Tecate tank shroud reproduced by me!!

[ScottZJ]

Well I cant say totally by me but my neighbor has done the unthinkable. He has assisted me in reproducing the left side tecate tank shroud. Left side you say...why? Well this was just a test to make sure he could accomplish this task before I let one of my treasured right side shroud go.
Now it is rough form due to him not wanting to waste time on just a test. The matting was the thicker kind like on a boat but the finished product will be green and with the thin cleaner matting. It has a mix of materials to give it alittle bit more flex than 100% fiberglass. They are going to place washers inside the material in the bolt hole areas to assist in reenforciing the bolt area. I am totally stoked on the outcome of this and will be giving up my right side shroud soon to get the mold done. Once they have finished the molds and ready for production, I will have them start making the pairs of them. I will then add some repro stickers to them and sell them as a pair. Yes you can still get the left side factory(as seen in pic below) but I wanted them to match in material(and eventually the left sides will be gone too). For those that say it couldnt be done, it has, and its not going to cost me thousands, but it will be a chunk out of my pocket. But I know its worth every penny to keep the tecates out on the tracks and not in the kitchen to be looked at(right waterpumper! LOL).

And to those that doubted me, oh yee of little faith, as long as you have faith in something, you can believe in your heart to come true

http://www.fototime.com/{54F6C725-818E-4964-AA58-DBE2DC89E9A2}/picture.JPG

http://www.fototime.com/{2E705649-9831-4C6C-9C14-2E44A6ADF314}/picture.JPG

http://www.fototime.com/{F8760003-F92F-4151-A03F-753002A48668}/picture.JPG



NEXT TO A NEW OEM LEFT SIDE SHROUD
http://www.fototime.com/{BFED96C1-2180-489A-BEF6-805B8350B48D}/picture.JPG

http://www.fototime.com/{01F1DAC1-115A-4297-BD87-8EE6C6C0B592}/picture.JPG

http://www.fototime.com/{A125964D-357A-425D-8033-D63476CB6D54}/picture.JPG

[cliff2302]

that is awesome!. are the actual ones you are going to make be out of the same material that this one is? and if it is, can you get the exact match of green that the originals were? congrats, another example of american inginuity. i'll tell you now that you are going to have atleast one order from me

[CHAINSAW]

ahh man.. think of the possabilities!!! hehehhee. Id love to have some one of a kind custom designed shrouds for the ole 85 Tri Z.

[3WheelsForever]

Ill be interested in some shrouds, think youll start making some rear fenders eventually?

[Racedude48]

just be careful... the gelcoat + resin in the fiberglass tends to spider crack when it flexes... also from the elements..... juss my.02 but man that looks sick!

[ScottZJ]

My buddy did say he could make them in green now if its super green like Kaw green I am praying for.
As for the jell coats, you are correct, that is why its not 100% glass and is a mix agent to assist in the flexing, similar to airplane parts and other flexible stuff.
This is just the beginning for tecate parts, the headlight bezel is next and he said would be even easier.........peace

[350Xccelerator]

thats awesome scott, you think you guys would be able to make a repro of a 350x fork/disc guard?

[smokinp]

very cool!

[hadar]

I would buy them as well.

[ClayW]

Cool deal Scott. Im impressed.

[Jeb]

I recommend you slap a set on your KXT and ride the hell out of it for a good test period before you mass produce these and sell them to a bunch of people. Dont claim they are good or better than the factory shrouds until you test them good. I would get as many hard trail hours as I could in and see how they hold up before selling a set. No one here ever said that I can remember that they COULD NOT be reproduced. But the only way to correctly reproduce the factory ones is by injection molding them from plastic. Which again, is no where near impossible, but a bit technical and expensive. The only way to 100% copy them is mold them off the original Kawasaki molds. Everything else is just replicas. I mean afterall there was a guy selling his replicas on ebay for a while now.

