BUBBLE VISOR: 08/01/2014

31 Aug 2014

Project Vt500 Ascot - headlight

An hour after I painted the black stuff Zoran showed me some of the headlights that he had lying around in his shed. We decided that a black small vintage tractor headlight with a yellow lens looked great on the vtwin Ascot so we ditched the square one and tried to mount the tractor light. Zoran used this headlight a few years ago on his KZ400. Check it here
We had to remove the horn to make it fit. It's mounted slightly off center. I'm not sure yet if I like it like that. It's not off center enough but I'm starting to get used to it now. :)
Thanks Zoran for the help and the very nice tractor light!

Project VT500 Ascot - Paint it black

You meet the nicest people on a Honda Made a new friend :) Tomorow the Numbnuts organise a ride out to Utrecht. I did not want to show up with that red painted sqaure headlight so today I decided to paint it black and to give the airfilter cover the same treatment.

VT500 Ascot - plans plus photosoup

Here's a little fotosoup of my future plans

I made this before I changed my stock ascot.
In the photosoup I shortened the rear seat but now I'm planning to just change the height of the seat a little.
The bike in the picture I found online, that's not mine.

The plan was to make a Jeff Wright x Hidemo x Red Hot Motorcycles custom! Or a superbikers/speedway inspired bike.
or a dessert sled...
Probably a mix of everything. My plans change all the time but whatever it will be it will be very much inspired by low budget amateur racers from the past. That's where the magic happens

Dropped the front fork 4 cm, so I'll have more pressure on the front wheel. It felt a little light..
Painted some of the red stuff.
Tried some different handle bars.
Did not like the stock(?) tomaselli bar. To high and I did not like the angle.
Changed it for a classic dirt bike Handlebar.

And found out the front fork has some dents in the chrome...
When I bought the bike it was raining so I looked at the bike under a roof. Not the best light over there... I also missed the the fact that the engine and exhaust pipes where painted probably with a rattle can in a different black than the rest of the bike. Done without removing it from the bike so it has a gradient in black going from the original shiny black to the rattle can matte black.. Yikes!

I made a to do list yesterday:

Mounting the vintage Hella rear light on a new fender
Reshaping the front fender and side panels with a grinder
Painting the gas tank, fenders and side panels
Find a new round mirror
Removing the fuse box from the handlebar
New handle bar, this one is crooked
New speedo en tacho meters
Shortening the exhaust or a new slip-on
powder coating the wheels white
new tires
reshaping the seat
and some more

Project Vt500 scot - temp new look

I have a vintage Hella rear light that I want to use, and I'm looking for a new rear fender but since I don't have a welding machine I first made this temporary version with the old metal fender that is hiding under the stock plastic fender plus I re-used the stock rear light. Also 2 new blinkers. I like this rough look :)

Project VT500 Ascot - mockups

I live in Amsterdam in a apartment building on the third floor. My bikes are standing under the building. On the ground floor I have a small place for my bicycles, tools and spare parts. It's not big enough to put my motorcycles inside and there's no electricity. So when I want to use the grinder, etc I throw a extension cord from the balcony and start wrenching on the sidewalk. I made some mockups with stock and old parts that I had lying in the shed.