Stripped down look wanted, 2001 VL800. (Now Done)

I'm going for a stripped down bike, chopping the back end over Winter & the crash bars just didn't fit where I'm aiming at.  Just added the side mount, but this is strictly work-in-progress at the moment.  



The whole back end is going to (hopefully) end up like this.  



I've found a tasty pair of combined indicators/brake/tail lights which should fit on the chrome rails.  Chop the pipes, then exhaust wrap them & lose the front mudguard.  I know it ain't going to be to many peoples taste, but hey ho !!

I like your idea's Dave  Keep us updated, I'll probably go in the Bobber direction myself one day 

I also like your planned vision for the rear end, very smart  & mean looking.

Very smart me likey 

Would look ace either way but in my opinion, a set of white wall tyres would be the dogs bollox.

rear end tapering in (smaller width at the end) would look hot as........ crikey I just had a load off ideas on how to do it and a picture of finished work in me head all in the space of about 10 seconds freaky I'm going for a cigarette lol

OK Morgan, enlighten me!  I'd originally wanted to use a smaller rear mudguard that sits just above the rear wheel, but decided to go this route as it was easier to find a small engineering company to make up a panel to fit between the rails.  This way means that if I ever wanted to, I can swap back to the original set up in about an hour.  But I'm open to any suggestions

Tapering would look cool, if it was to a pointed or very small rear. However it would not allow an easy transition back to a standard bike. Your idea looks great and your idea on a quick transition to normality makes this an excellent modification idea. Very easy to make happen for most people, well done with this concept. I would love to see this done.

yep agree sort of things I was thinking would not really allow you to change it back as it would be a permanent  change. soooo that  in mind your idea looks pretty cool have you thought of making the mudguard your self rather than paying someone to do it you can get aluminium in different thicknesses and the metal is very easy to shape bend it's only a small area so spraying it would be easy enough

Even a bit of wood would work well as a replacement guard with that design.

Yeh, I'd considered that but my metal working skills are so good that it would like someone had knocked it up in their kitchen from an old biscuit tin!!  I need to have lugs braced on so that it can fit through the corresponding bolt fixings on the rails.  I'm also having it strengthened so I can fit a rack if need be.  Also going to have a return to hide the gap where the seat sits & have a the back edge rolled so that it has a "thicker" look to it.  I may also need them to knock up a pair of brackets to fit under the rails so I can mount the indicators.  They're talking about £200 which I think is resonable.

Re the bit of wood idea - I had at one time considered using a bit of ply & varnishing it - just to be different.  I actually used a piece of fibreboard to see what it would like.

just thought if you have the brake light where it is the pic if you had a longish jumper or some coats/jacket's would they fall over the brake light meaning no one would see you brake

Yeh, I'd thought of that which is why I'm going for combined brake/tail/indicators set on the rails.  If I went for this light, I'd mount it at the rear of the mudguard

cool cant wait to see it done

katsd wrote:

Yeh, I'd considered that but my metal working skills are so good that it would like someone had knocked it up in their kitchen from an old biscuit tin!! 

There's a shop in Matlock that sells metal fenders in various sizes for Bobber projects, near the riverside fish and chip shop.

Near Bikers Gearbox?

this is getting good now any idea what indicators/stop light your going to use gunna let us have a peek?

Highsider Colorado Motorbike LED Rear Light and Indicator Combo

http://www.bikermart.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=254-200-1

Chrome finish with matching fronts

katsd wrote:

Near Bikers Gearbox?

In Bikers Gearbox I think, is that the one where there's a little passage to walk round the shop, It's just rammed full of gear, the fenders were just at the front of the counter to the right.

Oh now those I like a lot, may very add to mine when I remove the rear light. That would make life easy.

Never seen those in the link before, very smart idea even for normal use to get seen more better 

Very good point Crash, great modification either way.

simbo wrote:

katsd wrote:

Near Bikers Gearbox?

In Bikers Gearbox I think, is that the one where there's a little passage to walk round the shop, It's just rammed full of gear, the fenders were just at the front of the counter to the right.

Must admit, not been to Matlock for about 18 months - hear the Council are being rather "enthusiastic" on parking regs at the moment which kinda puts me off weekends.  But I'll certainly take a run up after Xmas but on a weekday.  I'm completely committed to the rear going the way it is, but I'm not sure about leaving the one off the front.  But the existing one just won't work, & it's always better to see something in the flesh.  Thanks for the tip

nice lights Katsd and a new front mudguard yay sounds like it wont stop there hahahahahaha

Mr Intruder wrote:

Oh now those I like a lot, may very add to mine when I remove the rear light. That would make life easy.

There's plenty of modern styled ones around & plenty of "bullet" style mini or micros, but very few which would suit whilst being large enough so they're not lost.

fat intruder wrote:

nice lights Katsd and a new front mudguard yay sounds like it wont stop there hahahahahaha

Yeh - I swore when I'd finished with the Katana that I was going to nothing, well, very little, to this one but you know how it goes.  You do one bit then you start thinking "hmm, if I just move/paint/change that bit there, it'll really work better with that bit I've just moved/painted/changed"  then, three grand later, you have another good idea !!!  Oh no - not this time, mister !!

To be honest Dave I love the look of your bike in the first pic !!!

Jim.

