View Full Version : Fabricating headlight holder/fairing.
hi people i recently got a sv and i thought i would join here with everyone else and im thinking about changing the headlight on it but im stuck for choice, BUT im wondering is tehre any posibility of fiberglassing behind a latex mask and customising it to hold headlights??
sorry if im speaking aload of crap but if you dont ask you dont get. anyway thanx for reading it hope to get some replys.
if not no worries i understand i seem a bit dolalee:smt026
Shellywoozle
03-09-09, 10:41 AM
Welcome from a Staffordian SV'er :)
Can't help with ya light question but can give you a big welcome to the org !! Enjoy
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa249/illpic/HelloC0001.gif
fastdruid
03-09-09, 10:51 AM
hi people i recently got a sv and i thought i would join here with everyone else and im thinking about changing the headlight on it but im stuck for choice, BUT im wondering is tehre any posibility of fiberglassing behind a latex mask and customising it to hold headlights??
sorry if im speaking aload of crap but if you dont ask you dont get. anyway thanx for reading it hope to get some replys.
if not no worries i understand i seem a bit dolalee:smt026
If you can fibreglass stuff the world is your mollusc and your imagination is the only limiting factor!
Depends exactly what kind of look you're after but I'd find a legal headlight of the right size/shape, put it where you want and work round that, don't forget adjustment!! You don't want to have what you think is perfect only to be unable to pass an MOT cos the headlight aim is out and you can't adjust it!
Good luck and don't forget to post pictures when done (or even part way through). :-)
Druid
will do and thanx for the quick reply i dont think my mate at work would let me forget about the mot seems as hes a tester lol will post pics when i get things goin will post ideas aswell if people wanna help me decide. thanx guys/girls your a great help
fastdruid
03-09-09, 11:09 AM
will do and thanx for the quick reply i dont think my mate at work would let me forget about the mot seems as hes a tester lol will post pics when i get things goin will post ideas aswell if people wanna help me decide. thanx guys/girls your a great help
Don't forget everyones taste is different, if you like it but they don't fsck em! :-)
Druid
Owenski
03-09-09, 11:14 AM
welcome to the ORG
+1 to knowing nothing about fibreglass limitations. But I'd imagine if you can make an F1 car from it there is no reason you cant make a lighting unit.
yeah i suppose your right just got to try and get it done properly cause i aint really got any moulds or nothing so it will be all hand made so might look a bit of a mess at first but i suppose practise makes perfect, and yeah i suppose your right about different people with different opinion, ill bare that in mind
fastdruid
03-09-09, 11:19 AM
welcome to the ORG
+1 to knowing nothing about fibreglass limitations. But I'd imagine if you can make an F1 car from it there is no reason you cant make a lighting unit.
See that nose cone?
http://www.fastdruid.co.uk/albums/Cadwell2009jackspicsofKatie/thumbs/640x480IC2_07-08-2009_1243.jpg
That's fibreglass that is[1][2].
Druid
[1] Headlights on an NC35 screw onto the fairing, they butt against the clock bracket but that's it.
[2] Er technically now was, she smashed it to bits the next day. :-(
the only thing is with that nosecone is its been done in a mould and mine will have to be done free hand but alot of sanding should get me in the right direction
fastdruid
03-09-09, 04:04 PM
the only thing is with that nosecone is its been done in a mould and mine will have to be done free hand but alot of sanding should get me in the right direction
Yes but it proves the point that fibreglass is fully up to taking lights by itself, you don't need a frame behind. Of course you can always bond alloy into the fibreglass to add strength.
There are ways and means, you can go the whole hog make a plug, make a mould from it and then make your part. Or you can make your shape and make the part directly on it, you'll have to do *lots* more sanding if you go that route, especially if you want to go C/F but it's doable. I haven't got them here but I have a couple of pdf's of various methods of playing with CF on my laptop, I'll see if I can find the links to the originals and post them.
Personally I've only really read up on the stuff and done a bit of fairing fixing/modifying, mucho Kudo's to you for attempting to do something from scratch.
