PRO MOD Extreme Makeover!


Before the Makeover

The Trick-Tools Pro Mod is getting a Aluminum Skinned makeover! Our new project centers around giving the existing Chromemoly chassis a fresh Hayabusa look. The full tube race chassis was originally built in house with tools that you see at our Trick-Tools.com website, such as the Ineco Tubing Bender, Hole Saw style tube notcher, Multitool grinder combo, Tube Welding Positioners and a host of other time saving tools. Just like the original project, the new body is being built using tools that can be seen in our store. With a little prompting from Clay Cook, owner of C. Cook Enterprises of Erlanger, KY, we hauled the bike to Clay's shop to work with him, a master metal shaper. Using Clay's own ProLine Planishing Hammers, Thumbnail shrinking dies on a Pullmax, and other hand-held shaping tools, the body has been started! Notice the wire form that was first welded together to create the 3D shape of the body. We brought a stock Hayabusa with us to help catch the lines from the factory machines, and stretched the look to appropriately fit the long wheel base and 11" tire of this style dragbike.

Accompanying the fresh look on the outside of the bike, we also gave the engine its own makeover. Now pushed to 1428cc, the new motor is completely fresh from the Crank to the Cylinder head. Stay tuned to see how this 450 HP machine performs this summer!

Update: July 11, 2006

The Trick-Tools team spent a couple of weekends recently testing the new engine combo. After a few shakedown runs, the bike ran some exhibition passes for the Trick-Tools.com sponsored Motorcycle Mania event at Eddyville Raceway Park. With a real soft setup, the new engine layed down a nice 4.67 pass on the 1/8 mile track. Looks like everything is ready to crank it up and run a Pro-Mod race this fall!

Update: February 20, 2007

Bruce and Clay were at it again, working hard at welding and finishing the formed pieces of the body. The overall look of the bike is now taking shape. It is sure to be an extremely unique piece that shadows the look of a factory street bike, but houses an 11" drag slick.

Stage 1 Begins at C. Cook Enterprises

We first removed the fiberglass body and stripped the chassis. After locating the centerline of the chassis we ran a wire with the overall front to back body profile. (Notice stock Hayabusa in the background for inspiration of factory lines)	Wire forming begins on the tail section. We chose a wire form over a wood buck method so we could utilize the existing framework of the bike. The wire frame will be removed after the panels are shaped and welded together.	Tail section has taken shape and the tank wire forming begins. After the overall profiles are created, the gaps get filled in by hand bending wires and tack welding them into place.
Once the wire form is complete, we used paper templates to determine the starting material size and shape.	Tank metal forming begins using a shrinking process done on a Pullmax Hammer. The straight lines show where we need simple hammering with a slapper over a forming head or dolly.	Overall look begins to take shape. We used slappers/hammers on the shaping station (see background) to rough out the shapes and one of Clay's planishing hammers to smooth out the bumps and give it the final finish.

Stage 2 is Now underway as the individual panels get welded together to form the final body...

The wire form is now replaced with the welded pieces of the final tail section.	The tank profile has started to take shape and flows nicely with the new tail section.	The tank and tail section will ultimately flow together. Note the "pocket" in the top of the tank.

Contact us if you are interested in taking a weekend metal shaping class from Clay Cook.

Want to learn more about the tools being used in this project? ProLine Planishing Hammer ProLine Shaping Station Slappers and Shot Bags Shrinker & Stretchers ProLine Body Hammers Forming Heads and Dollies Radius Check Gauge
Or visit our tool site www.Trick-Tools.com or the Trick Tools race team at www.vansantracing.com	Click Here for a Free Catalog!

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