Hi Jim

Must admit I was rather more taken with the look than I thought I would be when I first got it, but I've been hankering after doing a bobber for quite a while.  So I'm going to carry on with the knowledge that if I go to far, I can revert it back to any stage along the route.  Taking that huge rear off does show how fat that back tyre actually is.  And I agree that whitewalls would look tasty - that's what I was going to go for last time, but the supplier screwed up & sent these.

That's a good plan Dave, like you say you can take a step back if you go to far and don't like it, look forward to seeing your monster !!!

Jim.

Or you could just buy one like I did   



It was a nice bike but not worth the money quiet frankly.

I ain't really a Harley fan - & no matter whet bike I have, I'll always "fettle" & swap stuff around.  Realistically, I ought to build a "ground-up" project, but I don't have time

Dave have you thought about removing the false swing arm as your looking for a stripped down look? LINK

I'd took it off, debated about it, put it back on - scratched my head.  Wasn't sure which way to go - then I bought this which uses the false swing arm as part of the mounting, so I had the decision made for me.  Mine's one of the plastic types, so not really a weight saving.  Plus, the side mount seems to look better with it there

 Ebay LINK

How do you find those side mounts Dave? I've been looking at those for ages  

I am thinking of a side mounted plate as well, looks better than the rear mounted plate in my opinion.  

simbo wrote:

How do you find those side mounts Dave? I've been looking at those for ages  

Hours trawling the net - I'd thought of having one made as I'd found nothing that looked right.  Came across these on ebay - bit put off as they were from France but dead quick delivery & fantastic quality.  Friend of mine works in laser cut engineering & for a one-off, I'd have had to pay twice as much.  They have a "best offer" tab - I put in a fiver less than the Buy-It-Now price & it was automatically accepted - bit pissed - should have tried twenty less !!  

I'd have no hesitation recommending them - the quality is spot on & it uses the existing mounting points on the hub to fit.  Good bit of thick steel, well coated with nice bolts to fit it together.  Dead good fit, but it does use the false arm, so if you want to lose that, you'd probably have to look elsewhere.  Looks the dogs !!

Looking good, well made  

The plate that's on is a 7 x 6, I'm waiting till the guard's made so I can figure what's going to look best - quite fancy a narrower three line plate.  I'm using LED bolt lights so I just need to figure how to run the wiring down the back so it's hidden

katsd wrote:

 I'm using LED bolt lights so I just need to figure how to run the wiring down the back so it's hidden

You could try something like I did, Washers in between the reg and mount, then double back with the wires and some sort of cap to hide the nuts and wires.

Brilliant Simbo - appeals in a big way - neat, simple & best of all - CHEAP.  I'd been trying too hard to think of some complicated solution & missed the blindingly obvious.  I can already picture how it will work.  Thanks for that - Have a good Xmas

So the new indicators turned up yesterday which means that I can get it down to the metal workers to start on the mudguard replacement.  They should fit in to the rail, but it'll need to be threaded.  I do need to think about how the wiring's going to work as I want be able to remove them if I need, & if I hard wire them into a block connector, they're not going to fit back through.  But I don't like the idea of exposed bullet connectors.  Reckon a trip down to "Auto Sparks" for a root through their stocks is in order.

Thought I'd try the indicators on the front to see how they looked - thought they might be a bit lost, but I reckon they'll work fine." />

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As they're LED & the lenses are clear, they seem to sit better than the originals with the amber lenses.  So I'll be ordering a pair for the front then!!

like those mate cleans the front up a lot look way better than the stock one's  

I like those Dave   Have you thought about removing the existing chrome indicator thing? Not sure how you'd mount them then though?

Yeh - that was something I was thinking about today.  Mounting is easy as they don't fit onto the chrome (plastic) shield - there is a mounting point which fits behind it.  Unfortunately, it hides a bit of mess behind there - I'm going to stick 'em on as it is & have a good look when it warms up & I have a bit more time

Hi Dave when you get the new bulbs,go for the chrome looking ones that flash orange,they are more pleaseing to look at through the clear lens (I have them fitted to mine)

Yeh, they're the one's I'll go for - they sit along side the clear of the headlight so much better than the orange lens

After having the bike sat at the fabricators for a couple of months, things have started moving on rapidly.  Went down on Sunday to finalise the design for the rear mudguard & how the indicators were going to fit - just making sure that they understood how I wanted it to look.  Took away the speedo & air-filter cover for respraying - I'm not a big chrome fan.  Monday, picked up connectors etc. for new wiring, also managed to find some U-channel trim to stop the return cutting into the seat. Picked up the speedo housing ( cover from my cousin (handy having a relative that works at Dream Machine) - well chuffed with the results.

Spoke to the fabricators this morning - all being well, should be able to collect it next week.  I'm off till the end of the month, so I should be able to have it wired up & running by then - fingers crossed.

Looking good Dave   Can't wait to see the finished result  

I am liking the look   

Just been down to the fabricators (Sunday afternoon - how dedicated are they !!!!) to have a look & make sure that everything's where I want it to be.  Well chuffed so far.  Dropped the black speedo & filter cover on at the same time.  Should be ready to collect Tuesday, then I reckon a day or so sorting out the new wiring & having the rear guard sprayed flat-black to match the speedo.

Got a pair of front indicators to match the back, then just need to sort out a smaller front guard.  

Long as I can get it back OK - I need the missus to follow me as the rear lights aren't wired in & I can't be arsed borrowing my brothers truck for a three mile ride.