Theme bikes

[MarkPBG]

What are your thoughts? I'm hoping to be picking up a 78 CB750 that's already been converted to a nice looking cafe racer, and was thinking of paint. Then an idea for a theme hit me. I've seen bikes done with army green paint and army stickers, bikes that are all black with skulls all over (not the ideas I'm thinking of, just examples) etc. I've seen enough bad taste them bikes to know my taste isn't THAT bad, mine would be nice! (my opinion tho) :)

Anyone go beyond the basic sold, two color, or pinstripes?


(I want to get my hands on the bike before sharing my idea...talking to some artist friends of mine for the paint, some model friends of mine to pose for reference photos, and getting quotes to see if my idea is even in my budget! It would be cool to have a bike I could not only ride, but maybe show also. Don't worry, my idea doesn't involve the typical multi layer high gloss "show" paint job....or chrome...god I hate chrome!, it would be some custom images painted over a base color is all)

[shinyribs]

Anything that you can do to be different from any other bike is OK in my bookMaybe i am conceited,but i hate to own any vehicle that can blend in.

[MarkPBG]

I think that's why when I went to the bike shops looking at new bikes, they just didn't do anything for me. I saw the ads for old bikes, cafes, etc and the spark was re-ignited! :)

[shinyribs]

Myself,going to a motorcycle dealership and seeing all those new bikes lined up in a row,all identical other than paint color or flashy decals,i cant help but to think of something like a chinese buffet.I know they were all sold like that at one time or another,just seems boring.But thats just me.I also get a good laugh out of the factory made,blister packed wall-o-chrome that they call the "custom" parts.Really?!?!Custom comes mass produced???  "Customize your bike with part #...."

[TOOLS1]

STOCK SUCKS. Too much chrome SUCKS, Too shiny SUCKS. Now give me some semi-gloss black, and some ghost flames Ooooo Baby
TOOLS

[Lucky 1]

Motorcycles are small and have many individual parts.
Breaking up any surfaces like the gas tank which is one of the larger surfaces takes away the interest.The reason is that t like a painting you want to see larger areas of colors and smaller areas,and different textures that make up the whole which is interesting.

IF you break up all the parts of the motorcycle with different colors etc ., then you have no larger areas to give your eyes a rest.
Just like a picture frame with a matt around the frame gives your eyes a rest if that picture is mounted on a background that is already confusing like flower wall paper for instance.

Many new motorcycles are boring because they have hidden all the wiring with black plastic and so forth but those cables and wires helped make a visual transition between larger ares like the gas tank or engine parts.
IT is the engine that makes a motorcycle interesting. If you cover up everything with plastic panels and chrome strips you have killed the soul of what a motorcycle is.

A car has the engine completely covered with sheet metal.
You cannot see the engine.
So early hot rodders took the engine covers off and made the engine visable and made the whole thing more fun.

These modern bikes have been engineered by car people. They want them to look like transformer toys that many of you grew up with. Just plastic panels and chrome trim. A lot of bling and no soul.


Even the new Honda Fury chopper has plastic engine covers. But our eyes KNOW that something is OFF,
something does not look right. The difference between a metal cover that has been polished is a LOT DIFFERENT than a plastic chrome piece. The plastic chrome part looks CHEAP - like plastic? The metal polished cover has a feeling of quality and depth and soul.

Anybody with any money will know that just taking those plastic covers off of that Honda Fury and using them to make a mold or measuring them for CNC machine replica, for an aluminum part will automatically make the bike look better when you add up all those cheap plastic chrome parts that fool NO ONE.

Also the wheels of the Honda Fury being cast in one part. They do not nearly have the interest of a spoke wheel with hub,spokes,nipples and rim that each have a different color ,texture shape and finish.
That spoke wheel is much more interesting than that one piece no mainteniece boring cast wheel.
Even the aftermarket aluminum wheels are more interesting because many designs have polished areas of the aluminum wheel and painted of glass beaded areas and rivets or holes etc.,.

You may not be able to verbalize it, but you know when you see that cheap plastic chrome that it is DEAD - no soul. It is a lie. IT is like a make up job with too much lipstick and glitter. It fools no one.
LEss is MORE

[shinyribs]

Alot of bling and no soul.Well said,Donald

[Lucky 1]

Here is a good example.
Look at these side covers.
The CBR case cover is just machined and coated.
The CB750 case cover is machined and polished and has a curved surface.

Curves show confidence.

[Half-Caf]

I think with whatever you do, the color scheme is the most important thing.
I've been building bicycles for a while now, and this is one of my favorite parts of a build.
There's something great about being able to step back and see everything sort of flow off of each other -with attention to detail, but nothing too distracting...

Here's a shot of a bike that I decided to keep for myself:

[Lucky 1]

Yes you can do a lot with colors in the right proportions.

[MarkPBG]

Well, it may take a while, so I'll just go ahead and share my plans. If someone else does it first, oh well, it still won't be exactly the same as mine will turn out.
The theme is sort of a cross between cafe racer meets WWII bomber
1. Gloss black frame
2. satin or matte or flat black bodywork and tank
3. red wire spoke rims
4. pin-up models painted onto tank (red skin, horns, "devilishly" good looking women)
5. devil head tail light lens (made by moon..devil tail light lens
6. seat either brown leather or black with matching grips
7. blacked out engine and pipes
8. red WWII bomber style script on sides of tank with bike name..."Hells Belles"
9. when I re-do the gauges, the new faces will have new pointers on them, thin metal made to look like pitchforks
10. more as I think of it

I can hear the AC/DC song every time I think of riding this bike!

I bet even the hog riders wouldn't mind me parking next to them at the local bars bike nights. lol

So, what do you think of my mad plan?

[Daddyman]

Sounds great, cool ideas! I think the brown leather would clash with red and black...

[Daddyman]

How would this work with your theme.

[Rusty Spokes]

This is one of my favorite that I was going to use for reference. It has both cafe and bobber!

[Rusty Spokes]

Damm that looks GOOOD!!! SORRY LOL just looking at it make me want to go do my thing with it!

[Half-Caf]

Rusty Spokes wrote

Damm that looks GOOOD!!! SORRY LOL just looking at it make me want to go do my thing with it!

Is that in response to your own picture??

[Rusty Spokes]

I haven't seen this picture in a while..my bad 

[Half-Caf]

K, just checking. You must really like that picture

[MarkPBG]

I agree, but the brown leather is a really old school look, so I threw it in there for consideration. I'll see how both combos look once I gather enough reference photos of the machine and can build mock ups virtually in Photoshop.

[MarkPBG]

You wouldn't happen to be a rep for that company, would you? lol