modifying tank badges

[resto]

I'm new to the forum and would like to show you what I am working on. My present ride is a 77 xs650 and I'd like to make it look a bit more "British". Found a spare fuel tank and am in the process of modifying a couple of Triumph tank badges I found cheap on eBay. Making some progress so far (see attached pics), the hard part is yet to come in that the shape of the Yamaha tank is quite different from the Triumph.

 

[CoastsideXS650]

The part of me that owns a 1969 Triumph T100R is shaking his head at the sight of you cutting up those Triumph badges.

But I do like the idea of making your own from what you got. You might have to build a kind of spacer to go in between and mate your surfaces properly. I would recommend using some modeling clay and pressing the badge into the tank with the clay in between. Let it dry a little so you don't deform it when you pull it off. Than make a more permanent "gasket" with metal or fiberglass or leather. Anything you can think of that you could easily manipulate to the proper shape you want.

 

[angus67]

or get a triumph tank. very cool.

 

[resto]

I felt guilty about cutting up the Triumph badges, it's almost sacrilegious. I'll give your idea a try but the gap is pretty large and might take away from the shape of the badge too much. Been doing some research on latex molding so might make a mold of the altered badges, cast them in something flexible, then fit that casting to the contour of the Yammy tank. From that, will make another mold and finally cast the emblem in plastic. I'll post some pics as I go along.