Side covers GT750

Retro, Wild, Cafe, etc. The stuff only your imagination can come up with.

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tz375
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Side covers GT750

Post by tz375 »

On the Phat Trakka project I decided that the air filter has to go but that leaves a gap at the back of the carbs under the tank and it's all very untidy.

After trying various additions to the seat pan to try to fill the gap, finally the solution became obvious. The plastic side covers are a reasonable shape, if somewhat bulbous, and the front edge more or less follows the lines of the back edge of the fuel tank.

What it needs is to shift the side covers forwards 40-50mm. An added bonus is that the rear edge will now be just in front of the rear frame tubes and it all looks much better IMHO.

Shift the left cover is fairly simple and just require moving the brackets and carving some plastic out to let it snuggle up against the frame. The right side, by comparison, is a complete PITA because there's an oil tank hiding back there. I could heat teh oil tank locally and rearrange the shape but it really needs to move inside the mounting brackets and that is starting a whole chain reaction of modifications.

So the question for the day is who has a smaller, neater oil tank design I could beg borrow or steal?

BTW, I don't want heavy items like the battery or oil tank mounted under the seat hump. Electrical stuff can go up there, but nothing heavy.
Last edited by tz375 on Sun Sep 06, 2009 11:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Coyote »

I can't remember specifically, but I know the 550 oil tank is much smaller. I have a spare 550 oil tank. I'll send it to you if you wanna mess with it. The 'window' would probably be in the wrong place if that's a concern.
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Suzukidave
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Post by Suzukidave »

the older i get the faster i was
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Post by Suzukidave »

Here's Tom's custom Reeded H2 with one of this companies tanks Image
Last edited by Suzukidave on Thu Aug 27, 2009 1:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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tz375
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Post by tz375 »

Chris,

Thanks for teh offer, but before we go too far down that road, could I be a pain in the butt and ask you for a couple of photos with a ruler in the picture?

That would be a great start.

Dave,
Thanks I'll check them out but boy that tank on the K bike is huge. that much oil is about 10 years worth of riding for me. :oops:
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Post by Suzukidave »

The 10028 size shows it to hold 1 qt ?
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tz375
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Post by tz375 »

Thanks guys.

So I'll order one of those tanks and see if I can squeeze it in, just in front of the reduced size battery box. this bike will be kick (or bump) only, so who needs all that lead an acid?

Today it decided to try to snow again, just in case we were silly enough to think that spring had really sprung. So I started to modify the side covers to move them forwards. They will end up with rear edge just in front of the rear downtube and with the front edge in line with the tank and seat edges.

I'm moving them inwards as well as forwards, so the bike will be about 1-2 inches narrower when I finish.

Next job is to finish the mock up, get them smooth and shiny, take molds off them in fiberglass. When I get the molds right, i hope to be able to make the real covers in Carbon fiber. I have done repairs in CF and made tanks and seats from scratch in glass but making a cover in CF will be a whole new learning experience.

If it comes out nice, it will look trick. If not there's always rattle cans.
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Suzukidave
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Post by Suzukidave »

Carbon fiber is cool i also looked into the process with the vacuum bagging and all .. looks like fun :shock:
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tz375
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Post by tz375 »

I modified the side covers to move them forwards and also to make them much narrower.

Then I ordered one of the 1.5 quart tanks and it fits in the place where teh front half of the battery went and now a tiny battery squeezes in behind that under what used to be the tool tray.

That required a notch to be made into the rear fender, front) which was plastic and a pain to cut and weld. It's done, but it sure ain't purdy.

Of course the side covers had to be carved some more to fit around the UNI filters so there's not much left of the covers.

Now I have to make the rest of the electrics disappear somewhere.

It's looking slimmer, but now I want to ditch the side covers and empty that space between them, All that i need is an even slimmer battery lying flat and somewhere to put the oil tank. Maybe I can fabricate a tank and fit it under the gas tank at the front.

Or maybe I should get the thing running and stop "improving it" every time I look at it. As one problem gets solved a new and improved solution comes along to make it even lighter or smaller or....

Maybe I need to visit the doctor again. Shock therapy doesn't seem to last as long as it used to....
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Post by water cooled »

Richard,

Pictures? :roll:
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tz375
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Post by tz375 »

Well, I finally found some time this week to dig the bike out and try to work out what on earth I was trying to achieve.

I decided that the bump on the the flat track seat was too small, so I stretched it backwards about three inches and then trimmed it back to the perfect (for me) shape.

Then I needed to mount a rear light and after buying a couple of different LED types that didn't work, I grabbed the R6 integrated one I bought for another project and surprise, surprise, if I fit it upside down, it will fit perfectly.

So today I managed to waste a perfectly good afternoon trying to design a simple, light, elegant rear lamp and license plate mount. I think I may have teh answer in a sort of mini subframe fabricated out of recycled luggage carriers that were awaiting a trip to the scrap metal man.

Tomorrow I'll see if that s/crap metal can be welded. If so that would be another item to strike off the long list.
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Post by rngdng »

water cooled wrote:Richard,

Pictures? :roll:

+1


Lane
If you stroke it more than twice; you're playing with it.

Too many bikes, too much time, ENOUGH SPACE, FINALLY! Never enough money.........
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Suzukidave
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Post by Suzukidave »

rngdng wrote:
water cooled wrote:Richard,

Pictures? :roll:

+1


Lane
+2 8)
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tz375
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Post by tz375 »

You want me to find time to get off my butt and do something AND to take pictures of it so you can see what I'm talking about..

Jeeze Louise. And I thought our cat was demanding. :lol:

OK. here's a few

The oil tank
Image


Battery mount
Image

Seat with extensions
Image

Almost done
Image


Light subframe/bracket
Image


rear light
Image

There's a few more pictures http://www.pinkpossum.com/gt750/phattra ... ddling.htm
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water cooled
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Post by water cooled »

very nice Richard....I am enjoying the pics. You do very fine work and have a keen eye for what looks correct.

Kevin
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