Are aftermarket body panels a thing?

[madrooster]

Howdy there, I have a couple art degrees and as such, understand how everything is basically just raw materials, and the shapes of things can sometimes be arbitrary. Having just gotten an R50, and finding out how cheap and easy the body panels are, compared to cars, and noticing how much hollow space is inside them, it got me thinking: I'm not much of a fabricator, but it seems like it wouldn't be terribly hard to change the entire shape of the panels on these things, add closing storage compartments, etc, make them out of alternative materials, as long as you retain the original bolt positions and space for the interior parts. It seems like a lidded locking glove/tool box or a cup holder would be an easy target? I really don't like those clunky hardshell rear rack cases. Also surprised that nobody sells a higher quality underseat pouch. Does anybody do this kind of stuff? I figured it seems like low hanging fruit. Also interested in mods like a flexible luggage system and a larger gas tank. I do have the middle size rear rack btw.

Also seems like you could add a small frunk and use different headlights without radically throwing everything off.

And remember those translucent phones from the 80s? Or y2k imacs and the n64? Combine that with some LEDs, and that would be super cool on a scooter!

[Timmer]

I am not familiar with the (RoughHouse?) R50. If you’re good at CAD, have a 3d printer that will print ASA or ABS, and potentially access to a 3d scanner, the sky is the limit. There are probably some video’s about how to do this, but the only one i’ve seen is in French.
Are there aftermarket body panels? I don’t know, i know some companies make some like TNT and BCD, probably some others too, but they usually stick to popular models (no point in spending a lot on R&D if there’s only a very small or no market).

[90GTVert]

The aftermarket stuff that I've seen is usually all about looking cool. I don't recall any function improving aftermarket panels with storage compartments or new useful features. There are aftermarket floorboards and panels, but from what I've seen they are just reproducing stock. I bought a TunR replacement leg shield once and the flexibility was not on par with stock stuff, making it more brittle and harder to work with.

I wish there were aftermarket panels for a wide range of scooters with improved quality and functionality, but I fear the best you'll find are appearance mods for a very small number of models. I think many people that mod and tune don't care about cupholders and storage and on the flip side a lot of people that do adventure scooting or big grocery runs aren't so concerned with looks.

As far as DIY jobs, they are out there but I can't say I've seen much that focuses on improving function AND appearance. I've seen beautiful bodywork covered in amazing paint jobs and I've seen utilitarian scoots with storage that can go cross country. Either or but not both. If you embark on the journey to modify your own this way, please share.