Druid
http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx261/jase_b121/BYBUgBGkKGrHgoH-CgEjlLl5ZdBKfYjhivP.jpg
This is the type of thing i was looking to fibreglass behind and use as a headlight or something along those lines.
Dave20046
03-09-09, 04:17 PM
hi people i recently got a sv and i thought i would join here with everyone else and im thinking about changing the headlight on it but im stuck for choice, BUT im wondering is tehre any posibility of fiberglassing behind a latex mask and customising it to hold headlights??
sorry if im speaking aload of crap but if you dont ask you dont get. anyway thanx for reading it hope to get some replys.
if not no worries i understand i seem a bit dolalee:smt026
I wanted to change my headlight for ages, in the end I decided to put a buell firebolt front on the front but only just pretty much got it on before I decided to put the bike back to standard and sell it. I still have the fairing and lights if you're interested. Not quite crazy mask **** but still pretty cool.... :)
fastdruid
03-09-09, 04:28 PM
http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx261/jase_b121/BYBUgBGkKGrHgoH-CgEjlLl5ZdBKfYjhivP.jpg
This is the type of thing i was looking to fibreglass behind and use as a headlight or something along those lines.
Lol, predator theme bike, I like it.
You can get projector type lights that are very small, you may want to alter the proportions to make it fit one in each 'eye'. I've seen a couple of quite cheap headlights that have headlights not much larger than those eyes, might be worth getting one of those for the lights.
You going to get the speedo to display in the predator language? ;-)
Druid
well you never know i suppose china make everything lol, ill have a look at some more different ones and ill have to make a decision if anyone see's anythink i might be interested in please all ideas are welcome. thanx people
Geoffrey
04-09-09, 06:04 AM
Headlights on an NC35 screw onto the fairing
is that not the same as a faired pointy, the whole front section comes off in one piece.
fastdruid
04-09-09, 02:21 PM
is that not the same as a faired pointy, the whole front section comes off in one piece.
I don't know about the pointy but I presumed it to be identical to the curvy in that the headlights are mounted to a solid frame and the fairing fits over the top, the fairing carries therefore no load. I take it then that the headlight fits to the plastics and the plastics then attach to some kind of subframe?
Druid
i know what you mean about the fairing bein seperate to the headlights as i had a nc30 for my fist big bike and i had a play with everything on that, and the front nose cone was seperate to the headlights, so sould i try and find some headlights that are bolted to a bracket then make a headlight to go over the whole lot?
fastdruid
04-09-09, 04:43 PM
Depends on which year and model you have plus what you fancy doing with it.
If you have an 99-02 (aka curvy) 'S' (Sport or half faired) then the lights are bolted to a subframe and do not move with the bars, the 'N' (Naked) version the headlight is attached to the handlebars and turns with it.
Pretty much the same for the 03 onwards (aka pointy) except it appears that the 'S' version has the headlights attached to the fairing.
Which bike do you have?
Druid
fastdruid
04-09-09, 04:46 PM
Personally I'd start with something like this
http://www.mandp.co.uk/productInfo.aspx?catRef=536564
Druid
well its a s model been converted to a n model if that makes sense?
http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx261/jase_b121/B7k-QBWkKGrHgoH-C0EjlLlzVpnBKeyw3Mb.jpg
thats it
fastdruid
04-09-09, 05:30 PM
Hold on, need to find sunglasses... ;-)
OK so in which case would make more sense to essentially make the mask fit where the current flyscreen and headllght is with the two lights from the mantis (or similar) where the 'eye's would be.
Simples
Druid
Hold on, need to find sunglasses... ;-)
wheels are a little brght lol different though i think lol everyone will see its me thats why i wanna customise it some more i like to b different lol. yeah i had a lookat that headlight would be great to have the headlights out of that behind the predators headlight i just dont think it would go with the rest of the bike so i mght have to look at other ideas
fastdruid
04-09-09, 05:58 PM
Depends how much work you want to put into it, you could easily build up the tank and bodywork for example, make it look like the predator armour.
