Barn Fresh X Bell Bullitt - The making-of # 2

This is a repost of the Chad Hodge Thesis Project that I posted on Bubble Visor in October 2010. 
And yes, Chad did get a massive response on that post! I have never had so much response to a post on Bubble Visor before or after the Bullitt. After some time Bell got in contact with Chad. Together with Bell Chad worked on the production model that is almost an exact copy of of his original design and it's now finally in production.
After a few months Chad asked me to remove the post on Bubble Visor because people kept emailing him about the helmet. At that time he was already working with Bell on the production helmet :)

"Hi,

First off, I love your blog. It was one of my locations for inspiration during the project I want to share with you in this email. I am a recent graduate of the industrial design program at the University of Cincinnati and for my thesis I designed a retro full face helmet. The idea came about when I went to purchase a new full face helmet and I couldnt find anything that wasnt styled to look like it belonged with a crotch rocket. I ride a 1978 Yamaha XS1100 and wanted something that would at least attempt to match that aesthetic. There are plenty of vintage half helmets out there, but after a buddy got his face saved by his full face, I dont wear anything but. Its currently just a show model, but I am interested in trying to get it prototyped.
Anyway, I just wanted to share some images with you and if you like, I would love it you wanted to post any of them. If you would like any more info or anything let me know. Thanks a lot for your time and for having such a great blog"

Barn Fresh X Bell Bullitt - The making-of # 1

This all started with a post about a new helmet design from Chad Hodge here on Bubble Visor in September 2010. Chad send me his prototype design in September 2010. I had the luck that he chose Bubble Visor to show the first pictures of his very cool helmet design, thanks Chad!! :)

In the post Chad asked for help to get his stunning prototype helmet in production.
He received tons of emails of people that wanted to help him and after a few months Bell asked to work with him to get the helmet into production.
Fast forward a few years later and Chad and Bell ask me to design a limited edition of the Bell Bullitt...!!! Dope!

You can imagine that I was happy as a child :)
So that's how thing got started.

In the following weeks I will show the making of the Barn Fresh x Bell helmet here on Bubble Visor.

Bell send me a sample version of the helmet and a template at the time. I started with a digital sketch and when the design got approved I painted the actual design on the sample helmet. But before I started with the helmet I could not resist to ride around in Amsterdam with the not ready for production sample. The finish of the sample was already on a very high level and the large eye port did give me almost the same feeling as riding with a open face helmet. I loved it from the start.

In the garden of my studio I took the helmet apart and painted the base colour with a rattle can.

GR650 at Tin Can Customs

I shot some extra poorly lit black and white pictures at Tin Can

GR650 gets a new subframe at Tin Can Custom

Chris send me two more pics with the chopped fender, I was stoked! The lines where perfect! So cool to finally see the ideas that I had for years become reality. I couldn't concentrate on my work any longer so I decided to pay Tin Can a visit instead so I could make some photo's of Chris working on the GR. Chris had a random seat lying around so we put it on the GR650 to get an idea how it would look with a seat. SO COOL! :))))
Thanks Chris, you're the man!

GR650 - Chopped rear fender

I wanted to recycle the original GR650 rear fender. I already chopped it some years ago but with the new subframe it needed some extra chopping.
With the pics from Chris I made a new sketch. I first made a sketch with a new seat and from there I figured out where the fender had to be welded and how to cut it. I wanted the fender to follow the lines of the rear wheel. To do that the fender had to be welded on top of the rear loop of the subframe. The curve right above the rear wheel and the fender as high as possible. Not an easy job I figured. Chris liked the idea so he got started.

GR650 - subframe

I made a photosoup sketch so I could give Tin Can Chris a good idea of how I wanted the subframe.
While working on the GR650 Chris send me pictures to follow the process. He had the idea to change the upgoing frame tube. I like the idea becouse it was more in line with the rest of the frame lines so that's what we did.

Tin Can Customs

Tin Can Chris has been working on my GR650 this week :)
Some pics of his shop