Remember your first bike?

**SNF** · 3rd April 2014, 23:01

Originally Posted by eldog

FZR250 - nice to see it coming along, I like you willingness to do things, usually everything I touch turns to custard. I end up doing it twice, the first time the wrong way around. Been doing some more SASS - slow circles certainly helps.
By the way you have seen my first bike - the mighty Scorpio, a very capable commuter, well understated. till next time, keep up the good work

Thanks Lance

I miss doing Sass with you guys on Tuesdays. Believe it or not I just dived in with this. Becoming more and more apparent that is more work than I was expecting. Doesn't bother me, its good fun. Had to learn to fiberglass, something I wanted to do for ages. Hopefully not too many more Tuesdays and I'll be back with a super shiny bike sporting all the fairings. Depends how much they charge me for the custom paint.

Trimmed the side panels and painted the one which was flat black with stripes in primer. Still shaping all the bog behind the rear seat which I've now fiber glassed, seat is the next job before I block everything back and sand with 180 grit and then its primer time!

**avgas** · 4th April 2014, 05:11

Originally Posted by JimO

mine was a ts185 suzuki

mine too! The one bike I truly regret giving up.

i had round headlight, yellow tank one (sort of like this but yellow http://www.thestreetpeep.com/2012/12...85-sierra.html).
78" I think. Ironically it sat to the side of a shed for 11 years while I was growing up. I used to sit on it and pretend I was a biker. Then when about 12, dad and I pulled her apart and got her running again. I rode it for about 4 years then I got my first road bike and pulled the TS apart and never put it back together. When I went to university dad was clearning out the shed and gave the bike to the neighbor to reassemble. (meanwhile his 5 dissasembled XS750's and 3 dissasembled XS850's, and the 3TA-in-a-box remained

)

Really wish I had that bike now.

**eldog** · 18th April 2014, 20:15

how is it coming along, havent seen anything has it been a bit slow lately, exams eh?
better to make a proper rather than a rushed job. take it easy mate

**SNF** · 25th April 2014, 16:18

Originally Posted by eldog

how is it coming along, havent seen anything has it been a bit slow lately, exams eh?
better to make a proper rather than a rushed job. take it easy mate

Had some relatives stay and then went across the ditch so that was the last 2 weeks gone. Bought myself a new helmet. Finished sanding on the tail now, few little pinholes here and there which need attention. Buying some decent primer filler and will definitely be painting tomorrow. With pics!

**SNF** · 27th April 2014, 20:51

The tail! As promised, pics. Albiet a day late. Pretty good, some pinholes and highspots but I can fix that. Really happy Its finally at the primer milestone. I'll do the sides and tank with the yellow primer too. The paint system I am using has the primer filler in yellow, the surfacer in grey. Since I have filler and fiberglass I'm using primer filler as its thicker can help prevent sagging with all the bog and fiberglass and sanding marks etc. Its on the bike. Even with just the tail primed its looking better overall.

**SNF** · 29th April 2014, 18:10

So I took it off to fix the defects. Silly me left it on the recycle bin overnight. It blew off and cracked all the filler under the fiberglass. It was evident this was not the way to do it. So I sanded the hell out of it with 80 grit, glued the stock purple FZR latch surround and got some expanding foam, cut it as best I could to shape and started filling. Kind of bummed since it was all primed up and now it needs doing again.

Plus side its way stronger now since I sprayed it with the foam. It may chip but nothing can break off. I should have done it this way in the first place.

**The Reibz** · 29th April 2014, 22:23

Thats one hell of a bog job. Good work though

**gammaguy** · 30th April 2014, 02:19

Originally Posted by DMNTD

Mine was a GT750

Suzuki or Kawasaki?

**DMNTD:Me** · 30th April 2014, 06:29

Originally Posted by gammaguy

Suzuki or Kawasaki?

Suzuki, a $1,500 piece of nasty fun for a 16y/o

**Grubber** · 30th April 2014, 09:34

1950 something Areil 350.
More of a farm hoon than anything. Not road worthy by a long shot but shit loads of fun.
Ended up breaking it in half when i flew through a gorse fence on it.
No no it's ok guys, i was fine.

**imdying** · 30th April 2014, 18:54

The problem is that body filler is designed to skim small dents etc, not to be built up over a millimetre or so thick. What you want to do is make it so it looks like what you want, then spray it with Duratec High Build Primer. That is an unusual product, as it will polish up to a mirror finish which as regular high build primer won't. It's not designed for going under paint, it's designed to be used as a top coat for a mold. Once you've done that, release wax it, then flange it down the middle (cardboard, plasticine, you can get this all at Nuplex BTW) and lay glass on one half. Next remove the flanging material, and wax the exposed side of the flange. Then cover the other half with glass. Once that dries, you'll have a two piece mold of your tail section, and you'll be able to make as many strong lightweight parts as you need. What you have now will always crack if it gets flexed (it will), or potentially just through the vibration from your bike alone. You really should go the extra distance and do it the right way, you've actually done the hardest part already! If you want to know more, just sing out.

**Hinny** · 2nd May 2014, 19:45

Originally Posted by DMNTD

Suzuki, a $1,500 piece of nasty fun for a 16y/o

How often do you count your blessings that you are still here?

**DMNTD:Me** · 2nd May 2014, 20:57

Originally Posted by Hinny

How often do you count your blessings that you are still here?

Everytime that I come back from a ride

**SNF** · 29th May 2014, 23:22

Originally Posted by imdying

The problem is that body filler is designed to skim small dents etc, not to be built up over a millimetre or so thick. What you want to do is make it so it looks like what you want, then spray it with Duratec High Build Primer. That is an unusual product, as it will polish up to a mirror finish which as regular high build primer won't. It's not designed for going under paint, it's designed to be used as a top coat for a mold. Once you've done that, release wax it, then flange it down the middle (cardboard, plasticine, you can get this all at Nuplex BTW) and lay glass on one half. Next remove the flanging material, and wax the exposed side of the flange. Then cover the other half with glass. Once that dries, you'll have a two piece mold of your tail section, and you'll be able to make as many strong lightweight parts as you need. What you have now will always crack if it gets flexed (it will), or potentially just through the vibration from your bike alone. You really should go the extra distance and do it the right way, you've actually done the hardest part already! If you want to know more, just sing out.

I completely agree with you that this is the proper way to do it. This second time, done with fiberglass over expanding foam, is much stronger. Internet issues mean no pics at the moment but I have made it one solid part, ridden around in it current primered (ugly!) state and there are no cracks or anything. Few little things left and it'll be ready for paint, which I have got - 25D - Snowflake Pearl. Never sprayed a pearl paint before. Also adding some blue stripes to it too.