The Ténéré has a factory fitted bash plate but it’s made of plastic.
It’s pretty strong but even strong plastic breaks easily and they know that at Yamaha.
In the OEM accessory catalogue there is a aluminium version with pretty much the same shape and the same flaw.
One weak point on the XT660 engine is the placement of the water-pump at the front bottom but high enough not to be hidden behind the bash plate and therefore the hose can be punctured by a branch or the housing damaged by a rock.
A bit of a shame that the aluminium version doesn’t cover that giving it a proper advantage over the standard plastic one.
Luckily i know my way around aluminium and now i had the time to finish war i started earlier.
Plan was to extend the bash plate and cover the hose and housing. It’s quite a puzzle to find the shapes going around and between the different parts so i started with cardboard.
This is the starting point step one and two Step 3
After step 3 i had to shape those into aluminium and tack it on. The last piece of the puzzle can only be made to fit with the firm aluminium in place because the cardboard moves too much.
But first i have to make the parts using the cardboard as a template.
The bash plates have holes in it for cooling and drainage and i was thinking for a pattern for the vent holes in the big side plate.
In the bash plate there are slot holes so that’s the logical way to have it look like it’s original but then i thought that i also can make slot holes in a specific order…
Yep… XTZ
Only have to transform those lines into slot holes.
Yesterday i already punched the holes and today i thought i only had time to smoothen the holes and shape the plates. Several bends are needed to get it fitted and then i wanted to get the last piece also fitted.
I was making progress but because of that i forgot to make some pictures of the shaping progress.
As i said i needed the aluminium parts in place for the last piece and the only way is to tack it on and when i start welding i need to finish it or take the bash plate of until it is finished.
Friday is grocery day, no time for DIY and than weekend with some other projects planned and Monday is a long day…. just get on with it and finish it.
After tack-welding the parts in place i could make the last piece and with that in place it’s time to take the bash plate off to weld it completely.
I know, the bash-plate already looks pretty used and the rest will be look the same fast enough. I’m thinking of getting it anodised in blue but i have to check for prices first.
Only thing left is bolt it back in place with this as the end result (unless i have it anodised)
That will do it 😎
Heel gaaf zo Ray, hoe kom je erop XTZ te verwerken in jouw “knuntselwerk” haha, erg nette naden ook!
Bedankt.
Het is een Yamaha XT660Z in de volksmond XTZ en daar komt ook de naam Ecstasy vandaan want zo klinkt het als je het in het Amerikaans Engels uitspreekt (Z in het VK Engels is “Zet” en in USA Engels “Zee”, dus eigenlijk een zwaar uitgesproken C).
Gaaf stukje vakwerk!
Bedankt.