Softail Bagger

[HarleyCruiser]

Here is a project that I am currently working on, a Softail Bagger.
Here is how it started, Styrofoam glued up and rough cut, mounted on the bike with scraps aluminum hangers.

[HarleyCruiser]

After final shaping of the Styrofoam, it was covered with plastic, (trash bags) and fiber glassed over.
This is before sanding.

[HarleyCruiser]

After sanding the doors were cut, and the mounts were mocked up.
Here is a look before final body work

[HarleyCruiser]

These are going to be prototype since they have been changed so much. The backs have been cut several times and re-glassed many times, so in order to get a nice finish inside I have decided to make molds and cast copies.
Here is how they look now, this is just a base coat and not cleared.
So the paint is not finished.

[HarleyCruiser]

Humm, lets try this, for a better look.
http://tinyurl.com/3anfbn
Anyway the bags are far from done, the hangers need to be heaver, lots of little things to change, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

[HarleyCruiser]

Humm let me try this.

[HarleyCruiser]

Oh yea that is better, here is the other side.
The fender seat and license plate holder is mine also, so is the air cleaner and front fender, but you cant see those in the pictures.
The fender has twenty LEDs on both sides in the small holes for brake and turn, and a center blacked out tail brake light. The LEDs are VERY bright, they are the Ultra bright ones like they use in the small flash lights.

[HarleyCruiser]

Might as well put a side view in. Like I said the paint is not finished yet, still needs to be clear coated, and color sanded, and the bike is a rider, 01 Fatboy with 80k, so yea it is not all waxed up.

[HarleyCruiser]

I got a lot done over the weekend, changed a few things, sanded a lot, and got another coat of paint on. Here are some of the changes that I made.
When I started I had made the front lower mount, inside the bag, a bolt going to a FLSTS mount that I had for another set leather bags that I have.
I am planning on selling those and I wanted the mount to be easer to use, outside the bag. So needed to fill this area in.
First I cut out the old recessed area, and ground the edges at a bevel so you get good adhesion between the new and old glass.
The hole is where the old bolt went.


After the hole was cut I then filled it with modeling clay. The modeling clay is used as a backer for the new glass, to get it the shape that you want the new glass to take. It will come out as soon as the glass sets up.
It needs to be recessed enough to compensate for the thickness of the glass. I did not worry too much about how smooth it was.



Then you glass over the clay.
Roll it with a fiberglass roller, let it dry overnight then grind it smooth and you are done.

[HarleyCruiser]

This is what the new front mount looks like, as you can see it bolts to the old hole for the old shotgun muffler mount.
On the left side there is no hole so the frame has to be drilled and tapped like the right side.


I also wet sanded the bags, a lot. I was able to get a new coat of single stage paint on. I wet sanded that coat, and rubbed it out.
It is really hard to tell how straight the bags are until they are shiny; this is why you keep rubbing them out.
Every time you wet sand you get the paint smoother.
Since these are prototype plugs I am not concerned about the paint thickness.
I did burn through the paint in a couple of places and you can see hints of white, especially around the doors.
This is a old sanding trick to use different colors so you know when you are running out of paint to sand.
The bags will have another layer of paint and more sanding before they are ready to make molds. There is still no clear coat on yet.
I also worked on the hinges to get them to close better. Wish I hadn’t slept in Mr. Barrys Geometry class, it would have come in handy. I am getting a better understanding of how to adjust them. Sure could use a milling machine for cutting slots on the mounts for the hinges.
Anyway the bags are real straight and very smooth, I would give them a 97 and the doors fit, a 97.
Still have a lot of work to do, before they are the way I want them.
Here they are as of last night.