It was over a year ago that I started this project (first called DXR). Nothing is as fast as one wants. Well I have movement to report but I think it’s appropriate to review the original goal here.
The idea is a tail which bolts behind a stock Sportster 3.3 gallon tank and with my forth coming XRX tank graphics, an owner can achieve a good looking street tracker on the cheap (about half the cost of my SXR kit.) Hence the old concept drawing is shown again.
Today I can show you the competed tail part, first out of the mold. If you are wondering about that scallopy shape on the edge-that’s my attempt to blend the tail with the oil tank. I have one on the other side for my new left side cover-which is quite popular (see two posts back).
Okay, I have start the molds for seat foam and the taillight/license plate holder. I’ll be back atcha when I have news.
~ Phil Little
Boy, this project is taking a bunch longer than I hoped. Mostly my fault for picking wrong supplier. Here is a photo of the long awaited tail fender mold. With this two-piece mold I can move to making the taillight mount and seat cushion.
When I say two-part notice the hairline split mid way. We spray in the gelcoat and fiberglass matrix and after it cures we dissemble the mold and pull out the part. The fender has so many curves and negative drafts that this is the only way to handle it. More soon I hope.
~ Phil
XRX Side Covers are done
XRX side covers are available for Evo Sportsters through 2003. It will also fit the XR1000 and earlier Sportsters with the same 3-hole electric cover on the left side. This cover was developed for my XRX kit but it can be used on any Sportster to cover up the rather ugly stock battery or tinsel cover with skulls. It mounts where the triangle cover mounts on the frame. It uses the same wellnuts and I supply black hardware. It comes in black or white (order the white if you are going to paint it).
It's happy time. All the shaping, sanding and polishing is over. I finish waxing the 'pattern' parts then it's off to the mold maker this week. Things left to do are: making the taillight and license plate holder, machining the rear mount system and ordering foam for the seat. I will hand shape the first few seat cushions.
More later
~ Phil
Point One
At Paul Slinkard's suggestion henceforth this kit will be known as XRX instead of DXR
Point Two
Mike (jdm4gg@gmail.com) has identified a way to determine the small Sportster 2.2 gallon tank from the 3.2 gallon tank. If you measure from the rear tank mount to the back of the tank and come up with 2" that's the 2.2 tank. If this distance is 5" that's the 3.2 gallon tank. I have made the XRX tail around the 3.2 tank so I may not be able to serve those with 2.2 tanks
Point Three
Rightly or wrongly I designed the XRX kit around the use of my new side battery cover (which is different than my existing slab-sided battery cover). If you notice the sweep from the pointy fronts down to the bottom edge on the left side you'll see it differs from the right side. The left is a more abrupt angle while the right is a longer sweep. This mean if you are not going to use a battery cover the tail will look awful because it sweeps down on the left and meets nothing.
Downhill
Okay the shaping process is virtually done. As you can see I have the final primer coat on all the parts. This stuff is what I sand to 2000 grit and polish so molds can be made. I probably have 2 weeks worth of sanding to do and the polishing/waxing process will take a week then it's off to the mold maker we go. I guess that they will take a minimum of two weeks to make the molds then we can make the first parts. After that I have to make the taillight and license plate holder out of fiberglass and have my machinist make the aluminum mounts. This process is agonizingly slow for you all I know. I will send another report in about 2 weeks.
~ Phil