Excess Baggage-Met The Goal, Now What?

 I didn't have a whole lot of free time this week for the bike but I did manage to get a little done. If you haven't been following then you can find part 1, part 2 and part 3 here.

 I started with a cardboard template of the area I wanted to cover with sheet metal.

 I traced the pattern onto the sheet metal and cut it with the plasma cutter. The top was just hammered over a 4" pipe to get the bend.

 On the bike with the rack in the stored position. I'm still planning on chopping the fender off.

Rack deployed.

 It looks huge from this angle but its only 9" at the widest point. Right now I'm thinking I may cut some holes or other pattern in the sheet metal so the rack can be seen from the front. My other option is to just paint the area behind the rack in a lighter color. Not sure yet, maybe I'll even come up with some other idea.

UPDATE: Today is a new day and I decided to take a look at the bike with the bag on it.

 I thought what would happen is I'd put the bag on a decide it would hide everything and I could leave the sheet metal alone. Instead what happened is my head is swimming with ideas. Up to this point I would just start working on the sissy bar and an idea would flow out and I'd go in that direction. Now that I have met the goal of being able to haul the bakpac and a styrofoam container, I have lost direction. There are so many possibilities with tail lights, cutting the fender, paint and ventilating that piece of sheet metal. I may have to let this one soak for a while before moving on.