You're about to find out why pilot replicas require more dedication than series bikes: because of the fact that most dual-sport bikes available have a higher sloping seat in the rear than the 83 XL500 the pilot bike was based on, you have to cut off the rear frame under the seat to get the rear of the seat as low, flat, and level as you see it on the pilot bike. Then you have to custom-make a seat. This will mean you'll probably never be able to reinstall the original seat or reconvert the bike back to a dirt bike. They simplified things a bit with the series bike. The series bikes sit higher and retain the original Honda seat. But if you try to build a pilot replica in which you retain the Honda seat, the proportions look way off.

It will be worth it in the end!
I've been trying to score a vacuum forming machine, been outbid every time, 20 yr old machines going for over £600 ??
so I've spent a few quid on supplies to make my own huge one which will allow me to form the bikes side panels, rear section, windsheild, handle bar pods and airfoils. It will be faster, less mess and easier to replicate parts.
I got the idea from XRobots.com. The guy on there makes R2-D2 and C3-PO replicas using his home made former with excellent results.

I think a vaccu-form machine will be really helpfull in making a windshield, and even the pods. I'm not sure how it will work for the side panels and airfoils. Maybe fine—I just don't have any experience to know.

All of the panels I make will be from fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin (no more smelly polyester for me). I will cast the particle beam emitter from resin after either sculpting it or having my design 3D printed by Shapeways.com.

Tracer lights. As always with a little guidence from Seth I've sourced the tubing for the nose cone. 7/8th or 22mm OD. This is silicone tubing. Now then, the lights are supposed to be a light blue, mmmmmm look a bit too much like Green Hornet than Street Hawk!
I'll just get ultra bright blue LED's and use them. I suspect you will have to adjust the angle to get the beam to travel right. If only I could take 6 months off work, I'd have the bike done in no time!

Looks good. Been meaning to show my emitter assembly off, but have begun working on the high-volume air boxes again instead. My Jag just went into the shop for a couple weeks and am going to see how much progress I can make on the SH parts in that much time.

Hey Jon,

only a short info and tip about the slicone tube as you should think about change this tube to a non silicone one as the silicone would getting yellow after a short time and it would be faster if the bike would stay in sunlight later when it´s ready.

I have an own company in the medical business for breathing and CPAP machines so I´m working also with lot´s of different silicone tubes is lot´s of different sizes and also as we use the very high prized medical silicone all tuber are getting yellow after some time and they will be darker and darker after weeeks and weeks.

Let me check back what kind of tube we better could use for our bike replicas and I would let you know.

Greetings Guido

Ok thanks, did try and find polyethelyn tube but I could not find any. I'll see how I get on. This was from Hong Kong.

Jon,

let me know which size you like to have exactly as we also have PP and PE tubes in our company on 50 meter rolls so it would be absolutly no problem to sent you some meters.

Greetings Guido

Hi all, spent most of the day getting my other garage ready to start on the body work. I've managed to get a vacuum forming machine at a good price from a local chap who also gave me a load of plastic to practice with. You can also see another life size print of the bike, together with the other one I'm hoping it will take the guess work out of the measurements. I'll post my progress in a few weeks.

Front (ish) view.