Good luck with it. I hope it works out for you. I'm not trying to discourage just let you know they may look like the factory shrouds but are nothing like them material wise. If they start cracking out, people will be upset.

You and your neighbor ought to research vacuum forming. Then build the molds for that process. Your neighbor obviously shouldn't have a problem getting the shape very close. And make the shrouds out of colored plastic as close to factory as possible. Or you can easily use different color plastics. Vacuum form plastics should hold up better than fiberglass. There's a reason Maier vacuum forms instead of fiberglass layups. You want to stay away from painting them too.


http://www.media.mit.edu/physics/pedagogy/fab/moldguru/vacform.html

[Enigma]

WOW nice. Taking into account what Jeb said I'd like to see if can withstand some hard riding, I dont ride woods I ride in the desert. I just want to make sure that when Im going full throttle they dont pull out or break off. If they can hold up to that then sign me up for a set.

[ScottZJ]

Yeah they will be by far different than stock, which is due to the cost ratio. The only thing to compare them to stock is the shape. I am just going to offer these as a cheaper replacement for those that dont have shrouds or have nice OEM ones they dont want to trash. Put set of these on and blast around without the worry of trashing them since they can be bought or reproduced again.
I did have a few that said it couldnt be done when I mentioned the possibility of a friend assisting me. I want to prove to them with hard work and determination anything is possible. Even if they arent the best and most durable material in the world, I will still be able to blast around my tecate without wondering if or where I would get more plastics for. Mind you there were many trikes in the old days with glass fenders that lasted. If I had the resources I would use something besides glass, but its not financally sound to do something of that nature. Thats the reason no one else will reproduce them. I plan on offering an alternative to nothing, and not a OEM product. That is if I decide to sell them once the right side is completed. But I dont feel I have failed or wasted time at all cuz its a huge victory over lost trike parts............peace

[Jeb]

Again, I'm not at all trying to discourage what ScottZJ is doing. And I'm sure not taking from his neighbors fiberglass work. I'm impressed with the shape copy. :beer Also it's not like there's alternatives all over the place for shrouds.

[ScottZJ]

Hey bra, I dont take anything to heart on the internet and I do appreciate any and all info others have on this. I am a computer admin and network guru so this is by far out of my league but its exciting that it can be possible without taking out a second mortagage! ROFL ;) I am not going to be out to make a killing on these either(if I sell them). The first sets will just be used to pay off what it cost me for the molds. I am just hoping it works out and that it helps keep a few more tecates from the chopping block.

[Billy Golightly]

Question, what about carbon fiber? Its more or less the same process as fiberglass, just alot more expensive. Some of the matting is thinner then the normal fiberglass mat and would maybe make a better contour? Not sure. Either way, that was an excellent start with fiberglass Scott. Probably better then anything else someone has done so far.

[ScottZJ]

Yeah like I said in the main body, the matting that was used is very very thick(like boats). They will use a much much thinner one, my buddy just wanted to get me a finished product to show it can be done. Now is the time to tweek it and clean them up. They do use a carbonate type(I think) material to add to the glass to give it alittle more flexable nature. Mind you its still glass and will still not perform like plastic. It will, however, be much thicker and reenforced in areas needed. I have no idea how these will fair but I plan on testings them nicely. I am guess by ChisTmas they could be ready. But only time will tell...........peace

[Jeb]

A little carbon fiber article:

http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/56999/

[trikerider2oo7]

looks good scott...what else are you planning on making?

[350Xccelerator]

fork/disc guards!!!!

[tmecars]

Ill buy a set just to preserve my OEMs.
T

[brandosfiero]

ive been working on some air scoops for a 1986 200x.im still working on the form.it is made from all bondo and is flexable and wont melt.i was going to usepalster for the form but it cracks alot easier

[motoman1012002]

this is a great thing

now most of us just need a tecate

[ScottZJ]

Well as far as making new items that will have to be in the way future. You have to walk before you can run. So I will have to see if and how these turn out. I would also have to get a fork guard set in order to copy it, since they use the original one for the molds.

