Custom Windscreen

[Marthy]

Here you go guys. I'm testing my fist version of windscreen. Not too bad for a first try. I still need to work at it. Not quite perfect yet but it's a good start. I build it with some Lowe's 2 mm Plexiglass. Not the proper thickness but at $8.00 or so it was perfect for my R&D budget. It's about 22" hight. It's great until about 75 mph. Practically no wind on my chest and barely on my shoulder. The wind hit about half way into my helmet visor. If I scoop about 1-2 inches lower, there's no more noise. Even at 85 mph! I will give it a try...

Let me know what you think! Good or bad... Any good suggestion too!

 

[toddjcruz]

Love it. How did you mold it to fit?

 

[Marthy]

I build myself a brake to bend the material out of pieces of wood and hitches. (Also bough at Lowe's) All you need to do is use a heat gun and heat the material until you can bend it without cracking. Then you cool it down with a wet rag, it will keep the form better. The most difficult part is to figure out the template. And one more thing... PATIENCE!!!

 

[toddjcruz]

Interesting. I'm working with MadStad engineering to adopt their adjustable windscreen to the bike. Their normal kit included an aluminum short windscreen that replaces the stock windscreen, then a larger 18-22" winscreen mounts to that aluminum windscreen and can be adjusted in many ways. I'm interested in the adjustable part as it will let me lower it for sport riding and raise it for the touring I do (bugs, windnoise and such).

One of the reasons they use the aluminum is for a strong base, so that when you adjust to a high position, there will not be the fear of the base windscreen breaking. Wonder if I can make a EXTRA THINK base windscreen the same way you did, as they sell the brackets and windscreen alone.

Good job, your's look great. I might have to try something like that.

 

[Marthy]

I don't see it being a problem. It will be just as strong as the 6 plastic screws will hold. If you look at my desing, it rest on the firing with rubber hose for now. The real one should be resting on the edge with some sort of clamping. The faster you go, the stronger it rest. Unless you go backward, but then the last thing to worry about is your windscreen...lol If the bend are at the right place and you smooth out all the sharp edges with nice radius it will be alright. This one is 2mm (0.080") and was good up to 85 mph, it just flex. I'm debating between 1/8" (3mm) or 3/16" (4.8mm).

I like the idea about the adjustable screen. But with only 6 screws I can build myself a shorter one or just use the stock one...

 

[arkkornkid]

I'd like to see one that would go over the "power crystal" ... so if the screen were to be tinted/painted, it would be hidden...and as a shorty screen = that'd be ideal, IMO

 

[stevet]

We really need something like your windscreen. For looks I would definitely round off the top two corners so it looks sportier. Yes it will let a little more wind through but looks are important too and no one will buy something for their bike if they don't like the look. Great job Marthy. Everyone looks forward to seeing what you come up with.
Steve

 

[bestmapman]

Great job. Could you say how it is attached. It is not visible to me on the pic.

 

[Marthy]

Thanks for your comments, I really appreciate and taking notes... I use the stock hardware for now to attach the windscreen. If you look at the first picture you can see the windscreen that just lay on top of the fering for now. (I put 2 pieces of clear hose to protect the paint) It will change but for the time being it does the job. I will be working on the design later this week and build 1 more with the Lowe's Plexiglass. If I like it I will build one with the proper material, and yes it will be tinted.

 

[JonKerr]

Looks pretty good. But I'm looking more at the garage in the background and drooling!!!!!!!! Damn, that's my dream. Tell me that's in your house. :thumbup:

 

[Diluted]

Looks pretty good. But I'm looking more at the garage in the background and drooling!!!!!!!! Damn, that's my dream. Tell me that's in your house. :thumbup:

LOL looking at the last pic it looks like it may be a shop and not a personal garage. Not that there's anything wrong with that!

 

[JonKerr]

Actually my uncles garage which used to be our race shop looks a lot like that. Roll up door and all. Not quite as clean though. But he does have pretty much any tool, machine, lathe, mill, etc... we ever needed to build multiple stock cars in there.

But just your work bench/tool chest storage area is giving me very expensive ideas.

 

[Marthy]

I'm a "retire" race car mechanic. I worked on all sort of race car. Formula Ford, Atlantic, Champ Car, Indy Car, Sports car... If you look at my profile pic, it's me at the 2009 Indy 500. I did the race with KV Racing Technology and Paul Tracy. I was suppose to do it again this year but I didn't qualify. Now I'm taking care of a private collection of classic cars. Your right, real dream job!

 

[cpd6l42]

I thought of doing this also. I was going to make a template from the stock windscreen with plaster of paris, line the inside of the screen with cellophane(saranwrap) so that it isn't ruined in the process. You could add to it with shaped wood for bubbles or make it taller. Then I had seen someone make custom headlight covers by putting the plexiglass in the oven for a short time and then lay it on the mold. I would want to use pretinted plexiglass. Let me know if you guys think this would work.

 

[Uno979]

Looks pretty good. But I'm looking more at the garage in the background and drooling!!!!!!!! Damn, that's my dream. Tell me that's in your house. :thumbup:

No kidding, second thing i noticed was the garage, first was the car. PLace looks so clean you could eat off the floor. Can I get a tour?

 

[Marthy]

I just order a sheet of tinted Plexiglass. I got the dark gray one, it will look awesome. I made another one yesterday and work out the final touch up on what will be the final version of my windscreen. To be continued...

 

[toddjcruz]

When I did some work on a front air spoiler for my car, I had good luck with using a foam block and a rasp to shape it. Easy work, easier than wood as you can shape a windscreen in about 5 mins. Then put down a thin layer of fiberglass or something similar over the foam and then melt your windscreen to that shape? I would think the fiberglass would hold the shape under the melting plastic (as the foam alone would melt).

And by foam, I'm talking the white harder blocks used for packing computers. I forget what type is needed, as some types melt in reaction to the fiberglass.

 

[Marthy]

Here we go! The final version of my sport-touring windscreen. Still need to polish the edges...

 

[JSP]

WOW! You indeed do some VERY good work. I am impressed!

 

[99vengeur]

That looks really good!! Great work! :thumbup: