How to Train Your CBR - Toothless Custom Front End Build
 

I finished this project a couple weeks ago and it turned out pretty damn good! I had a white paint line take me down in a deep lean but got up and all was well except the body work. I could have just repaired it normally but with my custom light setup, I needed something to work with it and just something more bad ass lookin!

I had this idea in my head for a couple years and I finally bought some lights that work for this bike since fog lights and the stock were useless on any dark road. After seeing the How to Train Your Dragon series, I kept seeing Toothless in the front end.... SO I finally chopped out over half the front end and went to town with no clue as to what I was really doing except a few years of fiberglassing research....

So I'm going to post a series of pix from the build out and I'll explain to a degree what was going on there. Truly fun and enjoyable yet highly aggravating and itchy process.... And... Here.... We... Go!

Measure 30 times, cut once
 

Here I began figuring out where I'll be cutting up the body trying to visually imagine it using the lines drawn. It was a scary process prepping for this but I can always buy a new one right...? So the goal was to slim it up, extend the front end, and give it a more sleek look while accommodating my existing after market lights, and adding in the new ones that were en-route.



I had to figure out the placement of the new lights to add to the lights and bracket I previously built which is covered in this thread:

https://cbrforum.com/forum/how-mecha...lights-152344/


I wanted to cut out the turn signal so I could smooth out the sides for a more sleek look. I also wanted to chop upper crown like portion thinning it out and making it's shape compliment the upward curve shape in the front you see from looking straight at the bike so it is more narrow. The head light assembly also allows me to finally use the bike without the front end which is nice. Chopping the turn signals and having them moved to the mirrors lets me run completely without the front end now.

Moving the turn signals to the mirror was an easy mod by purchasing brand new mirrors from ebay with turn signals built in. Tough work ;) I'll include those in a video I'll take of the bike later since they don't capture well.

I also wanted to extend out front end keeping it's initial downward curve at the top from the windscreen but wanted the curve to keep going.

The front end does not work well with a headstand and usually ends up breaking the front piece so I wanted to fix that as well. I decided I raise the bottom of the front end to just where the headlight bottom is making the factory headlight bottom outline the new shape and lowest point raising it over an inch which would allow a head stand and not crack the front end. Fork work with no front end removal!!!!

The front end was always a PITA when removing it as well having to do a dance around the sub-frame so I fixed that too. It still requires a dance but no flexing of the front end. That's the last pic and that upper curved line. Chopping that out lets you shimmy around the sub-frame but you have to put one side of the sub frame up high in the curve, and then you can twist the front end so the other side's curve is at the lower point of the sub frame and then it pops right off. Helps when you fiberglass the whole piece making it VERY solid.

I'm going to take it's face.... off!
 

And now it's chopped and some basic body work begins. You can now tell just how much I cut away, which was basically the whole front minus the primary support and attachment. The overall shape is there now and new bottom portion that's been raised is now tied in.

I put cups over my VisionX lights (which are amazing driving lights!) to help facilitate the shape and structure. I then did the initial wrap/cover using drop cloth to give a bit more idea on shape and most importantly protect stuff from the nasty resin to come.

I used string to begin tying down and shaping things out as well. I also used wire mesh since it's light, easily bendable, and holds its shape pretty well once you bend it in place though just like all metal it requires a bit of coaxing/ironing out like motions when doing custom curves.

A New Face Emerges!
 

The fleece is now stretched out (you've seen the subwoofer enclosure builds right?) I also used needle n thread to sew it into the wire mesh to secure the fleece from moving around and keep the stretch points. It also helped in stretching it out.

I used pins n a TP roll cut in half to try and built on the original vents while keeping the rounded shape and using less mesh. Shoulda used the mesh though... Next time right!!!!....

Now we're gettin somewhere
 

The first resin and initial body work has been done. No fiberglass yet, just resin on fleece and then body putty to begin building up the body.

This was the point where I began to smile and have some hope :)

I can see!
 

The majority of the fiberglass is now complete and ready for more body work.....

Finally cut out the lights and am getting ready to fiberglass the shapes for my high beams/eyes.

Eyes clayed shut
 

This is where I screw up. I clay up the lights to exactly how I want them.... Then I fiberglass over it. IDIOT! I lost the shape I built but whatever. I kinda had the right idea in mind.

What I'd recommend here is build it up like this, but then cover it in wax paper or something and then cover the outside in more clay. From there you'd remove the first clay shape that you want, fill it with fiberglass, and then do the body work. DOH! Oh well I can fix it!

Almost there!!!
 

Go figure, more body work! The lights are now shaped out pretty well and I mostly corrected from my screw up. None of the body is perfect but it's hard to tell unless you look really close. Most bikes sit on the kick stand too which immensely helps ;) Still very pleased and excited :D

Toothless meets Kratos, and now I can ride my dragon!
 

And it's finally done! I plan on building a front cover for track and another for general riding that will be kinda like a helm but that'll come later. 4 weeks straight of this was enough....

So the high beams are on the VisionX lights which I highly recommend. They are blindingly bright and you can see every pebble in the road with these.

The low beams are now all on the yellow fog lights. Still kinda useless for driving but as general beams they do their job, they look cool, match the paint, and do make me visible so no complaints.

I plan on wiring a third button in so I can run all four lights at the same time but yet another project.

The turn signals are pretty slick too. I'll get a video walk around with all the lighting here soon. SUPER HAPPY!

P.S. It glows!
 

I wanted the logos and yellow accents to pop and then I decided I wanted them to glow too! So just before the clear while I still had all the yellow masked off, I added in the glow paint. I also did the green eyes. The glow didn't change the color at all and really works well especially with the eyes as they get charged up from the high beams. It's rare to see the glow since it requires a charge and then to be in a fair amount of darkness but it will come in handy and looks awesome in the garage even after pulling in from a day ride since the sun charges the best.

All in all, great touch!