Progress as of May 11, 2025
Worked some more on the body. This may look like a pile of poop but I see a clean attractive tank. You’ll like it in the end.
Progress as of May 24, 2025
Now you can see kinda how the “tank’ will look. Without the swoopy tails the tank would be just a box and the tails will allow me to create XR750-like side stickers. (Of course, those stickers will say BT200 Coleman.)
I’m going to do a center mount for tank. The hole will have a cap so it’s kinda hidden. Easier to mount that way for phony or real tank. I don’t know if I’ll blend in number plates or not.
Progress as of May 11, 2025
Worked some more on the body. This may look like a pile of poop but I see a clean, attractive tank. You’ll like it in the end.
Progress as of April 24, 2025
I stopped working on the above race body project on Feb 6, 2023. I wasn’t happy with the direction. The one-piece body was clunky and would have been expensive. I’ve done a 180. I will do a separate “tank” and tail. Easier, cheaper and better looking.
The tank will be thinned and reshaped. The tail will be greatly reduced in size and will attach to the seat base. More when I can show it.
Phil
Progress as of Feb 6, 2023
Couldn’t get my ice bike running for Sunday so I placed myself in the shop to further the process on the BT200. You can’t see it here but I cut the body into parts to line up all the surfaces for a better end-time fit. What you can see here is how the tank now fits around the seat. You can get a better look at the lines I intend. I may thin the sides under the seat. They are 2” tall now. I’ll take about ½” off.
For kicks I’m going to do XR750-like graphics, but I’m going to offer Evel Knievel-like graphics, too. They will look like this but won’t have Evel’s name because his family jealously guards the copyright of his name with baseball bats. I’m sure a bunch of mini dads will freak over a 200 that looks evel.
Progress as of Jan 9, 2023
As a review for newer readers, this art is the goal of a race body for BTs and a front safety fender for ice racing BTs. I’ve been working on this body project for three months. The attempt here is to create a Harley XR750 body dedicated to the BT frame. It will use the BT seat to keep costs down.
Thus far, the foam and fiberglass substructure is complete and now I’m using piles of Bondo to arrive at the final shape. Shaping is not complete but it’s close.
If you are wondering why I have a dropped side section on the rear--that’s for attaching mini bike race number plates, like this:
If you’d like to be on the automatic update list just email me at phil@phillittleracing.com.
Progress as of December 2022
Tail and tank are now one part. Soon you will see it in more finished form and get a pretty good idea how it will look. Front ice fender has its first coat of what will be 10 pounds of Bondo.
Progress as of November 23, 2022
Now I am in the process of connecting the tank with the tail. Under the epoxy foam is a thin layer of glass.
After removing the excess foam. you can see the body immerging.
That black gunky stuff is an expensive coat of heavy, heavy primer that will prevent the fiberglass over coating eating the foam away. The next step you’ll see is Bondo time. Autobody filler will slapped on, then it’s time for sanding and shaping.
I’m hitting this project hard because I want to finish it before ice riding time. I hope I make it. I’ve got a whole bunch to do after this.
Thanks for watching. If you want to be on the progress mailing list, write me a note to phil@phillittleracing.com.
Progress as of early November, 2022
Got a fair amount done this past weekend (11/6/22). I’m working the tank because that will grind up most of the time. Tank floor is done as are XR750 shaped tank sides.
I filled the tank with epoxy foam. This will make shaping tank easy.
I carved the rough tank shape in foam.
When this is done it will crank up a lot of interest with BT owners. It will be a Harley race-looking mini very much like my previous effort but it will be scaled to the BT, not adapted like my old one.
Progress as of October 2022
This glob of fiberglass is the beginning of the front fender. It will look like the drawing and it is going to be very strong to take the hits and it is wide enough to clear ice screws. It will mounts to the fork.
This is the very beginnings of a body. I’ve formed a box of cardboard behind the seat into which I will pour epoxy foam to shape the rear of the fender. If you look closely at the backbones you’ll see the rudimentary floor of the tank. The green tape and tin foil protects my 200 from looking like the floor under the front fender.
If you’d like to see the progress reports as this body takes shape email me at phil@phillittleracing.com.