day doing that. One time I got a pair of down hill skis and a 10' diameter bad like the kind of debris removal and hooks some strings up to that great fun!

You must be a regular macgyver. Thanks for the video I really enjoyed my little field trip yesterday and my garage now looks like a seedy night club for cb750s. Thanks again. Can't wait to see how the sidecar project takes shape.

davidtime · « **Reply #46 on:** July 14, 2013, 01:16:22 PM »

Just one question though. Why didn't you just make the snow machine work?

rb550four · « **Reply #47 on:** July 14, 2013, 08:10:23 PM »

The snow machine did work. It did everything that I wanted it to do at the time of the build.At the time ,I didn't even know if it would work on a heavier machine, most people have only tried it on a smaller framed ,2 cycle, dirt bike. Now that it has been built and tested there are design improvements and personal preference items such as the length of the forks, that could change to improve the overall package.
I want more out of it, now that I know what it can do, and this design does not fit into the higher speeds that I would like to achieve safely.
A Can Am Spider bolt-on conversion would be the easiest but Bombadier hasn't warmed up to the idea yet, and they make all the parts already! Perhaps they will be thinking about it if we have more snowless winters and the snowmobile sales tank , maybe then they will consider something like this before the last, less than popular Spider is built. Maybe they don't care about a multi-seasonal machine that could boost initial sales, parts sales, and general product interest.They could be the next big thing. So until they make theirs I'll have to make mine and improve it along the way.
I haven't changed the original machine because it is my concept machine and it's more fun to just build another one.
Perhaps I should have did it to a Harley, a company that could use a boost, a company with a following, a company that needs to expand it's hard product line .........
Yeah, I know, rant . I can hardly believe that something like this isn't available to all that want one, it's so simple that some hick can build one in his up state ny garage and the folks that manufacture all of the parts can't figure out how to make it work.

goldarrow · « **Reply #48 on:** July 14, 2013, 09:27:39 PM »

RB, your snow bike looks like fun, and a niche! I want one but no snow where I live!

rb550four · « **Reply #49 on:** July 18, 2013, 01:33:37 PM »

Yeah, if snow was a little warmer it would be more fun for everyone.
Base coat on 550 is about ready for metalflake clear and clear coat, this is what it is so far

I'm going with the bags and I just pulled the sidecar out from the corner, play with that late next week after engine rebuild

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Author Topic: Cleaning the shop to make room for 750 (Read 12905 times)