Wow, thanks for all the input! I like a lot of these ideas, I definitely don't want the cover to blend into the frame, but I'm also not trying to make it the focal point. I've got primer on the cover now, soon I'll start playing with color.
I'd love to lose or reduce the gauges, but that's got to be on the "eventually" list for now. I might do something stiffer for rear springs as well, but right now I've got to figure out what the clearance situation is since the seat is about two inches lower than stock.
I got everything together today and went for a maiden voyage! Pretty short, just down to the store and back, but it was nice.
Here are the first confirmed photos of the ThunderToad in the wild:
Problems I found on this ride:
Backfires - probably air adjustment issue
Soft front brake
Fork tubes pulled up too far - not actually a problem, but I think they're too extreme now
License plate needs to find a better home
Most troublingly - oil appears to be leaking from a scary spot, more on that later
Thanks again for the input, it really helps to keep me moving along!
One last photo since I took it just before covering for the night:
Dan