A project Begins....Picture intensive

[3Phase]

That looks great! The landscape and skyline reflected in the tank looks nice and smooth, too.

Uh, how come the tank badges are gold instead of silver? <g,d&r>

[Ken Talbot]

Uh, how come the tank badges are ____ instead of ______? <g,d&r>

Thought that might come up!

Nicely done!

[DGXSER]

Thanks for the comments!! I do like the way it turned out. Now if I can sell it for what I hope to get, maybe I can convince SWMBO to do another one this winter. Like to do an F model or even an E I think, a standard anyway, just because.

as to the badging, well, The tank badges are form the wrecked bikes tank. The side cover are what came with them. Might take some time to paint to match the gold color.

[DGXSER]

Scott...thanks for the comment on the paint. I assure you in person it should come with a notice that "no oranges were harmed in the painting of this tank!"

[fredintoon]

2-part paint not quite bulletproof

I finally broke down and got a paint spray gun and some decent paint, Sherwin Williams but better than Duplicolor. And a two stage paint system to get the tank painted for good, Gas or not. As you may recall, I painted the tank maticuously with Duplicolor, wet sanding between coats, recoating heavy, sanding some more, then clear coat and more sanding and more clear. And then, spilled a bit of acetone and gas on the tank and all my work peeled like a banana!! - - -

Hi DGXSER,
nice job, I admire your patience. Not to niggle at the aesthetics, who gives a sh1t if the tank badges are a non-stock colour? Mind you, the Midnight owners desperately seeking those sidecover badges could be squeezed for enough cash to find sensible handlebars to replace the rototillers. I could ignore how they look but I hate the way they warp my arms in directions nature never meant them to go.
But about using 2-part spray paint; be warned, it ain't totally gas proof. Mr Stupid was too lazy to drain his gas tank last time it was off and leaned it nose down against the wall and a week's gas seepage through the cap did a serious number on the 2-part paint job.
But hey! The need for a repaint gave me the bottle to finally try the pin-striping tape and to attempt the clear-coat that's needed to seal it:-



You can also see the one of the 1/4" too small YAMAHA badges from MikesXS that the bike got for my birthday.
You need to drill & tap an extra M3 hole in the aft retaining strap for installation.
The slightly exposed rear end of the tank's badge pocket hardly shows at all, eh?

[DGXSER]

Looks very nice Fred. The striping turned out great. And honestly unless someone told me, I'd never known they were not stock badges.

They told me at the paint store that it takes 30 days for the clear to fully harden. And, yes, I do not think it is gas proof, but gas resistant anyway.

[fredintoon]

Changing your listname?

Hi DGXSER,
I just noticed your signature line:-

"81 XS1100 Special - "Banshee" aka...Humpty Dumpty -Soon to be sold.
Previously owned
81 XS1100 Special "Thunderstruck", De-parted Parts bike"

Should the Banshee sell, will you then be DGXSLESS?

[DGXSER]

Well, as SWMBO has planned it since the wreck, yes. But I am planning it to be a temporary withdrawal period at the end of which she will beg me to buy one and go back to working on them to stay out of her hair. I even have a candidate in mind.

[3Phase]

It looks really good and I'm glad no oranges were harmed!

On my bike all that I see in the paint when I take a picture is that it needs new paint.

Nice work!