Feedback needed for a potential 5-0dro XB Pulley Cover

[50dro]

As many of you may have read, I'm working on a pulley cover for the XB. I'd like to get some honest feedback. Assume that it will be similar to the Freespirits cover in quality. Please give me some feedback on the following (and anything else that you want to tell me):

1) Machined aluminum or machined plastic? (I think I know the answer to this but I wanted to be sure)

2) Cost? (Don't say $50 ) Seriously...What would you expect to pay for it?

3) General design. How "open" would you want it to be? Please consider safety. Use Freespirits as a benchmark. Are there any shapes that you would prefer (I won't be using any trademarked logos other than my own for legal reasons...Sorry)

4) Would you clean and detail your pulley or would you buy a cover like the one that Freespirits offers? If cover, what would you pay for that and what would you want it to look like?

***These questions are meant to give me some direction on where my design goes. I'm guessing if I machined a piece from a 2" billet and charged $400 for it I wouldn't sell any. Please be brutally honest and descriptive.

Thanks! You guys always come through for me and I appreciate it more than you know![up]

5-0dro

 

[kyle_dewald]

1) Both if possible. Have a cheaper plastic one then the aluminum
2) Plastic: ~$75-$100; Aluminum: ~$100-$125
3) Reasonably open, but not big enought to get a foot caught in it
4) Cover it, polished pulley look ~$30-$40

 

[squidbuellie]

do plastic to keep the price down and profit up
$75-$125 sounds fair
colored plastic to match buell colors
$30-$45 clear cover to go over the hole them it can be as big as you want to make it
$30-$40 different design pulley gear caps(spiral mag look like the belt tensioner)

 

[gunut75]

I made a pulley cover for my bike out of aluminum that is 4" in dia. It has a radiation symbol that was machined into it after painting. I would realistically sell one for $50; all hardware included. A radiation symbol is very simple. If you get elaborate, obviously the price goes up. Ya just have to be competitive with the current market offerings.

 

[50dro]

Thanks for the feedback guys! Keep em coming!

 

[upthemaiden]

1. I like the idea of plastic, I just picture a lot of people having a really hard time buying an after market plastic cover. If there was one person who would buy something in plastic to save money, it would be me, and in this case, I don't even think I'd do it haha

2. Pretty open. When I planned on cutting mine up I looked at a lot of Ducati open clutch covers. I think something like that is the way to go. Just enough to shield your foot. I rode my bike without the cover for a while and really there isn't much chance of anything getting stuck in there. Not to say people shouldn't be careful, but I think you have some room to play with leaving it somewhat open. The part that looks bad is the part right behind the pully, it's just a big long open space that looks weird. Try to keep that covered, and just show off the belt/pully. Also even if the Freespirits cover looks nice, it just doesn't go with the lines of XBs too well. Too many lines and weird angles for it to look like. You should try to keep something with the same clean/simple/minimal style that the XBs have so it looks like it's actually supposed to be there.

4. I would just cut up mine, already did!

 

[americanthunder]

definatly two grades "plastic & alluminum" would be awesome and like gunut75 said depending on how detailed you got with the design is weather people buy it for the price or not. if you could keep it open but not enough to suck in a foot and simple enough to keep your cost down thats half your battle the other is finding a design you could do simply thats clean and one everyone wants. if you get some drawings goin that would help to.
and depending on when you get this pully cover goin ill prob be orderin axle sliders and the cover. thats my 0.02$ hope it helps you[up]

 

[50dro]

Thanks everyone! I'll be considering all of your feedback in the coming weeks as I work out a design. I'll post some ideas once I have them...

americanthunder: If you want me to reserve some sliders for you let me know. They'll be here later this month and I'm already running out believe it or not. [sad]

 

[Jobe Zeebuh]

Sure you guys saw mine already. I was going to buy a free spirits but IMA D.I.Y. guy. (cheap too!)

