Honda GL1000 with Motorvation Formula II custom resto mod build

WOW, that is a beautiful color selection.

Well done 👍 

Posted by: @miles-ladue

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WOW, that is a beautiful color selection.

Well done 👍 

+1 looks great 

 

Posted by: @miles-ladue

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WOW, that is a beautiful color selection.

Well done 👍 

 

I always liked the Wineberry that Honda offered back in the late 70's-80's but wanted something a bit different. This is called "Sparkling Merlot". Sprayed just the color, its so dark a maroon it almost looks black. Which to me, when I did trials, I did not like. The way I sprayed it, it changes shades of maroon based on how the light hits it.

This spray was 2 coats of primer silver, topped by 2 coats of the Merlot. Then 4 coats of clear, wet sanded, stripes I did by hand but in the similar scheme as seen on the 75-79 GL1000's, then 4 more coats of clear. Its a Goldwing, there has to be some Gold. Will 3000 grit color sand and buff after it fully cures for about a week. 

My Motorvation side car and Vetter Fairing will follow the same design. Both painted but still have to stripe/clear. Slow go as I do still have my daily property chores, that and its incredibly hot here in the deep south, but slowly getting there.

The paint is TCS brand, Urethane Silver Metallic primer/sealer, Urethane Sparkling Merlot Pearl Top coat. Decal material is Lime Line brand Spin-able gold leaf.

 

Sounds like it didn't come out of a rattle can....

Got to admire that.

 

Posted by: @brstr

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Sounds like it didn't come out of a rattle can....

Got to admire that.

 

If you want it to last a very long time, rattle cans just wont cut it....MV frame is basic black, but still not rattle can. I learned to autobody grade paint when I was still a late teenager, have refined my skills over the decades with every restoration project I took on. Having the right tools helps, but yes, just the supplies to "Do it right the 1st time" is quite pricey, and always has been.

 

You lucky you can still get the good paint. Here the pull the good stuff out of the paint and the places that have the good old paint are not allowed to sell it will send it in. You have to drive to get it anymore.   

I mostly now for over 20 years have sprayed base/clear Urethane. But on rare occasion will still do an acrylic enamel or lacquer based if the color I choose is ONLY available that way. And yes on a very rare occasion will drive to get it. BUT, with the amount of time that prep work takes, many times days if not a week or more, I usually opt to order online, save some $, and get it in a few days. BCU is and always has been a VOC product (the good stuff as you call it) that if you value your life, you better wear good respiration protection.

99.9% of the time I have been using Online TCP global out of California for over 30 years. If your over a certain $ amount the shipping is free. If you know anything about this type of painting, you know it does not take much to easily rack up a few hundred $. Free shipping and $ spent is the same for just about any online provider. For this project I tried a new source called TCS (the coating store) why? well I was looking for a certain shade of Maroon, and try as I may I could not find what I wanted with TCP. TCS also is in the next state over so I had the order in just a few days. Prices were comparable, and the products were definitely as good a quality as Dupont/Valspar/House of Kolor/Sherwin Williams/etc... used to be and still is, but at about 30% less the price. I will definitely use them again.

Anybody can buy any product these two sources offer, shipped straight to your house. Both sources have much better pricing than the local paint mixing shops, if you even still have one. As well as paints, they also offer ALL painting hobby associated items. If my spray project is a small quantity paint order, many times I will add a few associated items to the order in order to get to the free shipping value. However, I often buy a lot of that stuff at Amazon for even better pricing. IF you happen to be in a state that has federal limited VOC restrictions, they will still sell you any product, but offer a mix @ lesser % of those ingredients.

https://tcpglobal.com

https://www.thecoatingstore.com/

 

Super hot summer here,

slow go but all painting is now done. Time to start polish work then start assembling the package.

 

Mike @mkc1962, what are you plans for the INSIDE of the tub bottom, meaning the interior space ? Are you going to spray it with bedliner, then carpet on top of that, or...what ?

