Windshield Bracket

[Mollygrubber]

Wow, you weren't kidding about grinding out a few... nice work - they look great!

I hope the speed of the Paypal-ing matches the speed of your production!

Peter

[cwrose]

Don C, fantastic job with the spacers. I really liked your idea and will probably embark on my experimenting this summer. One thing to note about Delrin, I was reading that it is susceptible to stress corrosion cracking when introduced to chlorine. Even the small amount of chlorine found in potable water supplies is enough to cause degradation. I suppose this is something to keep an eye on depending on one's water source used for washing the bike. I dunno though, it could be nothing too. In the end, I like your design and method. Seems simple enough for someone like me to do it.

[Don C]

Wow, the first batch sold out already. I'll make another batch, possibly over the weekend.

[Mollygrubber]

[Don C]

I've made more of those blocks. They're identical to the first batch. Send a PM if you'd like one. Also, let me know if you'd like one in a specific height. All of them so far have been 1 inch tall, give or take a tenth. One could experiment with the fairing mount and a ruler and get the tilt exactly where it suits a particular bike and rider. I'm thinking for example, that a very tall rider with a tall screen might want a shorter block to set the top of the screen an inch further away from his face.

[psycle.vt]

Just got the block today and it made all the difference with the XL CalSci screen I got yesterday (I'm 6'3 w 32" inseam and riding on stock seat with airhawk). Riding in to work this morning, I was getting what felt like "dirty air" at the top of my helmet and the setup just didn't feel right. The block came in and I put it on this evening and (without bending the support arms), attached everything and took it for a ride. Big difference. The air on my helmet was similar to no fairing, but my body was pretty well protected (except for the $*@ scoops directing air at me). Guess I'll keep the screen and work on some sort of collar for the forks.

[Ashveratu]

I just got my limited edition, signature series Don C windshield riser and I must say I am very happy with it. I am currently using it with the factory touring screen, will have to try it out my Cal Sci shield next.

(I had little half inch spacers installed before which helped a bit, the one inch riser improves air flow even more)

[celticus]

Ash, What kind of windsheild are you using this with?

Mark

[redwing]

Hey Fellas... in reference to the light piping...could some flat black paint on the inside of the shield work? Might look ok.. might not... probably wouldn't take much of a line.. maybe an inch or two.
What kind of paint would work?

Robert

[Don C]

I haven't tried this on a motorcycle screen myself, but Radio Controled model cars have polycarbonate or Lexan bodies, and hobby shops sell paint that is formulated to stick to this plastic. You would need to spray it on the inside, just as they do on the RC bodies.
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wt ... XFFS5&P=FR

[deilenberger]

Hey Fellas... in reference to the light piping...could some flat black paint on the inside of the shield work? Might look ok.. might not... probably wouldn't take much of a line.. maybe an inch or two.
What kind of paint would work?

Robert

Should work if you also get the bottom edge. If you go to auto parts stores - there are some paints made specifically to black out things like lights on cars for the bling crowd. I'd assume they are plastic compatible since the car lights are made from plastics..

[Don C]

Earlier in this thread, I had posted about making the screen tipping blocks for the R12R, but though I had made and sold ten of the blocks, I had no personal experience with using them as intended. I tried the 1 inch block with the BMW sport fly-screen, and I found that it was very effective at directing the airflow upward, in fact the air coming off of the fly-screen was causing wind roar at the base of my helmet. I swapped it out for a half-inch tall version and that was better. This still didn't give a lot of wind protection. What I really wanted was quiet riding, and that only comes with a tall screen. Any excuse about finances was gone, since the sale of the blocks was enough to pay for a tall screen. So after visiting with Corbin seats in Hollister to get the height of my seat straightened out, I headed south to Sacramento to see about a Cal-Sci screen. I arrived there late on Friday afternoon, but Mark had waited for me, and held the shop open until I had the screen that I wanted. I had the 1-inch tilt block already installed. First I tried the tall 22-inch screen. What I found was that there was wind noise coming from my helmet that was about equal to what I would have heard with no screen mounted. But if I ducked my head down a couple of inches it was much quieter. So back at the shop, I asked for a taller screen. This was probably a surprise, as I'm a pretty short guy, 5' 8 inches, with a 30 inch inseam. Mark thinks that the new tilt of screen may be what was making the extra height necessary. There were none of the tallest 25 inch screens in stock, but Mark and his crew immediately got busy making one for me. That was fine with me as I enjoyed seeing how the screens are made. They cut out the screen from a larger sheet using a computer guided laser. Some edge finishing was next. Then they baked it in an oven and formed the curved shape over a big cylindrical surface and let it cool. Then we put it on my bike and tried it out. The result was much better performance. This does not give you complete silence, such as you could expect from a Goldwing or an RT. But it's a lot quieter than riding without a screen, and I don't feel any buffeting at all. The height of the screen is just low enough that I can see over it, it is about at nose level. I think that this is the final answer for a screen for the R1200R, I don't think that it can get better than this without adding a big fairing. I'm a satisfied customer.

