My Custom XS11 Build (Photos)

[madbiker]

I've been thinking about doing something like this to the basket case in the garage but didn't like the idea of cutting the frame. If I understand you right you didn't do that .All your work was in the forks and add on pieces. Am I right and what and where did you get the pices to cover the frame.
Madbiker

[Da-Bubble]

Some Cutting Required...

Madbiker (why are you mad?)

I did cut the frame rails in the rear just ahead of the big turn signal mounting "ears". I also cut the frame rails in half vertically to allow the chrome fender strut covers to lay flat against the fender. I welded in a piece of flat metal stock into the "half rails" to reinforce them. My strut covers are from a swap meet for $1 but I was able to find them on ebay here... STRUT COVERS

I also had to cut one end off the fender to allow it to slide forward toward the battery box. I flipped it around backwards and cut off the end with the license plate bracket / hole.

It's sounds hard but I did all my cutting with a 4" angle grinder I bought for $16 at Harbor Freight. To cut straight lines, I just run a strip of painters tape along the part I'm gonna cut. You can adjust it several times to get it staright, then make your cut. Cutting the frame rails...you only get one chance!

I'd say go for it. I've had a lot of fun building this and to me that's what it's all about.

Seeya,
Scott

[madbiker]

I was thinking Royal Star since thats what I ride now.
Madbiker

[Da-Bubble]

This BLOWS!!!

Well the weather in Oklahoma took a sudden turn for the worse

[Da-Bubble]

This BLOWS!!!

Well the weather in Oklahoma took a sudden turn for the worse monday. It went from 75 degrees sunday when I shot the base coat to 55-60 degress monday. I need to get the clear coat sprayed this week or I'll have to start all over.

Now for the part that blows....tonight I was wet sanding the base coat with 600 and all was going well. I saved the tank for last since that's the crown jewel of the body. It (the tank) was looking great until...I SANDED THRU THE BASE COAT!!!! ARGGGHHHH!!! I said a few choice words like,"Thank you Lord" and "Praise Jesus", then I began cleaning it up to shoot another few coats of clear.

Are any of you guys painters? Am I gonna screw this up by shooting base coat 2 days after I originally shot it? I'd like to know before I waste my clear coat on it.

It's 1:20AM and I blew-off doing homework that's due tomorrow to screw up my paint job. Good Times!

[mro]

Don't know about "current" finishes.
I've put clear coat on old car parts which have been cleaned and sanded with very good results....

blew-off doing homework

The bike will be there and won't complane if it has to wait,
School won't


mro

[Da-Bubble]

Thanks MRO,

I've been working full time and taking 15 hrs the last 4 semesters. I'm half way thru my 15hrs this fall then I've got 12hrs in the spring and I"M DONE!!!! I'm just really sick of school at this point and don't care to do homework.....a "C" is a degree has become my motto!

I'm trying to finish this bike to at least have some form of therapy in my hectic schedule.

I just shot a third (re-coat) of black base. We'll see if it turns out ok.

Seeya,
Scott

[bikenutt1980]

Scott,

If you wet saned through your base your going to have to re-shoot the base again. Just wet sand the whole tank with 1500 with a couple drops of dish soap in a bucket, toss in a few 4x4 pieces of 1500 paper let it soak for a good 30 mins. Start sanding till you hit everything. Let it sit outside in the sun for 3-4 hours to open the pours. then go out andshoot your base again, wait a few days after your last coat of base, then go and shoot the clear, dont rush putting down the clear, spray on a light coat and wait a good hour flash time. Then shoot another. and `wait. If you rush your clear it will come out cloudy "thats from adding to many coats at one time and smoothering the clear and not given it time to cure and breath before shooting another coat. Then you'll have to wet sand it with 1500-2000 to to re-open the pours again. What kinda paint are you useing? How many coats of base did you lay down? I put 3 coats of base and 5 coats of clear on mine. The end result will be a very deep wet glass look. I just re-read your post on how many coats you put down. You need to slow down and take your time. You can lay the base and still come back a week later and shoot a clear.

jason

[fredintoon]

Obsession

Hi Da-Bubble,
relax man, you seem to be in danger of getting anal about that paint job.
While a motorcycle is a mechanical artwork, it is art in motion and best viewed as it passes by in a blur of speed.
OK, paint runs should be avoided but apart from that, the out of the paintgun finish is fine. Just blow & go. Here's the test:-
Park it across the street. Close one eye, tilt your head, squint a bit. Looks perfect, right?

[Erik the Red]

Re: Obsession

Originally posted by fredintoon

Park it across the street. Close one eye, tilt your head, squint a bit. Looks perfect, right?

Sorry Fred, gotta disagree. How can it look perfect when it's all the way across the street?? For perfect, jump on, twist the wrist and use your peripheral vision to inspect the paint.

[fredintoon]

Semantics

"
Sorry Fred, gotta disagree. How can it look perfect when it's all the way across the street?? For perfect, jump on, twist the wrist and use your peripheral vision to inspect the paint. "

Sorry Erik,
jumping on and twisting the wrist ain't about the bike looking perfect, it's about life being perfect. And besides, one's peripheral vision is best used watching for road hazards. Perhaps I should have said, if the paint looks OK from across the street, it's good enough.

[Erik the Red]

Heh. Yeah, I knew what you meant. I was just having some word fun trying to illustrate the point you summed up so well in your reply to my reply.

I couldn't agree more; life gets sooooo much better when you look at it from atop a bike. And true again that when you're up there you'd best be looking for those things that want you to have a less good time (i.e. hazards).

[Da-Bubble]

Originally posted by bikenutt1980
Scott,

dont rush putting down the clear, spray on a light coat and wait a good hour flash time. Then shoot another. and `wait. If you rush your clear it will come out cloudy "thats from adding to many coats at one time and smoothering the clear and not given it time to cure and breath before shooting another coat..........You can lay the base and still come back a week later and shoot a clear.

jason

Hey Jason,

I'm using Martin Seniour paints from Napa. The instructions say to shoot the second coat of clear within 45 minutes to avoid possible lifting of the second coat. It actually recommends letting them flash for 10-20 minutes then recoating. I think each paint has their own formula. This has a hardener additive that only yields a pot life of 1 hour(!) so I gotta shoot what I'm gonna shoot in an hour or it turns to jelly. It also says to cover the base with clear within 7 days. I'm gonna try to shoot clear tonight. we'll see how it goes.

Scott

[Da-Bubble]

Re: Obsession

Originally posted by fredintoon
Hi Da-Bubble,
relax man, you seem to be in danger of getting anal about that paint job.
While a motorcycle is a mechanical artwork, it is art in motion and best viewed as it passes by in a blur of speed.
OK, paint runs should be avoided but apart from that, the out of the paintgun finish is fine. Just blow & go. Here's the test:-
Park it across the street. Close one eye, tilt your head, squint a bit. Looks perfect, right?

Hehe!

It might be fine for some people, but I'm just seeing if I am capable of a nice looking paint job. I'd like to paint my '71 Cutlass someday and this is the guinea pig. Thank goodness the car's gonna be silver....much easier to shoot than black. I'm starting with the hardest color!

[bikenutt1980]

I would mix about half and put on about 3 coats of clear. When you go to wet sand the clear with 1500 or 2000 it will be very hard to sand through to the base. Did you fix the base before you lay the clear?