XS 1100 Side covers

[b.walker5]

...A lot of people talk about making a mold but don't know the first thing about it.... ..It would be a good enterprise but would need pots, ovens, shakers and numerous other equipment and an inventory of supplies.....

Hey jmnjrpa don't be too quick to under-estimate other peoples abilities, us Kiwi's have been doing the impossible in back sheds all over the country for at least 150 years. It was a matter of having to in the early days because everything was 3 months away by ship, so we learned how to do stuff ourselves, including splitting the atom, the Britten and the Worlds Fastest Indian. Fortunately time improves things things and now I have unrestricted access to a full fabrication workshop where moulding fibreglass is a daily event, and I have the skills to use it. As I mentioned in another thread i've been mucking around with carbon fibre for a while now and almost ready to say i've been successful, almost...

[MindWebs]

well.. in that case...

so are you thinking of fabricating 78-79 special sidecovers??

if you'd be intrested in making them, there is NO point in me re-inventing the
wheel. I like to do mod's but i see little point in putting great effort into fitting
different sidecovers and mounts onto my bike.

if your willing to make new "old" covers.

let me know, glass or carbon don't matter, i'm not that picky.

Please let us know!

Webs

[b.walker5]

Could do, but I have an 80 special and I stress the point "i'm almost ready". (still having trouble with the catch) In this country these bike are as rare as rocking horse sh*t so I havent got any 78 or 79 covers to take moulds from. I would probably have to buy a couple in from the states to begin with and exchange rates arent great at the moment. If you dont mind waiting a while I could do it but if you're already in the process I'd suggest you keep going.

[MindWebs]

currently, no. i'm not working on the sidecovers.
I doubt that there will be any easy fixes to swapping over different s.c.'s

but we'll see what happens.

please keep us posted

Thanks
Webs

[WMarshy]

Hey jmnjrpa don't be too quick to under-estimate other peoples abilities, us Kiwi's have been doing the impossible in back sheds all over the country for at least 150 years. It was a matter of having to in the early days because everything was 3 months away by ship, so we learned how to do stuff ourselves, including splitting the atom, the Britten and the Worlds Fastest Indian. Fortunately time improves things things and now I have unrestricted access to a full fabrication workshop where moulding fibreglass is a daily event, and I have the skills to use it. As I mentioned in another thread i've been mucking around with carbon fibre for a while now and almost ready to say i've been successful, almost...

Im slowly gearing up to making some fiberglass ones (right side off '79 F). I have all the necessary tools and experienced people at my disposal to make them from either carbon fiber or glass. No guarantee on a time line though. Getting the male mounting stud seems to be the larges dilema. Not sure what im going to make it from and the best way to attach it... Any thoughts? Sounds like some have already put some thought into it...

[jmnjrpa]

Howdy B.Walker,
You are right about some people having the ability. Seeing how you have done some fiberglasing, you should be the first to dismiss it. I might consider making ONE fiberglass side cover, if I was horsewhipped first.

What I was leading to is that there are far better materials available today. The methods I was refering to would allow semi production (30 to 200 parts per mold) of a higher quality item for less than is what is available now.

I would never belittle the persistance of man. Me and a buddy pulled a 390 V8 engine in logging country using a tripod of 15' poles and logging chain then rebuilt and installed it. I would not do it again unless I had to.

[foreda]

How much?

If someone were to invest in something like reproduction parts, how much capital would one need to get started and how long would it take to get going? I too have thought about doing something like this but I don't know a whole lot about the process.

[cywelchjr]

Im slowly gearing up to making some fiberglass ones (right side off '79 F). I have all the necessary tools and experienced people at my disposal to make them from either carbon fiber or glass. No guarantee on a time line though. Getting the male mounting stud seems to be the larges dilema. Not sure what im going to make it from and the best way to attach it... Any thoughts? Sounds like some have already put some thought into it...

I heard something about cbug looking into making replacement clips. I don't know if it's gone anywhere yet, but I know I am interested since the only problem with my side cover is that hook.

[jmnjrpa]

foreda,

Tell you what. I am busier than a you know what but I will try to sit down long enough to get a what for list together to give you an idea. I will also try to crunch some numbers for a per each cost by the end of this week.

[fredintoon]

Ya know, a clever man with a hack saw and a welder could actually find an old 80-81 Special in a salvage yard, and possibly cut the side cover mounting tabs from the frame, and transplant them onto the 79 frame, and then be able to use 80-81Special side covers.

Hi John,
or he could use a Dremel tool to put slots in the '80-'81 covers so he could fit them on the '79's existing tabs. I know putting a hole and a keyhole in a '79 cover so it fits on an XS11SG works because I done it. No reason going the other way won't work too.