Some repairs had to be made to the front left side panel before creating a new rear panel. At one point the front exhaust exited through this side and was covered with an aluminum patch after the idea was snuffed. The second repair was to the rear edge. The original bodywork did not have an adjacent panel here so the irregular rear edge was straightened to mate with the new panel.
Final shaping of the front panel is done and the form for the rear panel is being test fitted. The blue masking tape highlights the angular contours of the bodywork. Again, just like the other side, the original RR Buell bodywork determined much of what the new piece would look like.
Test fit. Test fit. Test fit.
The rear panel form was jigged to front panel to keep the datum line true.
Six layers of fiberglass curing on the form. Note that there's always excess material beyond the edge of the form. This insures consistent thickness along the edge after it's trimmed.
Final shaping and trimming are done in this photo but it's still on the form. The reason is because it will be flipped over to create the last jamb edge while still in the jig. This is one piece that won't be test fitted on the bike until it's completely done but with attention to detail there shouldn't be any problems.
The panel had been flipped and once everything was nailed down part of the form's framework and skin were removed. The exposed area was where the female jamb edge would be created using the front panel as a form.
Jamb edge laminated. The panels were then removed from the jig and two more reinforcing layers of fiberglass were added to the inside of the new piece.
This picture shows the bike in it's final test fit with the panels in place and the Dzus fasteners temporarily installed. It was now ready for disassembly, finish and paintwork. Note the bottom edge of the tail section was trimmed to meet the rear wheel rule after the last fitting. Just enough of the rim is exposed to pass SCTA-BNI inspection.