Ugly Customs™

[carpaltunnel]

So I spent a good many hours on Friday removing my engine "guard" and replaced them with large, ugly forward mounts that will eventually hold my controls so I can remove the stock footpegs. Below are what they are in the current state but I need some advice on how to seal them from weather. I have a few holes lefts to fill so it's entirely enclosed but a lot of the steel is bare due to grinding. It started out mounted below the hooks coming from the frame but I moved them to sit on top instead and they're darn perfect now.

I've also created a backrest that I can simply attach the stock sissy-bar backrest to and remove when I need to.

Both projects look a little silly and rather ugly but I'm very much a function-over-form individual. I like the unique look of the foot mounts, though. You won't find another like 'em. I'm gonna start a company called Ugly Customs and make crappy modifications for bikes (not really.)

From the front!


From the back! I've started referring to them as the bull-horns.


Sides - each has two points of contact with the frame that are entirely stock. The only "modification" I decided to make was buying slightly longer bolts to keep the same amount of thread after adding 1/4" plate steel.





The backrest:



The whole:


Let me know what you think! Next will be the actual controls moving forward so I can stop shifting my feet back and forth. And, let me know a good way to seal the steel and/or paint it soon so it won't take a lot of weather damage.

Thanks!

Will,

[Pooh]

LOL i luke it

[eaglerider]

Well...at the risk of making u frown....about the only thing I see that could be a problem is in an emergency case of having to try to (God forbid) lay the bike over, is that the sharp, squared off bar will not sorta slide, as the one made for the bike would, but most likely dig into the ground or pavement, causing the bike to flip.... who knows where & how, or how far.

[Jet⚡Black]

+1 with Eagle's sentiment, if you tip far into a tight curve with just the stock pegs you can drag em...that bar looks lower and longer than those so man be careful.

I like the floating backrest mod ;D

[carpaltunnel]

Well I can certainly say that riding with these bars has made me extremely conscious of how much I lean when I'm turning; for the better, I'd say. When I originally installed them they were about 1-3/4" lower and I tested them and was not comfortable. Moving them up put them a little higher than the stock pegs and I found that my turns were about as normal as before.

Thank you for your concern but all I can say is I'm taking it easy. I'm young but I'm happy to not be reckless so I can only imagine that's helping me not die on a daily basis anyway.

Thanks for the feedback!

Will,

[chopperfreak2k1]

hey neighbor! i'm a function over form man myself and i dig what your doin! let us see what you do with the controls.

[carpaltunnel]

Here's the beginning of my redwall tires! I taped them and put the first white primer on today. I figure I'll do a coat a day and have the red all finished up by Wednesday or Thursday. If it doesn't match the stock tank red well enough then it's gonna be time to strip the gas tank and repaint it to match the tires.

[Jet⚡Black]

I'm not sure what kind of paint you used, but some of that stuff peels and flakes off pretty quick. Some people swear by that stuff called killz spray paint that kills mold and stops bleed through, I've also heard that the line marker paint is really good too. It's best to do it when they are on the rims too because mounting them usually will mar up or bust the paint.

I'm crossing my fingers that it works out for ya.

[carpaltunnel]

www.rangerpaint.com/

I'm perfectly happy to touch up any scuffs from installing the new rubber. I also don't have a week to wait as I can't store my bike on the sidewalk with no tires.

[Jet⚡Black]

Oh no's you fell for the scam of ranger tire paint It's just killz relabeled and marked up like crazy.