A carbon fiber shell is used to change the appearance or look of a vehicle, such as a motorcycle, and may be formed to be permanently installed as a vehicle body or non-permanently installed over an existing vehicle component to customize the appearance of a vehicle while still being removable. The carbon fiber shell is molded to match the contours or the shape of the original vehicle component so that, when installed, the shell has the same contours and thus the same physical shape as the original vehicle component. The carbon fiber shell includes integrated lighting material and a conductor that are disposed between the vehicle component and an exterior of the shell to provide functional and/or decorative lighting effects. Moreover, the shell shields the lighting material, conductor, and the associated electrical connections from external forces, objects, or other components of the vehicle.