mudguard, speedo debacle

After 5 solid days of studying patent law I treated myself to a motorbike break. Side note to anyone considering becoming a patent lawyer: find a clean spot on the floor, and lay down until you change your mind. Also, write to your congressman and demand that the U.S. convert to a "first to file system" rather than the rubbish "first to invent system" that we are currently using. We are probably the only country on earth employing this bass ackwards system that does nothing more than increase litigation, costs, slows prosecution down, and makes lawyers rich.

After a monumentous error in judgment regarding how I was going to mount my speedo and rev counter I ended up making the below bracket. I bought some 1/8th inch thick aluminium plate metal, created the form on Google Sketchup (awesome program) and then brought it to a machine shop for it to be cut out. Most of yesterday was spent smoothing off the edges and making it shine. I started experimenting with some new buffing practices and have found something that works well. It is about as close as you can get aluminium to looking like chrome.

Bracket before polishing. The original brackets bolted under the stanchion bolts. The speedo then fouled against the master cylinder. The new bracket sticks way too far out for my liking and hides my headlight, but for the mean time it has to be that way. The bracket will soon have a light switch and bright light warning bulb.

First run on the buffer got it looking like this. There are still some serious striations on the metal from the rolling process. Might have to have another go at it with the water paper. It is however a good start.

New rear mudguard came pre-polished but it was a sub-standard job. 180, 320, 600 grit water paper got it looking like this.

New headlight shell.