NEW look

[JimC]

Ok,
I have spent the last month or two doing a face lift on my 98 standard, not that it needed it, the bike has only 12K on the clock and the tins were almost pristine. This all started when I bought a Memphis shade fairing  and a set of Jumbo Tsukayu bags. I decided to buy new tins because I could not take a sander to the original ones. While I was at it, I decided to go with an interstate tank.

What I was looking for was a bike that resembled an old school hot rod, a lead sled so to speak like the old 50 merc's, I think I got what I was aiming for.

In the last couple of months with the help of Blackdog, and Darryl from XF6 I have added the saddlebags, mounted a headlight extension from Darryl, mounted a new light bar, changed the front turn signals, installed headlight and running light relays, mounted the interstate tank,  installed a back off flasher, installed the airflow extensions, polished the wheels, painted the whitewalls, mounted the fairing added the 39 ford taillights and painted the bike.

The paint looks like primer, but it is actually base/clear urethane finish that happens to dry flat by design. It not only looks flat, the top coat actually feels like rubber, the closest I can come to explaining the texture is a brand new basketball. Only time will tell how it holds up!






   

[Bladedog]

That is one sweet looking ride.  Nice job!

[alph]

i don't think there is a bad color for a Valk.

i like those tail lights! 

[R J]

Looks good...........

[Tundra]

A job well done 

[fstsix]

Retro 50's i like it, you will get a lot of good looks with it, good job! 

[Black Dog]

Being a biker in Wisconsin has it's drawbacks, but having a few months to get creative really pays off 

Ya done good 

Now, if we could only get the temps outta the 30's, and back in the 70's 

Black Dog

[Michael K (Az.)]

As soon as you said,"Lead Sled", I knew what you were talking about! This is because I'm old!
Great lookin bike, Jim!

[Tonysax]

Looks really good, what grabs my attention is the White Walls. I didn't know you could paint tires to be White Walls. I always thought the rubber was impregnanted with the color. Is there any tips on doing this? I'll check tech board next. 

[Mickey Runie]

That's a nice bike. 

Good job.

[JimC]

TONY,
This is my first shot at painting the whitewalls. Most people say it can't be done, I guess that is why I had to try. My tires are half or more worn so I did not have much to loose if it did not work out. To be honest, they looked great from about 5-6 feet or more when I first did them, but after riding I started to get bleed through so I will have to touch them up, possibly on a regular basis.

PLUS, it is not easy, and it is not cheap, and knowing what I know now, I would probably not do it again because of the amount of work involved, and the fact that they may have to be maintained or touched up on a regular basis.

Most people that try to paint whitewalls have a hard time getting the paint to stick to the rubber. I found a paint that sticks to the rubber, (SO FAR) but only after a great deal of sanding and prepping. The paint is a marine paint that is made to paint the rubber dingy's that hang on the back of they large yachts. It is sticking well so far, but I am getting some bleed through so I will have to touch them up, at this point, I am not sure if it will be a continual process of touching them up or if the whitewall will eventually hide the stains, time will tell.

Again, I would probably not do it because the paint was about $40 for a quart, I then had to buy thin line masking tape for another $20 (two sizes) to get good lines, and then I probably had 3-4 hours sanding and prepping each tire prior to the paint. 

BUT, I managed to get the look I wanted, the only question is, for how long? We will see what they look like by the time Inzane rolls around!

Jim

[Big Rig]

Very nice looking bike...great job

[Rowdy]

Interesting  the more I look at the color the more I like it 

[Kaiser]

Nice!  If it feels like a basketball, will it bounce like one if you lay it down?

You may have just stumbled across "newbie paint".

[sugerbear]

now you can tell people "hondas been making boxer engines since the 50s" 

i'll bet they believe it too.

looks great VERY classy.

P.S. taillights can be found at

www.shiny-hiney.com

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

 




   

   I'd like to see it in person ...I'm somewhat color blind and have hell every two years getting my medical card in order to work because of the color chart.... It looks kinda reddish pink to me 

[big turkey]

1958 Pan Head Stock Color and a little bit of Honda Magic under the Hood.

Cool

As

Hades.

You thought out of the box on this one for sure.

Big Al

[highcountry]

Very cool!

[Big Rig]

I would love to see an IS with 57 Chevy aqua...in flat....

[Gear Jammer]

Imagination is limitless.         Made her your own 

[X Ring]

  I'd like to see it in person ...I'm somewhat color blind and have hell every two years getting my medical card in order to work because of the color chart.... It looks kinda reddish pink to me 

It's not your eyes Joe.  It looks reddish pink to me also and I don't have color vision problems.

Marty

[JP in SC]

That there's a sharp looking motor-sickle! The flat paint really makes the chrome POP.    

[JimC]

JOE,

It does look a little pink in the pic's under the florescent lighting, outside or with the door to the shop open it looks darker, similar to the old red oxide red brown primer the hot rodders used years ago.

It is not actually the color I wanted, they sent me the wrong color but I sprayed it anyway because it was pretty close. I had a window of two days with near perfect weather to spray it coming up, so I did not want to send it back and waste 3 weeks waiting for it.

Jim

[Ghillie]

All about making whitewall tires. car dealers used to do it all the time.

http://www.alltiresupply.com/a-SFNT.html

[Tundra]

You got a real nice look going on! Nice and fat from the rear, need a car tire to fill out that rear fender. Although you would loose that classic look you achieved.

[Big IV]

Looks good. I like that flat paint job. Nice.

[rmrc51]

Now "THAT'S" different!!!!! I love it!!!!!!! 

[Garland]

Congratulations on a successful project-it is a unique look that is sure to turn heads. I will be interested in how the whitewall paint holds up...

[doubletee]

Very unique concept. Nicely done!   

[Cruzen]

Great look.  I like the entire concept.  Is that the final color or???  Going to get it striped?  Maybe a pinup model on the tank like the ole bombers.  Of course if you’re going to ride that you got to have the brown retro leathers and dirty beige work pants like the original bikers wore.  Black leather and jeans just doesn’t do it right. (Actually the first “bikers” wore surplus bomber jackets which were a very dark green that faded to a brown look but then that’s another story.)

I always wondered how whitewalls would look on a Valk.  I had them some years back on my Drifter which had that ole Indian look.

Question about those lights on the luggage.  How are those tied into the rear taillight?  I have thought about adding lights to my Interstate bags but wasn’t sure if I could tie them into the rear taillights on the trunk without popping the fuse or diminishing the brightness of the lights already there?  Electrical is not one of my strong suits. I remember something about wiring them in parallel verses series but…….

Has anyone ever used the fender light from a Standard/Tourer on an IS to supplement the lights on the Trunk?  It looks like it should fit.  With so many bikes being rear ended I am looking to increase the amount of illumination I have in the rear without making it look like a gypsies’ wagon.

[JimC]

Ghillie,

I read through that web site when I was researching the whitewalls. The problem with their product is that they use an automatic buffing machine that cost a bundle of money, like 5 to 10 grand.

A little out of my reach just for a look.

Jim

[JimC]

Cruzen,

I am still working on the wiring gremlins, I hooked up to the original tail and brake light on the fender separately through the back off flasher.

I ran the bag lights through a trailer splitter in an attempt to have run/brake/stop on the bags, but it looks like i may end up with run/turn wired from the original bike wiring because I am getting flash feedback into the bag lights. Seems the ground on the turn signal is part of the circuit, I am thinking that it breaks ground to make it flash? (ANYONE?) I am not a wiring guru either.

Jim