I would say a cool aluminum cover would sell me if it was less then a free spirits and could be polished! I like being able to see the mechanics of the bike but hate exposed wires and the open concept is just a bad idea. Maybe an aluminum cover with a lexon window that bolts on similar to the Rizma covers.

 

[50dro]

Thanks! I'm kinda surprised that so many of you would consider a plastic cover. I'll consider it but in the end it may not be as much cheaper than aluminum as you may think. It's still about the same amount of machining.

 

[50dro]

Bump for more feedback!

 

[wiznut]

Cost? (Don't say $50 ) Seriously...What would you expect to pay for it?

I don't get why we shouldn't say $50... For a pulley cover, that is exactly what I would expect to pay... A vaccum molded piece is all that is needed.

 

[50dro]

I don't get why we shouldn't say $50... For a pulley cover, that is exactly what I would expect to pay... A vaccum molded piece is all that is needed.

Thanks! At the quantities that we're talking about I don't think that I (or anyone else) could get it that cheap considering tooling etc. Even the carbon (copy) ones on Ebay are $99. Furthermore I don't think a vacuum formed piece would be "different" enough from stock IMHO. Not really my forte. I prefer a machined piece of some sort but thanks for the feedback.

 

[Jon0341]

I think that whatever you come up with will 50dro, it will be clean, smooth and high quality and priced right. After hearing of the quality of the axle slider I'm sure that anything you come up with will be a seller. I will getting up with you in the future for some axle slider in black, got to wait for the funds.

 

[50dro]

I think that whatever you come up with will 50dro, it will be clean, smooth and high quality and priced right. After hearing of the quality of the axle slider I'm sure that anything you come up with will be a seller. I will getting up with you in the future for some axle slider in black, got to wait for the funds.

Thanks Jon! Let me know what your timing is and I'd be glad to reserve a set for you if it's within a month or so...

 

[flaya564]

1) Machined aluminum or machined plastic? What ever's cheaper.(I know your design will be awesome either way)

2) Cost? (Don't say $50 ) I'm with Wiz on this one. If I don't need it to function, I'm gonna scan ebay for someones leftover's for cheap. SO price has got to be reasonable

3) General design. How "open" would you want it to be? Please consider safety. Use Freespirits as a benchmark. Are there any shapes that you would prefer (I won't be using any trademarked logos other than my own for legal reasons...Sorry)Something clean and modern looking. I'd like it to be somewhat protective to the belt in

4) Would you clean and detail your pulley or would you buy a cover like the one that Freespirits offers? If cover, what would you pay for that and what would you want it to look like?I'd probably attempt to clean to pulley first, to keep the mechanical look but it the cover is nice enough I might go with that.

 

[Hammel13]

im agreeing with everyone on the $75-$100 ones for plastic or $100-$125 for the Aluminum. as far as design im open to anything. Going off the Axle Sliders i got from you i know the quality will be there

 

[xtremelow]

Plastic IF it was painted or paintable not a rough texture like the stock piece.

~$65 for plastic

I would think some type of opening would be a must since it is aftermarket.

I like the small round cover that came with my rizoma cover, just makes things that much simpler. Then add another $15 for a small round cover.

 

[50dro]

Plastic IF it was painted or paintable not a rough texture like the stock piece.

~$65 for plastic

I was thinking machined black plastic. The problem is that machining plastic isn't all that much easier than aluminum in the grand scheme of things. The price difference comes down to the difference in material which isn't as much different as customers (myself included) would expect for a plastic part vs. an aluminum part. ($65 vs. $125)

I like the small round cover that came with my rizoma cover, just makes things that much simpler. Then add another $15 for a small round cover.

I assume you're referring to a cover for the pulley itself? I'm not as familiar with the Rizoma cover. I'll have to do more research on that one. Is the small cover plastic or aluminum? Pics?

 

[xtremelow]

I guess i had a vacuum molded cover piece in mind not an actual machined plastic block.

Rizoma pulley center cap Cover is aluminum or steel can't remember.

This is the best shot I have without the entire cover on.