Here is Mark, from Cal-Sci, shown next to his laser cutting system.


The result, 1 nice screen:

[BigSmile]

Special thanks to Don C for the quick shipping of the spacer block. Looks like flawless craftsmanship. The use of a crumpled up motorcycle publication for shipping paper was a nice touch also )

One question from someone NOT very mechanically inclined (seriously, not even remotely close) - what's the best method for bending the windshield bracket to line up with the screw holes on my handle bars? Are you bending at the flat portion or trying to bend the entire bracket "in" slightly. Don't want to goof it up. Note: using the Touring Bracket.

thanks for any suggestions.

[psycle.vt]

Special thanks to Don C for the quick shipping of the spacer block. Looks like flawless craftsmanship. The use of a crumpled up motorcycle publication for shipping paper was a nice touch also )

One question from someone NOT very mechanically inclined (seriously, not even remotely close) - what's the best method for bending the windshield bracket to line up with the screw holes on my handle bars? Are you bending at the flat portion or trying to bend the entire bracket "in" slightly. Don't want to goof it up. Note: using the Touring Bracket.

thanks for any suggestions.

I had a piece of 4x4 lying around. I put the whole flat section on the 4x4 and then pushed down on the bracket to slowly bend the flat section up a bit - all by eye and very unscientific - did both of the arms the same amount (again by eye) and then tried it out. Got it close enough the first time - I would guess about 1/2" of vertical change at the end near the hole. Still very happy with the combination - certainly not totally quiet, but then I have a 3 or 4 yr old Nolan N102, so nothing would be totally quiet - but it creates an envelope around me that is what I wanted for highway riding - 70 no longer feels like 90.

[Don C]

If you happen to have two big crescent wrenches around, 12 inchers work well, you can do this. Wrap an old towel around the flat part of the bracket, then put the crescent wrench over that and tighten it up. You want it close to the tube. Then use the second crescent wrench to twist the first one. With the two wrenches this is pretty easy. You want the lower loop to sit all the way down in the bottom of the hook shaped part of the support. Bending the flat parts upward will do this for you.

[BigSmile]

Thanks Cy and Don, I think I've got in now.

Big Thanks,

Brad

[bmwk100]

Another satisfied Don C. mount block purchaser! I put the block on today and took a spin. What a difference! Minimal buffeting at up to 100 mph. Don commuicated well and sent out the block right away. I did not bend the brackets enough to have the bottom of the bracket fit all the way in the hook, but it worked well enough. Thanks Don C!

[fastdogs2]

This may sound like a stupid question, but I have purchased the Cee Baileys windshield and the Don C plastic block, but I don't know how to install it:

Which part(s) of the windshield bracket does one bend when installing the Don C block?

The photos with the towels obscure the bracket piece that is being bent by the adjustable wrenches.

Do you bend the piece in front where the bracket attaches over top of the Don C block?

I apologize for being so mechanically inept. I just don't want to bend the wrong part of the bracket and then have to purchase a new one, due to my error.

Bill

[AncientMariner]

Don't bend the bracket ahead of time, There is no need. Just put it all together and tighten down on the bolts that hold the bracket to the fork assembly. The bracket will bend as needed and you will get a nice neat finish.

Bruce

[Don C]

It's the flat parts that go back to the steering head that should be bent upwards.