A couple of days ago I got a black hood set and a blue one. The nose on each suffered some minor cracking because they came out of a reverse draft mold-my fault. Luckily the problem is easily solved and my glass man, Tim, is working on it now.

I dropped the nose and hood on my sled the frantic day before the Waconia meet. I was surprised how well they fit-often horror stories are discovered at this point. I didn't have much time to fiddle with mounting but I do have clues.

1. You'll have to screw around with the nose mount holes--they are not nuts on with the bulkhead holes. Easily solved with a quarter inch drill.
2. I noticed with a bit of pressure the left front of the hood seemed to drop below the nose edge. I suspect we'll have to find a way to support that corner in an artificial way. I'm guessing the experience of the first couple of buyers will yield a fix which I'll report to all of you. Surely this will vary from sled to sled depending on how true the bumper extrusions are from stock specs (years of use and impacts with immovable objects).

Two things will happen now. I'll begin making the graphics and orders will be filled. Oh, that blue hood-that is going to Donny Sayen, my Polaris guru and the guy who will finish building my sled. More when I know it. Enjoy photos.

Thanks
~ Phil

(No, the hood will not be at Waconia--I have no way to protect the loose parts from getting all scratched up.)

Boy this has been a long road but I think I see daylight.

The Duez ¼ turn hood latch kit is done and the first new style hood for Kevin Sondreal is being made. After we pre-fit his hood to proof our work it is into production we will go.

I have contacted the customers who placed early orders to see how many still want to remain on the list. After they have responded, yea or nay, I will take new orders on a first come basis. The following fellows have indicted a burning desire for hood kits so they will get first nod when they confirm; Allen, Swiller and Losvar. (They haven't seen complete pricing yet)

I suspect production rate in the beginning will be something like one per week. That rate may be condensed when every thing starts flowing. Once I pick up a hood kit from the glass maker, I have to take hood to graphics gal to have kit installed (for those of you who are like me and want no part of trying to install those graphics). Others may want graphics separate in the carton for installation later on-no problem. And I have to literally make the carton (ain't no off-the-shelf carton in creation that will take the hood [48 x 41 x 16"]).

To order just mention what you want from the price list and I will follow up with confirmation.

Thanks a ton.
~ Phil

I have been silent for the past few months not because I've not been working on the RXL. RXL stuff has been happening. We discovered a problem last winter with the hood and nose. Donny Sayen, my guinea pig, had the first hood/nose on his Indy and discovered the hood/nose contact began wearing away the nose trailing edge. We needed to find a way to keep the nose stationary-bungees couldn't do it. We also had another problem. The hood was a bitch to remove and replace. There was no good way to grab the hood front.

I enlisted the aid of super engineer Rick Jostrom, who also happens to be a TX freak. For months he has been working on a nifty way to solve both problems. Prior to his discovery we kicked around a hinge system but it just couldn't happen primarily because a hinge system would occupy the exhaust space. Whatever we would do I wanted minimal interruption on the hood surface. What it comes down to is a smallish depression in the hood of something like 2" x 1" and ½" deep-minimal. Here's a prototype depression in the hood

The depression will be molded into the hood and makes room for a Duez fastener with a one inch flip up D-ring handle. You might even be able to operate it with gloves on but maybe not. Here is Duez is a quarter turn fastener.

Rick also developed the receptacle for the Duez that mounts to the back side of the internal aluminum bulk head. The mount system has right/left/up/down positioning so you can get a perfect nose/hood fit and lock it in place. This minimal system allows a finger hold to lift the hood and stabilizes it to minimize wear. This nothing little system has cost me over a thousand dollars so you'd better like it or I'm comin' after ya. All our plans are based on a sled bulk head that has not taken a deforming hit. If your aluminum bumper is off--mounting will be more of a challenge. Here is a peek at the Duez mounting system on the aluminum bulk head

Rick has to finish the part that screws into the mold and finalize the latch pieces but we're close. Here is a photo of Rick, the mad engineer, with one of his precise instruments.

Timing

This process has thrown off the overall time table and put back production. The upshot is that we'll miss Haydays and the big deal RXL/Indy thing at Waconia. That has been put off until 2016 because none of you will have had enough time to put together a show ready RXL

Technical stuff

It was smart for us to mold two long tabs on the forward edge of the hood. These are deeper than they need be for a reason. The idea is that by grinding way on these tabs you will be able to lower the hood position on a level with the nose. I suspect that grinding will also wind up angled so the hood is able to move forward to kiss fit the nose. Here is visually what I'm talkin' about.

I'll report again when I got something.
~ Phil

I have no photos to show today even though work is progressing slowly (I've had other project interruptions). I expect to get back to it full time Thursday. Not much is left to fabricate before I begin the pre-mold polishing process-this you'll see in photos because you'll get a great idea how the parts will look.

Thanks to DXR report list person Paul Slinkard, the product name will change to XRX. You guys are well served by Paul because he's been all over me to git goin'. Paul's had great concerns about using expensive flashers for the LED signal's I'll be using. My brother, who's building a turnkey SXR project for a customer has discovered a cheap flasher which operates all four flashers and its cheap-so cheap I'll include it in the kit. The cost should be about 20 bucks.

One tail shape will be made to fit all Evos up to 2003. The 1986 to 1993 will not have dropped rear mounting tabs. The 1993 to 2003 will have dropped mounting tabs.

I still can't get any closer to costs but here is a list of the kit components:

• Tail fender
• Seat base
• Shaped foam
• Upholstery with gun fighter seat top
• Mount kit (mid and rear mounts)
• Tail/brake/signal light (single unit). Incandescent tail/brake light option
• LED flasher

Options

• Battery cover
• Custom XRX graphics kit for tank and tail

Thanks.
~ Phil

The project is moving along. You'll notice two holes in the tail sides at the rear. The lower hole is a secondary mount for 1994 and newer frames. The upper hole is for 1993 and older frames. The '94 tab will be simply cut off for 1993 and older applications. The primary tail mount is that depression in the middle under that seat-it picks up the tab on the cross tube and the front is secured by tab behind the tank.

If you are wondering about the ridge around the seat cushion-a long time ago I learned that this hides the tail/cushion mating gap and helps blend the tail into the cushion.

The shock position on 1993 and older frames differs in location from 1994 and later frames therefore I will not be able to grind half holes for shock clearance. That something you can easily do with a 1" drum sander in your hand drill.

Work will now halt because I am waiting to make a mount for a nifty new LED taillight/brake light with... get this--turn signals. This will really clean up the back end of your bike. The use of a side license plate mount will be the finishing touch.

The side cover is basically done save for pre-mold finishing.

Challenge

To my horror I discovered Harley makes at least two versions of their large peanut tank. It concerns the front mount tabs. A later version has a 1 7/8" bent tab and an earlier version has a shorter 1 ¼" short straight tab. I designed the tail around how a long tab tank sits on the frame. Those of you with short tab tanks will have to grind away the hidden portions of my two forward tail extensions that fit up under the tank.

Time crunching

Instead of making the seat base from a finished fender, I am going to make it from the tail as it is now. This will save about 30 days and we'll be that closer to production.

Question one for you

I have used the big peanut tank (3 gal.?) to make this tail. Is the small peanut tank the same in length and in shape at the rear as the bigger tanks?

Question two for you

I was going to offer tank and tail graphics to go with this new tail but I got to thinking that maybe Harley already offers graphics (as for their "R" models). Should I let you buy those or is there a need to design new ones. You tell me what you want in this department.

Thanks.
~ Phil