Motorcycle Roadracing
The VFR is progressing- the wings are on the side panels and tank and everything is clear coated. The wings are just one shade lighter than the panel color so they are really ghost wings. At night, they won’t be visible at all. We will put some LED lights inside Read more…
This happened during a closed course rally in W. Virginia. The dude was pretty tough to get right back on the bike and continue the race. Deer are a huge problem for motorcyclists who ride on rural roads. I’ve almost hit a couple here in Georgia and I’ll admit, the Read more…
I’ve just started on a 2003 VFR800 that was lightly crashed when he ran off the road. Since every panel on the bike was damaged, it would have been totaled by the insurance company. But we are going to fix the bodywork and paint it a dark gray metallic with Read more…
This is one of those entertaining videos that really means nothing. Kinda like the supercar vs. fighter jet match-ups. But it is entertaining- and a bit too long for a simple drag race.
I found this video on YouTube… this is the bike that is the inspiration for the R6 I just finished. Great video of KR riding a demo lap at Laguna before the MotoGP race last year.
Here are a couple of shots of the bike all finished. It really looks better in person since you can see all the detail that pictures tend to miss. The scheme is inspired by the 84 Yamaha RZ350 Kenny Roberts replica bike (see picture). Painting the rear hugger and cleaning Read more…
I’m currently working on a Blue/Silver CBR600RR that got dropped and and needed some paint work. The owner wanted a complete color change to all black so that is what we are doing. Here are a couple before/after shots of the body work with the black base coat. Base coats Read more…
Here are a couple of shots of the Hayabusa taken on a cell phone… Why they didn’t roll it outside and take a couple of decent pictures is beyond me but it is supposedly scheduled for another photo shoot in a couple of weeks. Moto Limit did the mechanical and Read more…
More photos are coming tomorrow but here are a couple of the tank and seat cowl ready to install…
I’m currently working on a Hayabusa for client who used to play for the Detroit Lions. The black/silver/blue scheme is right off their uniforms. Here are a few shots of the panels in basecoat with the graphics applied. The graphics were custom made by Tapeworks who I highly recommend if Read more…
Well, here it is almost all reassembled. I’m still waiting on the windscreen and I need to fabricate a rear plate bracket but the scheme looks great.I’ll post some more pictures when it is all finished.
Here is a quick picture of the upper in the sun so you can see the yellow pearl. The base color is Viper yellow but I mixed a pearl coat to go on top that has diamond white, orange and red pearls in it. With all the different pearls, it Read more…
To get a really slick “dipped in glass” look, you need at least 4 coats of clear. So, I wet sanded the tank and upper with 400 grit and sprayed a couple more coats of clear on. Next, it will get wet sanded with 2000 grit, then 3000 grit and Read more…
Well, the bodywork is all cleared and looks great. You can’t see it in this picture but the yellow pearl I mixed up looks awesome in the sunlight. Next up is some wet sanding and buffing and then final assembly.
Here are a few of pictures of the bodywork with the graphics installed and the tank stripe painted… it’s going to be a cool looking bike.
I’ve never promoted it but we do have a FB page, so if you have a second, head over and “LIKE” us!
Even after filler and hand sanding you will find some small defects that need to be spot puttied and resanded. After that, we are ready to put the base color coat on- in this case I’m using Viper Yellow. You really need to use white primer for a light color Read more…
So, I’ve been working on this 08 R6 that needed a complete repaint… It was originally blue but had been painted solid black after a crash- and done very poorly, probably by a car shop. I’ve found that while car shops will paint bikes for guys cheaper than someone like Read more…
This article over at MSNBC spotlights a big problem for US motorcyclists. With recreational and commuter use on the rise, motorcycle deaths and injuries are a big problem for everyone involved- the gov’t, manufacturers and of course the families of those killed. I fix a lot of wrecked bikes here Read more…
Here are a few quick shots of the bodywork stuck on the bike that I took with my phone so we could get a feel for what it will look like. As you can see, the side fairings have a lot of bulges and contours that made it very hard Read more…
AUDI AG acquires sports motorcycle manufacturer Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. – Chairman Rupert Stadler: “As a sporty, global premium brand, Ducati is an excellent fit for Audi.” – Third pillar for AUDI AG in Italy – Ducati a leading player in engine technology and lightweight construction Ingolstadt/Bologna, April 18, 2012 Read more…
Well, the clear coat is on and the panels look awesome. The color scheme with the lighter Suzuki blue outlined in red looks perfect on a 70’s vintage bike. I should be ready to put the panels on in a couple of days after they have had time to cure. Read more…
From Hemmings Blog: One of the largest private collections of Ducatis ever assembled will cross the block next month at RM’s auction at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. Scheduled to cross the auction block on the first day of the event, the Carlo Saltarelli Collection features more than 100 rare Read more…
I’ve been working hard on the body panels for this T500 and we are slowly getting there. One common problem with old, old stuff like this is that there are usually lots of coats of old enamel paint on them. All you can do is try to get as much Read more…
The RZ500 in the slideshow at the top has a set of PM alloy wheels but they always looked a little strange since the real race bike had gold wheels. He used the PM wheels because they were the only ones he could find that would take a modern tire Read more…
This is a must watch video… watch it in HD and if you want some good desktop backgrounds, hit your print screen button and then paste it into paint, photoshop, etc and save it.
