[Nasher]

Yorkie/ Utopia

Thanks for the images Yorkie, that looks really good, but isn’t really the look I’m attempting to go for.

Styling is very personal, and there will always be many different views on what looks good and what doesn’t, I’ve asked for opinions as I can sometimes get lost in the technical aspect of making something work and lose sight of what it looks like until I’m finished and don’t like it. It’s very unusual for me to do something purely aesthetic, so am a little out of my comfort zone.

As I said, I think the teatray is a defining feature of the early Monsters, so would like to try and retain the look of the original, and balance making it smaller and more aesthetically pleasing, with turning it into a pure styling feature by separating it from the numberplate.
A smaller version sticking out on it’s own makes a statement without it being overpowering and too big.
I actually prefer the look of the original square tray over the later more rounded one, so would like to work with it.

I feel using the rear light to illuminate the plate is a simple very clean solution which does not involve adding any additional stuck on bits or wiring, and do personally prefer the number plate tucked underneath. Part of the reason I think the original teatray doesn’t work is it sticks out the back too much, and the number plate tacked on the end just makes it worse.
I agree that if I do put more work into this and try to use it I’ll probably need to drop the number plate an inch so it can be seen properly.

I used to be into classic Zeds, and still believe the Z650(and to a certain extent Z900) Duckbill to be the best looking seat unit ever, especially shunted forward and used with a shortened saddle. The original Monster is very similar in some ways, but with the rear light over the styling feature not under it, so perhaps I’m being influenced by my past.

As for the indicators, the bike arrived with me fitted with a set of Silver Billet aluminium very high tech modern looking jobbies, and the oval ones as spares but fitted with Amber lenses.
Not wishing to be rude to Blah-Blah who fitted the Billet ones at great expense, but in my opinion the modern high tech look really didn’t suit the bike at all, and when I was offered money for them by a friend I was only too pleased to let him have them. It also got rid of the untidy extra wiring added to fit the load resistors.

At that stage I didn’t even know the oval ones were not standard, but do prefer them to the early square ones now I know that. I’ve obviously fitted them with the clear lenses as well.
I think I posted once that I really don’t like the practice of fitting modern high tech indicators to bikes whose styling just doesn’t work with them, but think the Oval indicators are a good match with the early Monster styling.

The Plumbers Solvent Glue has worked really well on the two materials actually melting them.

Nasher