Oh, and your work is too good to be confined to the hot Summers of Alabama. You need to move to the Pacific Northwest, where 4 out of 5 sidecar builders prefer to live, and they actually build 4 out of 5 of the best sidecars in North America.

Coolest Summer weather we have experienced here at my ranch in the past 20 years living here.

Posted by: @miles-ladue

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Mike @mkc1962, what are you plans for the INSIDE of the tub bottom, meaning the interior space ? Are you going to spray it with bedliner, then carpet on top of that, or...what ?

Oh, and your work is too good to be confined to the hot Summers of Alabama. You need to move to the Pacific Northwest, where 4 out of 5 sidecar builders prefer to live, and they actually build 4 out of 5 of the best sidecars in North America.

Coolest Summer weather we have experienced here at my ranch in the past 20 years living here.

For the floor, at 1st I was planning to use bedliner but then changed my mind. I did use color matched bedliner on the front and sides of the lower tub.  I wanted to add insulation to the inside as much as I could as more than likely my dog will be the only rider and too much road noise never seems to do well with dogs. For the floor I am using adhesive backed EVA boat decking. For all the rest of the interior, foam/adhesive backed marine grade carpet. SC Seat is still in good shape, but I also custom build and stitch all my own bike saddles, so after all is together and road worthy plan to redo the bike and sidecar seats to match.

Been PNW many times, have some RV friends there and do like the region but no desire to live there. We have a 2nd home in the smoky mountains of NC, that we've had for 20 years where the climate is much different. The plans are to relocate there once my wife is retired (28-29). I myself go up there about every 4-6 weeks for a week or more.

As for being a SC builder, nah...this has and still is a fun project, and will maybe do another all from scratch for my Motoguzzi. But that would only be when it gets to where I am having more physical issues getting on/off it. Its been a fun project so far, but have no desire to do anything for profit anymore. I do occasionally build a custom saddle for close riding friends, but even with that I don't take any $ I just let them buy me supplies for MY next personal build. Paying customers have gotten way to picky these days.  

 

While the fresh paint was curing before final buff, I got back on some mechanics of the rig. My original top rear bracket mount I never liked, so I came up with another approach. I added a new mounting point to the bike. John Sweet had replied with a technical drawing of how he used to install his sidecars to the GL1000's back in the 70-80's. His rear was a 1 piece section that both top and bottom connecting rods from the SC attached to. His mounting points were the Shock bolt and the passenger foot peg bolt. I never got back with him on the matter other than to show thanks, but as I saw it the bikes side cover either had to be missing, OR this bracket would have to have been shimmed etc, way out in order for the side cover to still remain,  which I did not care for. But his idea did get me to thinking of another way.

 

My way, I drilled a hole through the webbed area at the top of the rear frame just above where the rear shock is. But also so that it did not interfere with the seat when fully mounted. I installed a 3/8 G8 bolt through the frame, welded on the front side, then added a collar around it made out of 1/2" pipe also welded to the frame to bring the flat attach point more inline with the same vertical plane that the foot peg is on. Using 3/8" plate steel I created a bracket that follows the frame structure that goes around the rear side cover then down toward the passenger foot peg. This allowing the side cover to be fully seen and in no way butchered. SC bracket point is welded to the 3/8" plate near the top (shown still in raw unfinished shape). I Think this one will be plenty robust to handle the situation. My rear lower is still a large 3/8" plate that mounts under the driver foot peg with the driver foot peg bolt going through it, and also 2 large 3/8" U-Bolts holding it to the frame.

 

 

I like it.

Yes Sir, I like it a lot.

 Look good, but I may have done it a little different. I've would have made it so the bracket would have been bolted to the mount instead. I think it would make it a little cleaner. But that just me. You are doing a good job.    

Mike that looks great, once painted and everything is together it might just blend in to the point that it looks like part of the frame  

are you going to calculate and cut the top bolt length so you can use a cap nut or just get a nice nut cover so it matches your shock nut 

 

Cap nut will work nice too.