Suzuki T500 restoration update
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 to get the stripes to look straight. In fact, they aren’t even close to straight since you need to change the angles quite a bit to adjust for the curves in the panel but they look straight from the side. Still a lot... [Read More...]
Audi buys Ducati- Press Release
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 – AUDI AG is acquiring from Investindustrial Group the tradition-steeped Italian sports motorcycle manufacturer... [Read More...]
Suzuki T500 Daytona Bike Update
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. There is still a lot of detail work to be done, but I’ll post a quick shot with the panels on just so everyone can get an idea of what it looks like… Suzuki T500 Gas Tank T500 side... [Read More...]
SV650S finished and for sale
I just finished painting this 08 SV650s back to almost stock gunmetal gray. This color is slightly darker than the original factory color and looks better with the black frame and wheels. The “S” emblems on the tank are painted on in a ghost shade and really look good. The bike also has a Two Brothers pipe, Gel seat, color matched undertail with integrated turn signals and a dark tinted windscreen. 6900 miles and new tires, too! If you... [Read More...]
Huge Ducati Collection to be Auctioned
1972 Ducati 750 200 Miglia Imola Corsa Replica 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 and unique Ducatis, many of which have known racing history. Racing replicas and classic Ducati road bikes from... [Read More...]
BMW motorcycle sales press release
BMW has been on a roll recently- lots of new models and their sales show it. 0.04.2012 11:36 Best first quarter of all time for BMW Motorrad. Husqvarna Motorcycles 36.2 percent up compared to last year. During the first three months of 2012, BMW Motorrad had its best 1st quarter to date, recording the company’s highest sales ever achieved at the start of a year. As of March, sales increased to 24,373 motorcycles (23,109 last year), this being... [Read More...]
Suzuki T500 update
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 of it off as possible but there is always residue left that will crack or crinkle when you put any modern automotive paint on it. This is the problem I had even after priming with an epoxy primer to seal... [Read More...]
RZ500 Update- new wheels
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 and still fit in the swingarm. Well, he found another set and sent them off to be powder coated in the original gold color and the results look great. The wheels are still different of course but getting... [Read More...]
Video- Stoner at Sepang on the RC213
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. Read More →
Ducati Announces their 848 EVO contingency program for racers
848 EVO 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 of privateers and club racers. These results are attributed to the ambitions of Ducati to push the envelopes of racing performance and technology combined with years of development... [Read More...]
New Project- 1971 Suzuki T500 race bike
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 we are aiming for- or something very similar. Since all of these bikes were essentially 1 off race bikes, there is no “official” scheme to model it after. But we do have some pictures from that era... [Read More...]
08 CBR600RR Pearl Fire Orange
Here is a final picture with the HONDA logos on the lowers. These are in flat black like the rear number plates and look great. 08 Orange CBR600RR Read More →
CBR600RR Pearl Fire Orange finished
Well, as you can see, the CBR is all back together and today I did the final buffing and applied the logos and rear number plates. The color match is just about spot on and is easily as good as factory panels. The bike looks great and the flat black on the orange is perfect. We still need to put the HONDA’s on the lower belly but that will have to wait until the lowers are off the bike. If you need logos or number plates, www.Tapeworks.com... [Read More...]
Painting a CBR600RR Pearl Fire Orange
painted mid panel on original tank I just finished painting all of the panels- except the tank cover- on an 08 CBR600RR Pearl Fire Orange. This is an almost impossible color to match since it is a tri-coat with a base, mid and clear. Since I had no idea where to start, we decided to go ahead and spend the big money on ColorRite’s paint. The results are pretty good. The shade and brightness of the orange is very good, but the size and clarity... [Read More...]
New JD Powers Motorcycle Owner Satisfaction Survey is out…
Among the factors, satisfaction with the sales experience has improved most, increasing to 856 (on a 1,000-point scale) in 2011 from 838 in 2010. Satisfaction with the product and cost of ownership also improves significantly, compared with 2010. The study also finds that motorcycle build quality improves to 122 problems per 100 motorcycles (PP100) from an average of 133 PP100 in 2010. One-half of owners say they have experienced zero problems... [Read More...]