[OZQUAD44]

If they're durable coun't me in on a set :)

[OZQUAD44]

Can you believe that Maier can't be bothered making a small fairing like this. You've done a great job with what little resources you have. It would take those guys at Maier ten seconds to whip up a simple design like this. To highlight how dumb the situation is, Maier still sell rear fender extensions for tecates. Now when was the last time your saw rear fender extensions on a Tecate or even anyone who wanted them........... um...... er...... never!

[RacerRichie]

I'm going to write maier an email with this request. I can link to many articles and point out the problems with availability. They have to help. I saw a used set on ebay 2 days ago go for $203. That is just freaking stupid! My set has a few small cracks. It looks like I will repair and paint for now............
ahwhw crap put me down for a pair to help the cause............
RR

[cliff2302]

we've flogged this issue to death, and the consensous is that it is VERY expensive for mair to make a die for the shrouds, allign the die in thier press, or whatever machine they use, to make a couple shrouds for us. look the thread up.

[kdagenais]

we've flogged this issue to death, and the consensous is that it is VERY expensive for mair to make a die for the shrouds, allign the die in thier press, or whatever machine they use, to make a couple shrouds for us. look the thread up.
I wouldn't be surprised to find out that Maier still has this die somewhere. You don't just through away tooling that is as expensive as these are. I am an engineer for a contract manufacturing plant and when a OEM customer pulls a contract that is the first question. When can we have our tooling back? Just food for thought no facts but something that makes me wonder.

[cliff2302]

ask NICKG, he tried extensively to get them to make another run of shrouds, but they were going to make him pay for the mold and buy all the shrouds they made (i think he said 50). he said that they destroyed the mold because of the lack of storage.

[TimSr]

I wonder what a mold anda run of 50 would cost. Might be a worthwhile investment. How BAAAD do you guys want these?

[ScottZJ]

I have already done just as Nick did and tried to contact Kawasaki and Maier about this. Kaw no longer has those molds at all and will never make them again. Maier said they have distroyed their molds to make room for stuff that really sells. In other words, there is no one out there trying to assist the trike community at this time. Thats why I was so stoked when I saw it being possible to remake these in any magitude. I have a brand new set of Maier shrouds too, maybe I should sell them to get big bucks for them! hahaha

[OZQUAD44]

I wonder what a mold anda run of 50 would cost. Might be a worthwhile investment.

What he said!

[xd 200x]

well one summer i polished plastic injection molds like the ones you are talking about and let me tell you from experince that it is a trailprotrailprotrailprotrailprotrailpro to do. Not cheep but very expensive. as for the price of the mold it depens on the kind of stealand the dimention and how many cavites you want. and if they want you to buy the whole assembly or just the plates. their would probly be over 150hors in just the finish work of the plates and i know that a mold for a dog bowl desing from start to finnish was about 70k and that was fro a 6 avity and the polish work not ioncluded in this was all the test runs and such but if you just need the plates contact an injectio old shop i your area and have them made. depending on materal and if you have access to a press you may be able to do it for around 25k for a single mold. do you all undestand why they dont want to make a mold of somthng that they can sell. it's really early and i cant sleep if this makes no sense owell but i hope it helps to explain the situation

[OZQUAD44]

[QUOTE=xd 200x]well it depens on the kind of stealand the dimention and how many cavites you want. their would probly be over 150hors in just the finish work of the plates and i know that a mold for a dog bowl desing from start to finnish was about 70k and that was fro a 6 avity and the polish work not ioncluded


xd200x, I think I understand what you were getting at. However, the spelling mistakes make it very hard to comprehend.

ScottZJ, I recieved your PM. I tried to return your message but it wouldn't work. Once you have come up with an answer, let me know. Remember I live in Australia, so there is the distance factor to consider.