Out with the old, then out with the new, then...picsupdate

[BuzZz]

Ooohh, smooth-n-shiney.....
Really brings out the details in the shape. I'm sure you'll think of something good to do with the graphics, I have faith.

Front-end work is one of the few things I will actually pay someone else to do.

[sidecarguy]

how bouit a buzz face in white??!!



no? or a smiley lol

[ronboskz650sr]

I have faith.

Front-end work is one of the few things I will actually pay someone else to do.

Thanks! This particular job is just two cotter pins and two large nuts...How hard could it be? (famous last words) ...I ended up buying one of those cool little mapp-oxygen torches to cut the cotter pins out (wouldn't budge), and heat the nuts enough to crack them easily with a chisel. Of course the part didn't come in until wednesday night, so we lost that whole day for hauling. The next morning was shot, with the wrestle to get the old one off. The new drag link went on in five minutes (at 257 bucks a pop for the bar ). So, after $100 towing for 1/2 mile to the truck stop, $257 for the part, $75 for a 3 lb sledge and torch...and cost of mailboxes yet to be revealed...new steering...priceless. I'm still a little freaked when I look at all the weird places it could have happened. We were blessed and protected, that's for sure.

I'm considering that BuzZz face...er, not really (no offense, it would really lessen the significance of the avatar, and I don't want to do that. Is anybody buying that? ).

It may be awhile before graphics go on. I'm liking that smooth black more and more...thinking about a paintscheme change for the tank and covers now...hmmmm.

[TechTMW]

Thanks! This particular job is just two cotter pins and two large nuts...How hard could it be? (famous last words)

Yah - Definitely time to call the tow truck and have em haul it to a garage ...

[ronboskz650sr]

Here's the clearcoat right out of the can. You can see the roofline of the house and the sky above it in the second pic. Even shinier, already!





Getting Happier by the day! Next is sanding, buffing (hate the process, love the result) and seat...well, I found some different materials to try, so the seat building experiment continues while the paint dries. Stay tuned if you can stand it.

[BuzZz]

That thing looks better everytime I look at it. You did an exellent job molding the shape, the very back of it is awesome. Looks like a factory mold job. Impressive, I wish I could do that.....

I'm not a big fan of 2-tone paint, but I am partial to the silvery/gold on your bike....... I would be disappointed if you got rid of it.

But I'd be weirded-right-out if you put my avatar pic on your bike.

Next time you need to beat 2 parts apart from each other, I got a tip. I have a 3 lb hammer, too. I also have an 8 LB on a 18" handle that I made-up one day. It's big and awkward, difficult to swing in tight quarters, wears you out in a few swings, and works everytime when the 3LBer won't budge it. The extra 5 LB's of kinetic energy far more than makes up for the reduced swingspeed. Choke-up on the handle and thump away, it really works.

[ronboskz650sr]

I think the ball peen hammere I tried first was a 24 ounce. Once I got the 3 pounder, it popped right out, but I'm pretty sure there was no progress with the small one. It did look like I made 1/4 inch, but then it just didn't budge. 8 pounds probably would have done it in two or three hits!

Chris doesn't want me to paint over the silver/champaigne, whatever it is, either. I'll probably get over the urge before I get enough energy to do it. Getting black to look like that is alot of prep work, and I'm getting the urge to get it done. This week's set-back really makes it more urgent.

[ronboskz650sr]

I guess my next fiberglass?bondo job will be a truck fender repair.

[ronboskz650sr]

Here's my test seat with the new foam...I'll post pics of the building if it works out after a little riding to test the shape and firmness. I rolled the bike out into the rain to get a better pic, and to let it wash off the foam crumbs from some of the shaping...My 22 year-old turkey knife died, and I had to go get a new one. Afte that, I did some mods to the foam to make the cover fit better, but I haven't got pics, yet...had to go to bed. I will probably make a new cover after the testing, as this seat is quite thin compared to the other one. For testing, this one will do. You can only stretch and fold so much when the cover is just too big.


In this photo, you can see the mirror of Chris's suburban reflected in the curved section, and the open garage door in the flat vertical section of the tail...ah, liquid glass.

[BuzZz]

Smooth and shiney is nice and all, but I'm sort of a philistine in the finishing department.... flat black is more along my level. Yours looks good though.

The molding and shaping of the piece is exellent. Most impressive.