Just curious

xlc06sportster · #1 28th July 2007

I'm getting ready to chop my 06 custom to a bobber or likes there of. However with all the options of what to do I'm at a loss on where to begin or what I want to do. I've looked at more pics. than I can remember but still not sure what look I'm after I know thus far I want a bobbed rear fender to a point but not sure how short or how much of a pain it is to cut my rear fender struts. I also want to cut my front fender down to points both front and rear. Past that I have looked and looked at colors to paint and nothing just jumps out and says yea thats the color I want my bike. Did most of you go through this feeling or did you have a plan in mind. I don't want to start till I get some sort of direction. With all the options on the table I feel like a kid in a toy store being told to get just 1 thing. Anyway just looking to see if I'm the only one or if most dealt with this and what brought you to your decision to go with the final plan.

Quebeker · #2 28th July 2007

For my bike, I had a "vision" of it but no real plan how to get there. I just stole ideas that I liked from other guys here and applied them on my ride.

If you do look at my bike, you'll see some of Midwest XL's or Preacher's and FiremedicXL's and some Madddog's. Some other stuff is mine but hardly original.

All I knew was I wanted black and no chrome.

As for cutting the struts, you have to commit because you can't go back.

And for fenders, you can get some made of fiberglass right HERE
. They are almost dirt cheap so if you

up, it wont cost you an arm and a leg. That's where my back fender comes from.

xlc06sportster · #3 28th July 2007

Should I go fiberglass I was just planning on cutting my stock fenders. I've done metal work for alot of years and was thinking of just doing the mods to them. However my experince is in automotive so a little out of my realm.

Bill2 · #4 28th July 2007

If you have the bucks to do it right at least have a good plan. It's a lot cheaper with a good plan and turns out better and quicker. You might pick up a few magazines too. Good luck, try something different if that's possible.

xlc06sportster · #5 28th July 2007

I've slowly been getting my plan together thats why I'm looking to see how other people started. People who I've talked to say I'm being to picky but to me its my bike I want to do it right. I'm just a little retentive on all the little details so I was just looking for feed back on how others started.

Clarinetcat · #6 28th July 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by xlc06sportster

...I was just looking for feed back on how others started.

I've read that picking up a saw is the best way to get started...

Weo · #7 28th July 2007

Although I checked out pics of other bikes to get ideas, I ended up taking a side picture of my bike (actually it was the stock photo from the catalog), cut out pieces like the fender, handlebars, wheel, etc., and moved them around to get an idea of what I wanted to do.

You can do this with photoshop too, but I didn't have it back then.

Antique Engine · #8 29th July 2007

If you can do metal work on a car, you can do metal work on a Sportster. Saws, cutting wheels and welders don't know the difference.

You could buy a brand new front fender and mod it to get started. Catalogs list them for well under 50 bucks brand new (J&P Cycles, Dennis Kirk). Then you're not taking as big of a leap. Then, maybe do a rear fender next. That way, if you're dissapointed with the end results, you can just bolt your mint condition original back on to the bike till you get more nerve up to try again.

ReddTigger · #9 29th July 2007

Grab some masking tape. If you can find some GREEN painters tape (it's used on automotive) even better.

Begin taping off the areas that you DON'T want on your bike. you can add more or take away until you get the look that you're after.. you can always color it in with a sharpie..

Remember that the rear will open up the tire as well, so you'll need a little bit of imagination for that one, but the tape will be a great help before you take the grinding wheel to it.