Here’s the press release from Ducati… The only caveat I see is that the bike had to be purchased new from a dealer. So there is apparently no money if you buy a used bike to race. The Ducati 848EVOachieved many successes in 2011 in the hands of a number Read more…
The guy who I painted the Yamaha RZ500 in the slideshow for brought me another project to work on- a 1971 Suzuki T500 race bike that we are going to do as a replica of the Daytona bike. These pictures are as it sits now and the drawing is what Read more…
All I can say is, wow. That is beautiful. I’m currently riding a Triumph 675 Street Triple R and I love it. The comparisons have already begun and the new Brutale isn’t even available yet but it should be a good fight. The Triumph is a great bike but a Read more…
It was a great weekend for vintage and custom motorcycle fanatics… Even the races were fun with big old time names like Schwantz, Springsteen and Ahern all racing. Some of the custom stuff was amazing and NCR Ducati had a bunch of exotic stuff there along with lots of vintage Read more…
The yearly Vintage festival at Barber Motorsports Park starts today and runs through Sunday. I go every year and never tire of looking at the thousands of amazing bikes that show up. if you don’t already have plans for the weekend, you can’t go wrong here. If you need parts Read more…
Well, the SV is done and it looks awesome. Really nice low mile (4600) bike with all the tasteful upgrades- Carbon exhaust, billet mirrors, matte black upper triple clamp and handlebars, paint matched headlight, and the wide wheel conversion that allows you to use a 180 tire. SV’s are still Read more…
I picked this bike up at the auction a couple of months ago and I’m finally getting around to working on it. Mechanically, it was fine but it needed some cosmetics. I’m taking off the ill-fitting clip-ons and replacing them with the stock risers and some generic superbike bars. One Read more…
Moto Guzzi has announced a very cool new model in a press release today. This genre of motorcycle is quickly gaining market share because the average age of riders continues to increase. But, even some younger riders are into the retro stuff or at least the naked bike/Streetfighter scene. This Read more…
I was over in the Huntsville, Alabama area last week and decided to stop in and see my good friend Danny Roberts who heads up the Dunlop Proving Grounds. We raced together back in the 80’s and have been friends for almost 30 years. This is the facility where they Read more…
This started out as a stock 04 R6 with some slight body work scratches and scrapes. The owner had already gotten the wheels powder coated in the candy red that he wanted the bike painted. So my job was to match the color that was already on the wheels. As Read more…
Press release from BMW- After pioneering the concept of antilock brakes (ABS) on motorcycles 23 years ago, BMW Motorrad USA announced today that it will be the first motorcycle manufacturer to offer ABS as standard equipment on its entire range of 2012 model year motorcycles. “Plain and simple, being able Read more…
This is a very entertaining video of a Modded ZX-10 in a drifting competition with a Corvette powered Rx7. Lots-O-Fun. Enjoy!
Here are a few final pictures of the Tuono. Amazing transformation from stock… In my opinion, Tuono’s are one of the best motorcycle values available- and as you can see, they are pretty easy to mod into something really cool.
Well, here is a quick photo of the bike all assembled. We will get some more/better pictures as soon as we have some good sunny weather but for now, you can get an idea of how the bike turned out. Aprilia should look and learn because when you compare it Read more…
The clear coat is on all of the parts and looks great. Here are a few pictures- you can see the pearl in the white in the close-up of the tank. Really pretty color. As soon as the owner sends me some pictures of it all assembled, I’ll get them Read more…
Today we need to do a little bodywork. The tank needs to have the decals removed and the tail needs to have a bunch of bodywork to fix spider cracks in the gel coat and fill the big holes where it would have mounted if it was installed on a Read more…
The guy who owns this Ducati 916 (which I painted a couple of years ago) is working on a new project that I am painting for him. The Tuono in question is an 04 that was slightly damaged in a fall but still totaled by the insurance company.
Just a quick update and picture from last weekend- The RG and RZ500’s were featured bikes at this years event and the owner of the one I painted last year said that there were over 24 that he counted. That is a lot of 4 cyl, 2 stroke 500’s. Man, Read more…
The annual Vintage Festival at Barber Motorsports park in Birmingham, AL is almost upon us. I go every year to see and report on some of the incredible vintage motorcycles and it really is an awesome event. Check out the official website for the event and make plans to be Read more…
With the clear coat on, we let everything sit and cure for a couple of days before wet sanding and buffing. Some of the parts like the front fender were fine as is but the tank and tail needed to be buffed for that ultra smooth dipped in glass look. Read more…
Today we install the graphics and clear coat everything. These are big decals and hard to get on straight but if you take your time and use the wet application method, you can get them on straight with no bubbles. It is always fun to see what the parts look Read more…
The next step in the Can Am project was spraying on the white base coat. We spent a fair amount of time getting the shade of white exactly how we wanted it. The white on these old bikes is really more of a cream. You really can’t tell unless you Read more…
After lots of hand sanding and cleaning, we are ready to prime the parts. I always use an epoxy primer to seal the surface. This works equally well on metal (like the aluminum tank) and fiberglass/plastic. If needed, you can do some light sanding or scuffing with a scotch-brite pad Read more…
Next we need to do a little body work and filling. The front nose cone fairing used to have a removable number plate panel that could come off to uncover the headlight if it was installed. Since the bike will never be on the street, we decided to use a Read more…