Build Thread - Wide Tire Custom

Back at it, I stripped the bike back down again for paint and a few other custom touches. As I stripped the frame down I looked at the ugly stock neck gussets and thought to myself why do people completely remove them to put new ones in when I could just trim up and modify the stock one? So I did that....
032D99C1-5CE5-427B-AFA5-B90688F795C5.jpeg

(I installed tapered wheel bearings previously so the towels taped to the top were to protect the bearing race where it sticks out.)
67153915-60F8-4D60-B774-3DA47521F506.jpeg
 
At this point I had the bike stripped but I couldn’t decide on a paint scheme yet. All that I knew was I wanted an old school vibe in blue. So one day I walked into the shop and looked at my engine covers, tappet covers, and forks. I thought maybe I’ll just try and polish the tappets.

I’ve never polished aluminum before and swore I would never do it because of how long it takes for me just to clean up all of the engine and aluminum parts. So I came here once again and searched and read about polishing. I polished a little spot and it turned out really nice. And then it was all over from there...
5F7B2720-7288-413C-BFD1-41AB160BE776.jpeg

1EE9B68E-3DDC-4BD9-BB9B-C2ABA521C4AD.jpeg

4998B1A9-D535-4A31-8CCA-F77F2DE3456C.jpeg


FA46CBE9-880B-434A-9208-6AB936074965.jpeg

F4480245-5E47-407A-8544-A49A3BB58E56.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • 98245D8F-5E73-4A19-9E6E-4DACB921879B.jpeg
    98245D8F-5E73-4A19-9E6E-4DACB921879B.jpeg
    216.7 KB · Views: 240
Last edited:
So then I finally figure a paint scheme. I decided on a deep blue flake and a deep blue pearl.

Now I’m a rattle-can guy. I’m good with a rattle-can mostly because that’s all that I’ve ever used and I have the patience to take my time and the finger strength to lay a million light coats. I wanted some professional paint in a rattle can and I found this paint made by Specialist Paints. They make an aerosol called Kustom Canz. After using it I highly recommend their paint. It’s expensive but you’ll see why soon.

At this point I order my paint. To use the paint’s effect coats I have to apply primer, then black base coats (could be any base color but I wanted a “deep” look), then follow that with the deep blue flakes and pearls, followed by the clear coat. I also ordered a bunch of cans of Spraymax 2k clear. Because like Franks Hot Sauce, I put that shit on everything. As I’m waiting for the paint, I start the bullshit process of stripping everything by hand with wire wheels, nylon wheels, sandpaper, and then I used my soda blaster for the nooks and crannies.
49B7E63A-6F8F-4C5A-80B1-76763641C50B.jpeg

B07ED330-4CAC-4C59-B0D8-70864F0D964B.jpeg

9B3D1498-6C78-4E81-8463-A198E0183D5C.jpeg
 
Last edited:
So I got my primer and I picked up some silver metallic paint. I decided that a lot of the trim work was going to be a metallic silver and the frame, tank, and fender were going to be the blue I ordered. I painted more parts than what’s in these pics silver. In the pic, you can also kind of see how I shaped the shifter. You can also see that I painted the threaded linkage rods silver. You’ll see why i did this in the next pics.
AFA7CCFE-89CA-4BC9-88DF-DFFC73DAD358.jpeg

ADC0D2B3-563E-4051-B8D5-7D8004EB2A08.jpeg
 
So I got my base black and blue flakes and pearls. I hung everything up and started by laying the base out and then slowly adding the layers of flakes and pearls.

As far as the threaded linkage rods I painted silver, I did that because I stayed true with the drilled hole theme and cross drilled the entire length of all the linkage rod tubes kind of like the hand guard on a machine gun barrel. The drilled tubes are getting painted with the dark blue which should show the contrast of the silver threaded rods nicely through the holes.
BC8B138B-B823-47CA-9BBB-C80841A9E523.jpeg

4E1D92C2-AD3D-47D1-960C-6DB28A3CD24F.jpeg

EAD15EDB-1987-43A3-B1B3-860B31A89891.jpeg

3192EA60-BE79-44E3-89D8-2F842C0CF40E.jpeg

DBCFA7EC-B696-4030-B004-2C4EA3F73E5C.jpeg
 
At this point (more like last night), I tackled the pinstriping I wanted to do. I had bought some 1/8” silver metallic and some 5/16” silver leaf striping. I had a general idea of what kind of “old school” I was going for but I literally just started laying it down and wherever it took me it took me. Here’s what I ended up with...
EF2CB0F3-695B-49E6-AC93-CCE33D949742.jpeg

F0450F6A-930E-405A-8153-B8ADD4614DF2.jpeg

5865E2F0-15CD-4A12-B8ED-7F9E3B895AD7.jpeg

:rock:
 
Great build, enjoyed reading. I recently started building one of my own. The chain tensioner, I really like. Did you use a belt tensioner by chance? Vacation save the day right!
 
The only tensioner I’m using is the monstercraftsman skate wheel one. I’m only really using it on this bike because it helps with tension issues from running a jackshaft and trying to keep both chains tight but not too tight.
 
Last edited:
Well I just finished reading all of your posts, first let me say I applaud you for tackling so many new to you jobs. I am impressed with your fabrication skills and the way you engineered so many aspects of this build. The frame, the jack shaft, the paint job complete with silver leaf! Congratulations on a job well done!
Oh and you may owe your wife a cruise when you’re all done! ;)
-Bob
 
Well I just finished reading all of your posts, first let me say I applaud you for tackling so many new to you jobs. I am impressed with your fabrication skills and the way you engineered so many aspects of this build. The frame, the jack shaft, the paint job complete with silver leaf! Congratulations on a job well done!
Oh and you may owe your wife a cruise when you’re all done! ;)
-Bob

Thanks man. It means a lot coming from you. You and a few other guys on here are super on-point with your 650 knowledge so I’m glad you dig it. :bow2:
 
Yeah.... what Bob said!! Had a hardtail suicide clutch back in the day. Never again:rolleyes: That said, the way you've worked you way through it is very nicely done. Lookin forward to seeing it done.
 
I started putting her together today. Am I the only person here who seems to find multiple ways to ding up a new paint job everytime I put a freshly painted bike back together???
:cussing::banghead:
 
I got exactly 2 paint dings on my entire SG resto. The trick is to go slow, use lots of blue painter tape, go slow, use lots of clean rags, go slow and above all else.... go slow. :rolleyes:
Did I mention you need to go slow?;)
 
I got exactly 2 paint dings on my entire SG resto. The trick is to go slow, use lots of blue painter tape, go slow, use lots of clean rags, go slow and above all else.... go slow. :rolleyes:
Did I mention you need to go slow?;)
Fast is the only speed I know for some reason and I used less blue tape than I apparently should have. You would think I would’ve learned by now. Luckily I didn’t completely empty the blue pearl spray cans because I like to stop short of empty so I don’t get any heavy droplets toward the end of the can. I’ll have to spray the rest out onto something, let it thicken up, and touch it up with a brush.
 
Back
Top