Quote:
Originally Posted by N67
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Plan to make it in DIY ways - starting from the cardboard template, adding light styling at the end.
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well, after several months and ~12k kms of mixed riding, i suppose that break-in period for my custom bashplate is well behind and sharing some infos and thoughts is not early.
unfortunately, pictures do not provide enough coverage of the whole process; also, soon after installing a bashplate decided to attach a tool roll holder to it, manufacture of which happened to be quite a headache and without the mood of shooting : )
it's the way it begun in reality -
decided to use 4mm aluminum.
used angle grinder to cut that shape. also, with angle grinder made about 1mm depth grooves on the inside surface, where bends must had been. bent it with jaw vice and hands, sometimes with rubber hammer, every plane all the way to its location, to eliminate any tension on welds.
welding was only thing here done by other set of hands.
obviously, like engine, it's not symmetrical at all.
later, after drilling and cutting vent perforations i'd glue 3mm rubber sheets mostly on the whole inside surface.
all the edges were filled, some from inside, some from outside.
since factory protector nicely repeats engine curvature, now "average" ground clearance is somehow lowered, but lowest part of the frame still is kickstand "positioner" (that small triangular thing which limits kickstand going front when on the ground).
with bashplate only bike gained extra ~1.2 kg (including all rubbers and mounts).
on the back two existed m6 holes were used. on the front i've somehow repeated the shape of engine mounting bracket, using same 4mm aluminum. it's yellow part, holding bashplate with 4 m6 bolts stretched front (like studs). this yellow bracket is attached using existed two m6 holes for factory protector (lower) and one m10 engine mounting bolt (upper, 10mm longer than original).
every contact to the frame or engine is mediated by foamy, but not too soft rubber.
tool roll holder was made bit later with 3mm aluminum, attached to bashplate and frame, holding corrugated sewer pipe
as it appeared, blue rods are unnecessary over-do, but at least they do some air-cooling
since then, bike painlessly survived few tip-overs on the both sides and >20 reasonable rock hurlings from the front wheel. before getting accustomed, that new sound of rocks hitting on bashplate threatened me in the ways that used to stop and check if everything was ok
with the engine : )
another slight difficulty is that now during oil change have to use two small plastic channels to move used oil outside of the plate and tool holder.
and one thing i would improve is side coverage, especially on alternator side. despite as it appears both flanks keep engine sides safe, just having that feeling that 1-2 cm more would be better.
otherwise, very