I notice you're not a million miles away, if you want a 'pre-enjoyed' tank to play with rather than ruin yours give me a shout.
Druid
sorry if i sound thick but pre-joined??
why where abouts you from??
fastdruid
04-09-09, 06:19 PM
sorry if i sound thick but pre-joined??
why where abouts you from??
Pre-enjoyed not pre-joined! :-)
ie one like this where someone has gone and thrown it down the road / gooseneck. ;-)
http://www.fastdruid.co.uk/albums/SV650/thumbs/640x480DSC04222.JPG
So rather than mess up a decent tank experiment / modify one that isn't mint, I've got a couple of the bloody things (and that's the worst of them).
I'm Birmingham btw.
Druid
sorry mate mis read lol just thinking how am i going to get the armour affect on the tank though bein as its a steel tank would fibre glass stick to it or what else would i be able to use??? and what do you want for the tank?? as it will be a wreck once i get m hands on it at first lol
fastdruid
04-09-09, 06:35 PM
sorry mate mis read lol just thinking how am i going to get the armour affect on the tank though bein as its a steel tank would fibre glass stick to it or what else would i be able to use??? and what do you want for the tank?? as it will be a wreck once i get m hands on it at first lol
Yeah you can use fibreglass just roughen up the tank to key it and it'll stick (as long as you use the correct resin), or you could just use filler.
10quid? A bit better than that one pictured[1] but still yellow I'll have to check the state of it but I don't think it's rusty or anything. I really have no need of three spare tanks!
Druid
[1] As that tank is now quite decent after lots of filler!
PS never ever ever sand the body work on the bike, it's a bitch to get rid of all the dust!
http://www.fastdruid.co.uk/albums/SV650/thumbs/640x480DSC04885.JPG
http://www.fastdruid.co.uk/albums/Cadwell2009/thumbs/640x480060809_0111.jpg
take it your into your track days and stuff then, and yeah just give me a shout if you fond one you dont need and we can sort something out if you dont mind. thanx a million :)
noob-saibot
04-09-09, 07:18 PM
well its a s model been converted to a n model if that makes sense?
http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx261/jase_b121/B7k-QBWkKGrHgoH-C0EjlLlzVpnBKeyw3Mb.jpg
thats it
if its an s, where'd you get the radiator cover? :confused:
sorry but this is just ott
http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx261/jase_b121/motopredator.jpg
noob-saibot
04-09-09, 08:16 PM
what you mean??
Was just asking as ive never seen a rad cover fit an s :confused:
The curvy s model has small brackets on the sides of the radiator. Mine does and mines an n model apparently, dont ask :rolleyes:.
fastdruid
04-09-09, 10:01 PM
Was just asking as ive never seen a rad cover fit an s :confused:
The curvy s model has small brackets on the sides of the radiator. Mine does and mines an n model apparently, dont ask :rolleyes:.
Of course if it's been dropped the rad typically takes a battering, I mean look at mine and that's at least watertight still (plus it nicely shows the brackets you're talking about).
http://www.fastdruid.co.uk/albums/SV650/thumbs/640x480DSC04970.JPG
Could well be an 'S', been dropped and an 'N' radiator was all that could be found cheap.
Druid
i have no idea its on my insurance paper is says had fairing removed (streetfighter look) and they said it was a s model dunno i aint got a clue its a sv to me and a mean one to lol
Dangerous Dave
05-09-09, 09:54 AM
I take it then that the headlight fits to the plastics and the plastics then attach to some kind of subframe?
On the Pointy, yes. You can also remove the whole front fairing section and headlights in one piece.
You can get projector type lights that are very small, you may want to alter the proportions to make it fit one in each 'eye'. I've seen a couple of quite cheap headlights that have headlights not much larger than those eyes, might be worth getting one of those for the lights.
Druid
the only thing is do they have dipped and main beam headlight?? is so i might be able to get some very very easy
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