[storm]

Boy you can tell spring is close and I need to get the bike up to snuff.
I've been planning on adding a belly pan but couldn't work my way up to spending the money - I took a cheaper route.
Unlike most projects this one went way to well - something is wrong

http://mnwingers.com/NKwing/1800/bellypan/index.htm

 

[MotorcycleBoy]

Nice job! I am still looking for a sheet of stainless steel to make my custom belly pan.

 

[mrgl02]

There's a reason why the belly pan that you buy is made of aluminum.... Engine heat. Aluminum dissipates heat better.

 

[Closetchef]

Nice clean install using ingenuity! As said above about the heat, you might consider some small perforations in the front section to allow for some air flow for any possible heat build-up dissipation. And as the steel of yours does not actually come into contact with anything hot, it won't act as an effective heat sink for heat removal (if you had used Aluminum you would have had the same problem).

 

[Mick]

I wonder if a steel belly pan would trip stop lites any better?
**** :yw1:

 

[g1nomad]

**** Wrote:

I wonder if a steel belly pan would trip stop lites any better?

Good question. What if it is alluminum, no effect?

 

[Tulsa]

Steel or Stainless is not a very good idea, they can not disipate the heat and will transmit the heat to the exhaust covers and anything else it comes in contact with, you could transmit enough heat to cost you more than you saved by not spending the $54.95 with us or Hal for the real thing.
There is a reason we use aluminum, and it's not because it's Cheap!!
Use the correct material for the job!
Ride Safe
Allen/Tulsa

 

[Guest]

The Tulsa belly pan (which I recently installed) is well designed and well made. It fits like it was made for the GL1800.

It is worth what it costs. I have no relationship to Tulsa. This is an unbiased observation, and my opinion. :s27:

 

[Jon]

As Chef said, nice job.

As to the matter of the total cost of your unit, I think you'll find that most of us don't have access to the welder to make the pan like you did. If you factor in that, plus your time, I bet your actual cost is higher than the $8 you paid for your sheet of steel.

I can only speak for myself, but my time is worth more to me than what Tulsa charges for a nicely made unit constructed of aluminum with very little in the way of protrusions hanging down.

(And I've even snagged them on a high driveway curb that I took at a slight angle - I'd hate to see what I could do to your bolt heads :shock: )

Obviously, by looking at your pages you have a knack for ingenuity and fabrication. I applaud (and encourage) that skill. Keep up the good work!

 

[Fred H.]

Coolant Reservoir protection

One small problem. You didn't cover the coolant reservoir, which several folks have had punctured from rocks. I think this is probably the item that needs protection the most.

Here is what I did to protect my coolant tank.

http://www.pbase.com/fredharmon/coolant

 

[Big Red.]

The Tulsa belly pan (which I recently installed) is well designed and well made. It fits like it was made for the GL1800.

It is worth what it costs. I have no relationship to Tulsa. This is an unbiased observation, and my opinion. :s27:

I agree with the above. :yes2: I have no connection with Tulsa. :luck: I have the Tulsa Belly Pan fitted and would not swap it for any other part. :money1: It cost me 50 bucks at Wing Toys in Texas and I would have paid 150 bucks for it, before I would start messing around with shabby materials that you have done. :banghead: This is the 1800 Goldwing you are messing with, :rw1: not a Honda 50cc. :biker: If you cant afford the Tulsa Belly Pan you cant afford to have the 1800 wing. :22yikes: Happy Saint Patricks Day to you, and ride Safe.

 

[RNG]

I'll have to agree with Jon. Nice job, your pan looks pretty good. Factor in the labor alone and it's cheaper to get the tulsa.

Best first purchase I ever made for my bike. Saved my engine case the second day I had it. While 1000 miles from home during a weekend trip I rode out of a gas station parking lot and off the curb. Was only going about 3 miles an hour when I went over and did the teeth rattling hit thing. Was afraid to look at first not knowing what I would find. No doubt in my mind that I would have cracked the engine case. Belly pan looked pretty bad too. Pulled it off and tapped it out, just like new and not even a scratch on the case. If it wasn't for the recommendations of this board I never would have bought it.

