VN800 Bobber project

[2WheelFun]

What excellent work you are doing there!

It's fun seeing how your coming along with it.

Thank you for keeping us up to date with the awesome bobber project. It's turning out very well!!!

[CustomVN]

Here's the last picture of the seat from the trimmer, all finished. Apparently it just needs to be conditioned and then allowed to dry, so he'll probably mail it back to me on Tuesday.

[Thullan]

It's really a lovely seat, amazing how a piece of plain leather can turn into something with that much attitude and patina. It will really contribute to the custom look of your bike.

[likearock4x4]

That turned out really nice. For some reason, I was picturing some black leather.

[wattage]

Man that seat is beautiful.

I can't wait to see the whole thing tied together and painted.

[ratfink]

great lookin seat dude...i like what you are doing to your bike...i also have modified my drifter... thanks for posting the seat project...i was about to order a bobber solo seat from Jammers that is similaer to the style of yours...now i will make mine also....i want to leave mine bare metal as you show in your pics ....yours looks great...i am in process of tearing mine down to paint it flat black and powdercoat the bars and jocky shift metalic emeralde green sparkle....it will be a good time to mod the seat....ride on..

[CustomVN]

Bare metal seat, wow you must have a cast iron backside and spine!

[ratfink]

started my seat today...damn i love makin stuff for my bike....thanks again for the post and pics...as said, i will leave mine metal and powder coat it...cool

[CustomVN]

I just picked up my fender struts and fender mounting bracket from the chromers yesterday and as you can see they look good in chrome. I have to admit that I'm disappointed with the chromers efforts though.

Two of the pieces turned out pretty good (not perfect), but one piece has an area where the chrome or the prep work underneath it were not done well, which I cannot understand it as I put a lot of work into them before handing them over.

As you can see where the arrow is in the second pic, if you look closely you can see a change in the material on the lower 1.5" of the strut. Through some mirical this is in a place that will be completely covered by the exhaust system so I don't have the time and inclination to worry about it any further. I just wouldn't use that chromer again and obviously would not recommend them either. I don't want to put any one's nose out of joint so they shall remain nameless...

[CustomVN]

On a happier note, whilst in Malaga picking up the chrome work I stopped in to see Ryan at Custom Mods to see if he'd made a start on the paint and to my pleasant surprise he's most of the way there.

You can see from these pics that the basic colour and finish is done, he's just got to lay on the white scallops and then we'll get the pin striper involved.

To this point Ryan has laid on about 8 coats of paint. A couple of coats of House of Kolor medium sized silver metal flake, then buried that with three coats of clear, two coats of House of Kolor Oriental Blue Kandy Concentrate followed by another coat of clear. The scallops will be done in a soft almost off white called Birch White which is a Harley Davidson colour used on the white flashes on the Heritage Softail models. There's probably another 4-5 coats before we're completely done, so not long now...

These pictures really don't capture how amazing the metal flake and kandy look as this was taken in late afternoon sun, and I didn't really get the light on it right as I was holding the piece with one hand and taking the picture with the other. When you move the piece around it absolutely sparkles and almost looks like a pouring liquid.

[likearock4x4]

That looks sweet!!! I don't remember, and don't want to go back and look, but you sent in all the tins, right?

[CustomVN]

Just the rear fender and the gas tank, I'm not running a front fender and the side covers are staying black, in an effort to hide them I guess.

[CustomVN]

I just found this flyer for the guy who's going to laying on the pinstriping, who's quite a legend in the Rockabilly scene apparently. I can't wait to see what he can do, and I'm pretty much going to let him run riot on top the tank.

[Hayes]

That is a beautiful bike thus far, can't wait to see how it turns out when you are done!

-Hayes

[D-Day]

Great work. I love rigid/bobber bikes. Rockabilly style in a bike is about the coolest you can get.

[CustomVN]

Got the side covers back from a sign writing buddy on Sunday with the lettering for the name of the bike done.

I had thought about getting them done properly in real gold leaf, but thought the cost would be too high and it could be done in vinyl cheaper and easier. Turns out I had to buy a metre length of the stuff as no one had any in stock we could get an offcut from, so it still worked out expensive as this stuff is real 22 carat gold, but at least I keep the left overs with enough to do this another 50 times.

I'll get Ben to pin stripe these covers when he does the rest of the bike and then get them cleared over to protect it all. These should look real nice outside in the sun light!

[Thullan]

I am starting to get an idea of what the result will look like. The blue flake, brown seat and the black/red/gold on the sidecovers looks great. A little bit of pinstriping and you're ready to rock!

[CustomVN]

I've just heard from Ryan at Custom Mods and he's now finished the off white scallops on the tank and fender and has clear coated over the lot which means we're ready for pin striping.

I've booked in with Ben for Monday morning so I'll look forward to meeting him and discussing how wild we go with the pin striping design.

I can't hang around all day to watch him work unfortunately so I won't get to see how it turns out until I'm ready to pick up the completed job. However I will take the camera along on Monday and take some pictures of the tins with the scallops on, and have those up for you all during the course of the day.

[likearock4x4]

Originally Posted by CustomVN

I've just heard from Ryan at Custom Mods and he's now finished the off white scallops on the tank and fender and has clear coated over the lot which means we're ready for pin striping.

I've booked in with Ben for Monday morning so I'll look forward to meeting him and discussing how wild we go with the pin striping design.

I can't hang around all day to watch him work unfortunately so I won't get to see how it turns out until I'm ready to pick up the completed job. However I will take the camera along on Monday and take some pictures of the tins with the scallops on, and have those up for you all during the course of the day.

Nice, I can't wait to see them.

[Thullan]

CustomVN, is there a braking light and a license plate light built into the Sparto you put on the rear fender?