Spacer for stock screen

[nacademus]

Hello all,

I have an 08 C14 and was thinking about buying a new windscreen. However, I don't think I need a WHOLE lot of change to the air bubble to suit me. Right now I have buffeting at my eye level when up all the way. 

I was wondering if anyone ever tried putting a spacer set under the stock screen screws to change its angle slightly?

Like, .25" stack of washers at the top two and maybe .125" stack at the bottom to change the overall angle of the shield by maybe 4 or 5 degrees to move the air bubble a little bit.

Eventually machining wedge spacers that could sufficiency accommodate the shield once testing finds the results suitable.  Longer screws may be needed.


Has anyone tried this or perhaps find this to be an economical idea?  Is there any reason why it's a bad idea?  I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Thank you.

[Cold Streak]

I use the "laminar lip" which does what you are trying to achieve.  It isn't too expensive and beats messing around for days or weeks.

[nacademus]

I've looked at those extensively, but they're still almost a hundred dollars. 


Maybe I could jigsaw a form and heat a piece of Lexan or the like with a toaster oven element or heat gun to put a gentle lip on it.   Then 3M Velcro it in place with a strip for adjustability.

Ultimately, I want a new screen all together, but I'm trying to cheap out and leave it for next year.

[C14lvr]

Nacademus,

Ya know...I never thought about doing that, but you might have something there.

I do know that the '08-'09 windscreens were shorter than the '10-14's.

If you just need a bit more height, you might find a stock '10-14 screen to do the trick.

I have an '11 model, and for me...it still wasn't tall enough.
So I went with the Cee Bailey's high dome ultra tour. All the way down, I get lots of air (and buffeting.)  All the way up is great for heavy rain, wind, or the winter cold.

The only thing I've also run into concerning windscreens on a C14 is the black plastic pieces you see on each side. They're pretty flimsy, yet 2 of the 3 bolts pass through them on each side.
I've found them broken twice now, and had to glue them back together.
The taller windscreens seem to put more stress on the attachment points, and those plastic pieces break easily.

I wonder if you were to shim them outward if you might run into the same problem?
JAT... but  I do see where you're coming from by changing the angle of the screen a bit.
Might be worth a shot?

[maxtog]

I was wondering if anyone ever tried putting a spacer set under the stock screen screws to change its angle slightly?

Like, .25" stack of washers at the top two and maybe .125" stack at the bottom to change the overall angle of the shield by maybe 4 or 5 degrees to move the air bubble a little bit.

I don't think this is a good idea.  The clamps that hold the screen are under a lot of pressure and force from the wind blast and are designed to spread the load evenly across the whole area of connection.  If you alter that, even slightly, the forces will quickly magnify and will likely lead to cracking.  Some guys have cracked aftermarket screens that are just SLIGHTLY not perfect, just when tightening the screws in the clamp assembly to the correct tension (or so I have read).  Others have cracked the plastic clamps.

Probably a better idea to simply replace the screen with one designed to deflect more air- then as a bonus, cut 5" off the stock screen (Gen 2... Gen 1 probably 3") and use that one for summer (which I did and it made a hugely fantastically wonderful difference).

[MAN OF BLUES]

I've looked at those extensively, but they're still almost a hundred dollars. 


Maybe I could jigsaw a form and heat a piece of Lexan or the like with a toaster oven element or heat gun to put a gentle lip on it.   Then 3M Velcro it in place with a strip for adjustability.

Ultimately, I want a new screen all together, but I'm trying to cheap out and leave it for next year.

I've been running the laminar lip since 08 and really like it, you have to experiment with position tho.
I salvaged a bunch of lexan from work, and tried what you are thinking, I'll tell you that it is very difficult, and you will waste more material than its worth attempting to find the correct temperature and method. Pretty much you have to heat the complete part to the melt point, and quickly place it in a jig, fast, and allow it to cool evenly. Most times it will distort, and be optically crappy, and after heat cycling lexan tends to become brittle. Heat gun ain't gonna do it well, not enough control on temp and area heated..... just trying to save you money, lexan ain't cheap.... even when its salvaged pieces...
The only way I could make this work was to make a formed jig, and clamp the plastic in preloading the curve area, then place this all in an environmental finely controlled oven.... even then it took a few samples, and lots of time.

[tomp]

I agree with using the Laminar.  I have one on all three of my current bikes and they all improve the ride.   On my '08, I replaced the stock screen with a national Cycles V Stream shield, and added a Laminar lip I had laying around on to it.  I have found a sweet spot where the screen is up enough to help deflect the engine heat, but places the wind stream over the top of my helmet..  Seems cheap fixes don't normally help much with these computer designed motorcycles of today....

I do get a little screen flexing in heavy cross winds, but not to the point of damaging the mounts. 

[nacademus]

What if someone made a set of brackets that distributed the pressure evenly on the original mount and provided a good base for the shield.

Wouldn't that be cool to make a bracket that you could turn a knob on and change the angle slightly without affecting the mounting stress?  It would work for aftermarket shields too.  It could be plastic. Cheap. I can't imagine much more than $10-$20 for a unit.

This could be accomplished with a hinged base that secures the bottom bolt in blind holes, and secured the top with a jam nut riding a threaded hollow shaft that allowed section threaded bolt to act on the jam to raise and lower the top shield bolts.  Or make the top bolts jam nut posts altogether.

Meh.    I already ordered a shield because I'm weak.    I would LOVE to take measurements and CAD this out.  I can prototype with a 3D printer here where I work.
 

[rocknrod]

There is someone working on a more stout shield support design:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10204397615484915&set=gm.10152253635552401&type=1&theater

[tomp]

Wouldn't open for me.  Anyone else get to the FB page?

[maxtog]

What if someone made a set of brackets that distributed the pressure evenly on the original mount and provided a good base for the shield.

Wouldn't that be cool to make a bracket that you could turn a knob on and change the angle slightly without affecting the mounting stress?  It would work for aftermarket shields too.  It could be plastic. Cheap. I can't imagine much more than $10-$20 for a unit.

It might be possible, but not sure.  Most people will just opt for a different windshield.  I opted for the addon Xcreen topper thing.  It give the user a ton of extra configuration options and can be moved from one shield to another.  Quite happy with it now that I have used it a while and figured out how to set the thing up for various conditions.

http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=16222.0

[Stephen.G.Fiddes]

I ACTUALLY DID THIS!

Here are my findings/ notes:

You cant do a straight spacer. It has to be an offset bracket, with the spacer attached to that.  I had two settings. One inch above, and two inches above stock. It stuck the windscreen 3/4" away from the body at both positions.

The windscreen was taller, which was nice in the winter, but not so much in the summer.  It put a lot of stress on the factory brackets. Especially all the way up.  I actually felt the need to hold the top of the screen with my hand when raising or lowering it at speed.

The extra space at the bottom let more air through which helped with buffetting.  It also greatly increased the wind noise.

After having it at 2" rise for a while, and 1" rise for a while, I put it back to stock for a car show, and that is where it will stay until I get an actual aftermarket screen.

Long story short, what you gain in some places, you lose in others. To me its not worth the risk of breaking an expensive adjusting mechanism. Im just going to do it right and get a good aftermarket one.

Hope that helps. Cheers.