Kudo's to Tusla and their GREAT product.

Richard

 

[MotorcycleBoy]

Steel or Stainless is not a very good idea, they can not disipate the heat and will transmit the heat to the exhaust covers and anything else it comes in contact with, you could transmit enough heat to cost you more than you saved by not spending the $54.95 with us or Hal for the real thing.
There is a reason we use aluminum, and it's not because it's Cheap!!
Use the correct material for the job!
Ride Safe
Allen/Tulsa

With proper airflow/ventilation between the pan and the engine/exhaust, there would not be a heat build up problem that would cause damage elsewhere. I do have a Genuine Tulsa Belly Pan and believe it is a good product that needs some improvement in the ventilation department. (This comment is intended to be constructive criticism for the manufacturer to use free of charge to improve an existing product. AKA, user feedback.)

 

[LarryM]

I will take the minority opinion here. For whatever reason he did it, I applaud Storm for trying to be creative and come up with his own solution, and for taking the time to share it with us. The Tulsa may be worth every penny. Down the road he may find that the Tulsa is a superior design. Is heat an issue? Is steel worth the extra weight? Through tinkering with his own design and suggestions from this board, he may eventually come up with a design that is superior.

There is a certain satisfaction for many people, (including me) in building something yourself from scratch. I did the same thing with designing my own fuse distribution box, and I think I came up with a design that is better than anything out there. It took an entire day and a six pack to do it, and I enjoyed every minute.

Larry

 

[Boatner]

Tulsa belly pan...

Hey Allen!

Your belly pan saved my bike... I hit a large retread while traveling around 65 mph (I was going 65, not the retread). It was around dawn and I was traveling down I26 toward Columbia, SC from Asheville, NC. The belly pan took quite a hit and deformed the pan so that the locks no longer line up. Further, you can see the outline of parts of the engine etched into the pan... Thank you for your fine product!

What do you charge to repair my belly pan? What do I need to do? I'd like to have it fixed before I make any long trips... no one should be without one.

Kindest regards,

Boatner

 

[Lucky Phil]

Hey Storm...punch a couple louvers in it for cooling purposes.

 

[Tulsa]

MotorcycleBoy wrote"
With proper airflow/ventilation between the pan and the engine/exhaust, there would not be a heat build up problem that would cause damage elsewhere

We don't have a ventilation problem, but, the Belly Pan contacts the engine cases and the exhaust headers, so there is an issue with heat buildup with heavier material and well as steel or stainless, they do not make a very good "heatsink".

As far as adding "cooling" fins, holes or louvers, any type of openings like these can "catch" an object off the front tire and maybe rip the Belly Pan off or depending on what it is, maybe cause it to catch and maybe damage the cases. With the smooth surface and very low profile fasteners, that is much "Less" likely to occur.

We are always open to suggestions or another point of view.

Boatner,
Give me a call, we'll see if we can help you get it "fixed"

Ride Safe,
Allen/Tulsa

 

[storm]

Well - OK I guess my post on the home made belly pan got some unexpected but on second thought probably deserved responses.
First off thanks to all who posted favorably. And I always appreciate constructive criticism.
I did modify some of the wording on the web page in favor of Tulsa - They do make some fine quality products and did not mean to state otherwise.
As an engineer I look at things from my own angle of view, cost and function. I considered the heat issue and ventilation but dismissed it for several reasons - it's a water cooled engine, air flow does not have much effect if any. Also air is directed between the pan and engine by the vents in the lower end of the cowl. While the pan is attached to the exhaust header pipes the heat really goes nowhere but into the pan where it is dissapated by the air flowing around it the pan also has plenty of surface area to assist in this operation. Weight is not much of an issue as the steel pan only weights about a pound. And steel is much more puncture resistant than aluminmun.
My intent was to add to the protection of the critical engine components economically and share this information with those who wish to do the same.
I think I have realized the intent - do as you wish with the information.