CB750F Project: Part III

After two failed attempts with fiberglass, I was finally able to make a solid shell today. My previous attempts were doomed partly because of my inexperience (first time working with fiberglass), and partly because I was dealing with a not-so-good resin. So, still discouraged despite the many wasted hours, I trashed the bastard creations along with the bad resin, and went to a local parts store to get something better. This time, things actually worked better.
I ended up using fiberglass mat instead of cloth for the base. While this is considerably stronger than the cloth, I quickly discovered that working the resin into the mat can be pretty tricky. The loose strands like to stick to the brush, and eventually end up clumping in the resin. I'm sure by now some experienced fiberglass guru is laughing his ass off at me, but hey, at least I try. Anyway, three layers of mat followed by a single layer of cloth for a smoother finish, I ended up with a usable shell. I can't even begin to count how many hours and how much money it cost me.

Now comes the part where I have to make a decision. My initial idea was to leave the tailsection open, looking something like this (not the end product - trimming, sanding still needed)

But then I played around with the idea of incorporating the stock fender into the design.

And then I thought of yet another setup.

Well, at this points it is still up in the air, although I'm leaning towards incorporating the stock rear fender.

On a positive note: Yesterday I received my new handlebars. After much consideration I went with "superbike" bars, as they allow for more comfort and actually clear the tank at a full turn. So far, without the seat foam in place, the riding position feels rather comfortable.