V star 650 hardtail

[dowood1]

Thanks TriNortchopz always handy to have another take on the idea. The single top tube looks cool .

[dowood1]

I know it’s a lot more work , but I wasn’t quite happy with the damaged black “tank” .
So I took the angle grinder to the original tank , as I had already modified it .
I took about 2” width out the front and appx 5” out the back , and tacked / taped it together . Then cut all the tunnel out and about 1.25” of the bottom .
I think it’s well cool and much more in proportion .
But as I said a lot more work to finish .
Will prob take the filler neck out as well ,when I get some blades for my jigsaw .
Then use it in the under seat petrol tank !
Well it’s a plan , lol

[dowood1]

Now I’m wondering if my welding skills , with the welder I’ve got are good enough to make it the fuel tank ! !

[dowood1]

Sorry here’s the pics again !
And making it the “ fuel tank ” is a non starter .

[dowood1]

Has anyone used or know how good / effective the “durafix” type low temp aluminium welding rods are ?
I am thinking of maybe using them for making the petrol tank for under the seat , prob from 2mm aluminium sheet .
found some info on line , but wanna be sure as it’s for petrol , and I’ll be sitting just above it , lol

[dowood1]

Have wired up the light switch ( in pic )
Have got all the switches figured out and working now .
Except the indicator switches which should be easy . They will bet set in the electrics cover along with the lighting switch !
Also found a tail trim cheap on e bay for the silencer which I think looks cool . ( but will dispense with the red tape lol )

[dowood1]

Made a start on the seat frame today , but it was done in between showers and rushing before the light faded . The first pic shows a rough mock up ( using wall paper ) to see how it could look . Gonna taper the flat bar at the rear ended (to mount the springs on ) to half the width at the top , ran out of light before I could do anything else . I’m gonna make a lip under the front end to hook it on . Then use the key operated side panel lock on the bike to lock the rear to the mudguard / fender , for easy access as the filler cap will be under there.

[Skjoll]

Has anyone used or know how good / effective the “durafix” type low temp aluminium welding rods are ?
I am thinking of maybe using them for making the petrol tank for under the seat , prob from 2mm aluminium sheet .
found some info on line , but wanna be sure as it’s for petrol , and I’ll be sitting just above it , lol

I've used similar rods, not for joining butted alu sheet but when done properly the joints are strong and the rods are definitely fuel safe. Have you considered making a fuel tank using fiberglass? It's easy to make a form out of rigid foam incorporating complex shapes and compound curves.

How big of a tank do you want to make?

[dowood1]

Thanks Skjoll , yeah kinda like the idea of fibreglass but at the mo , not sure bouts it’s legality for a petrol tank in the uk . Plus minor concerns about ethanol Proofing it , which I know can be done .
The capacity will be appx 2.5 to 3 gals . Depending on how much space I can liberate under the seat when I hardtail it and remove / cut away all the “ junk “ under there .
The other option is to (weld) panel in the area under the seat , to be the tank, Which would also allow a marginally bigger capacity .
I quite like that idea too.
But not convinced on any one option yet !

[dowood1]

On a different subject completely I was gonna try and cover the he front seat to match the pillion seat beige/ tan colour which looks cool to me .
But I have also found an orange marine vinyl , which is close to the orange paint I have/ will use , so maybe orange seats , or perhaps even 1 orange 1 silver seat , lol . Haven’t come to a decision yet .
Think this is gonna have a kind of light hearted / humerous 70’s look to it .
Not every bodies taste I know !

[Skjoll]

... yeah kinda like the idea of fibreglass but at the mo , not sure bouts it’s legality for a petrol tank in the uk . Plus minor concerns about ethanol Proofing it , which I know can be done...

Of course I have no idea about the legalities of using fiberglass as a fuel reservoir in the UK but I know from first hand experience that it's alcohol safe which is verified by fuel industry related technical documents.

[dowood1]

I don’t have any idea either ,lol
Thanks for the doc it looks interesting , will have to read it when I get a chance . What
I do know is historic f/glass fuel tanks on Brit bikes in the late sixties / early seventies where made illegal to fit , and that they do not like fuel with ethanol in it as have been known to go soft then become porous . Although this can be prevented with a modern tank sealant application . But I know that is nearly all in the past and a lot has changed in the last 45 to 50 years !
It will be interesting to look into . As it is an easy medium to work with and to shape as you quite rightly said

[dowood1]

The adjusted and restyled seat frame , still gotta drill it for the springs and make the mountings , when I know how much space I’ve got .
( Thinking of some led lights between the sides of the seat and the m/ guard/ fender at the rear of the seat )

[farmall]

Fiberglass is delicate trash and motorbikes people ride lead harder lives (especially when hardtailed) than one might imagine. It's not approved for road use for good reason. Tank sealant fails often. I wouldn't run a 'glass tank if it were free.

Consider practicing enough to weld what you need welded, as welding skill is worth far more than one motorcycle. An acetylene torch is outstanding for light sheet metal work, more versatile than a TIG welder (I have both aplenty), and can heat and bend besides welding. You can also gas weld aluminum. Avoid looking for shortcuts which are usually the LONG way round.

Nearly anyone can weld. Most refuse to systematically practice (though steel is cheap!) and only weld when they need something welded which is not a way to build experience. The Ron Covell videos are excellent. Visit the Weldingweb forums, and the migwelding.uk forums which cover all processes. Practice on scrap and run long weld beads to build muscle memory.

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/ https://weldingweb.com/

If you have a wire welding machine, ensure it is gas capable (cheap FCAW is not MIG) and use appropriately thin wire, not the usual .035".

[dowood1]

Thanks farmall , I hear what you say about fibreglass tanks .
Not sure steel is cheap this side of the Atlantic , and I do have a very limited budget budget .
The only welder I can afford is an arc welder . I wish I could afford a mig and an Oxy acetylene welder , that would be a dream come true, but hey ho , I will have to manage with what Ive got . I admit it’s not always pretty welding but it is solid !
I try to practice when I can and have seen quite a few web tutorials on it .
I am also ham strung by having to work outside in the cold and damp which make it far from easy .
But thanks for your thoughts on the welding .