Wanted to do a Bobber/Rat but this just sort of happened?? Will be headed to Daytona with it next month for 2011 Bike Week.
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Wow man, that bike sure is out there! I bet it turns heads everywhere. Big tractor seat, stove pipe exhaust, and bright pink to boot.
How did you go about painting the tank? Did you do it yourself or have a pro shoot it for you?
-Evan
Hey Evan
Thanks, 
Actually just got it done this winter have not had it out yet due to constant snow and ice! 
, I will ride my VStrom in some pretty tough stuff but not cold and ice.
I did have it out before final paint and details and yes, a few guys just about drove in the ditch looking over their shoulder as I passed by.
I did the paint work myself, wish I would have taken more time as it was my first job and it started off as a “rat” but I just couldn’t leave it there. I stripped the tank, etched primer (gray) , laid down pink rattle can, (applied a sticker lable from one of our wine bottles), then satin black rattle can, (removed sticker), then shot clear over with air gun w/hardner. Frame rattle can silver.
All the colors were chosen due to meanings (too much for here to list) associated with our fight with Breast Cancer.
The bike has a 10 speed tranny so in low/1st it sorta has “grunt” too. Lots of other parts came from local heavy truck supply place, led lights, head lights, etc.
There are a lot of little things I sorta “Ma-guyvered” along the way w/safety 1st then $$ 2nd.
I’m a farmer/trucker/Winery owner/Corn maze/Pumpkin Cannon kinda guy hence the way its done. My wife is a B.C. survivor, If selected for saftey crew I’ll ride it as an escort in the 2011 Cleveland 60 mile 3 day walk.
Wait till ya C the KZ650 when I’m done with it, 
however it will be more “traditional cafe'”
Take care!
Awesome! Thanks for the details. The best bikes are always the ones with the most personal touches. It’s the whacked out looking ones like this that get the crowds around them at the rallies!
The paint looks quite nice in the video, especially for a rattle job. I generally avoid doing multiple colors because it’s hard to get the lines straight and balanced from side to side. You definitely did a good job there.
– Evan
Thanks again,
Ya know, it just sorta fell together, I’m not a real patient person on projects that was my biggest goal this go around (I got better). I used a lot of the lines that were already there in the tank design and just “went with them”.
If anybody else does this I wish I would have probably sanded a bit more and then pushed down harder on the tape on the edges more cause I got some “bleed-through” here or there. Buy a high quality masking tape (I bought crap from Big Lots, ) that has good glue, but get it off as soon as possible so you don’t lift the paint underneath.
I was going to use a “flat clear” but it was twice the price of gloss, (trying not to nickle and dime this project into big $$)
I maintain and care for my equipment but ride it hard too, this will not be a trailer queen,(except for the snow/ice covered miles between Oh and Fla.). Probably get scratched up, but I figure they’ll keep making paint! 
I still give “hats off” to the pros, but if I’d have a “$ fancy $” paint job, I’d just drop the bike! I’m always going someplace I probably shouldn’t.