1978 CB550 Pieces/Parts Hellride

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I stole the spoke wheels from this bike to put on my RD. That means this bike gets Ninjee wheels. Boom.
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Looks good. I envy your rear cowl/side panel sculpting skills though. What sort of foam did you use? I did a tank years ago from regular large cell insulation and that took a ton of filler to get it smooth. On the one piece tank cover and side covers for the drag RD I used stock (modified) parts and aluminum duct tape and skinned that in C/F but thin parts like yours take more skill and planning. Care to share that process for us mere mortals?
 
Looks good. I envy your rear cowl/side panel sculpting skills though. What sort of foam did you use? I did a tank years ago from regular large cell insulation and that took a ton of filler to get it smooth. On the one piece tank cover and side covers for the drag RD I used stock (modified) parts and aluminum duct tape and skinned that in C/F but thin parts like yours take more skill and planning. Care to share that process for us mere mortals?
I will say first off, it's always cleaner and smoother to make a mold from your master and cast into that. However, for a one off piece that's too much work, so being super neat and even laying the fiberglass and resin is pretty key. I also use fused silica to thicken my resin, so it lays up like paint and holds to vertical surfaces. That way, when I do the initial sanding with a planing block, it doesn't require much bondo. I also use no blush marine epoxy resin, which has no voc and is super easy to use.

I use the pink insulation foam from Home Depot or the blue/green insulation foam from Lowe's to build the bucks. I laminate layers together with something like 3M super 77 that's made for foam. I rough cut the foam with a Japanese pull saw (here). Finish carving is done with Surform shavers ( here and here ) and riffler rasps (here). When I get my shape down, I sand with 200 grit sandpaper, then coat it with Smooth-On Epsilon impact resistant foam coating (here). Now you can paint it, fill gaps with bondo, sand it smooth, etc. Now, it's ready for fiberglass. Whether you're making a mold or just making the bodywork you plan to run on the bike, you're coating it in fiberglass. I coat the buck, now primered and painted, in a mold release. For a mold, you want to tint your first layer of resin. I make a blue painters tape pattern of the bodywork, then cut my fiberglass mat/cloth sections from the pattern. This helps me be super neat laying the glass and it makes for less finish work on the one-off pieces.

I'm a trained sculptor, so I'm doing it in a sculptor's way. Not sure someone who manufactures fiberglass parts would think much of this process. It works, though. I've made a ton of motorcycle parts this way, as well as sculptures. LOL
 
Thanks Irk. Maybe we need a sticky or thread on HOW TOs for those of less skilled or those new to all of this insanity.
 
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