Windshields

[Kenny]

  This is a question for Reckon, I have been following your YICS  R &D - production and it appears you know a great deal about plastics.
     Is their a chance you have formed any windshields?
                   Keep up the great work!
                                       Cheers Ken S.

[inanecathode]

Don't mean to interupt (seems like you're asking him only) but afaik the windscreen for full fairing visions aren't made of complex curves, only one curve. Seems to me, if you cut the right shape, all you'd have to do is heat and form it to the right curve.

[reckon]

I was hedging a bit,....(I don't want to get over ambitious)

but YES, I make KICK ASS windscreens,......

I like polycarbonate, it's clear as glass, tough as aluminum, WON'T SHATTER if something impacts it (like acrylic will) and it forms beautifully, it's also available in various tints, but I prefer to use automotive type window tinting film, that way you have more choices as far as darkness, shade, mirror, or no, etc.

you can also wetsand and polish out any damage that may occur, so they make good replacements.

my shark fairing windscreen is in sad shape: dull, haze cracks, every screw hole has a crack, probably typical for any motorcycle of this vintage.

I will be making a new one in the next few weeks, and of course, I will make up some tooling so I can re-produce the windscreens.

when I get a full fairing, I can make up some 83' windscreens as well.

so the answer is yes I can make windscreens, and I can sell them for way less than the $100 most places ask for a windscreen, but it may be a month or so before I get to it.

[kwells]

dang reckon ur gonna need an assembly line soon

[h2olawyer]

Glad I procrastinated so long with the full fairing windshield.  Now I'll just wait a while longer until you get them rolling.  You're amazing, reckon.  Thanks!

H₂O

[kiawrench]

gee whiz reckon,, doesnt seem to be too much you cant make in some plastic or another--

think you can make me a new employer, one with good benifits package and high salary caps?  dont forget to add in a matching 401k and hiring bonus ,,,oh, and maybe two week vacations with sick days not counted !


kidding,, i dont see how you have time for half of what you are doing as it is.

[Coil Coyle]

Reckon,
           I have a mechanically perfect Sport Fairing windshield if you need a good model ( the glass covered headlight one). Its just yellowed and crazed.
          When you need it give me an address and I'll send it to you. I'm casting myself a plaster mold first. Should the mold be the convex or concave for best vacuum forming?

;)
Coil

[Lucky]

Someone go find Recon & kidnap him!! NOW!!
Recon, You can NEVER, EVER, LEAVE..WE will hunt you down, & hold you captive 'till the last Vision is gone..  :o :o

& if i have to have my Avitar sit on you to keep you down.. so be it!

(Kia, your in charge of this)

[reckon]

Reckon,  I'm casting myself a plaster mold first. Should the mold be the convex or concave for best vacuum forming?

;)
Coil

you need a casting of the INSIDE surface of the screen, so when you form it it will drape naturally. I would make a "collar" (like for a souffle') around the screen and then pour the plaster after coating the inside of the windscreen with some silicone release agent, that way when you unmold the form, you have a form which will stand up on the vacuum table, and has 90 degree edges and sides.

keep the vertical height of your casting as low as possible to the vacuum table, or the hot plastic will "web" (makes a fold or crease when vacuum forming) at the corners, sometimes making the form unusable.  use only about 11-15hg vacuum so the polycarb wont distort, and keep the protective plastic sheeting on it when forming.

sometimes I wont vacuum form a screen, instead I'll drape form it (like for the shark fairing):  I make a tracing of the outline of the screen with paper or plastic shopping bags, then cut to exact shape and lay flat, and trace that onto a piece of polycarb (3/16 thick is GREAT), then jigsaw out the tracing leaving about an 1/8" oversize and then table rout out the excess polycarb: I make a thicker acrylic "tooling" piece the exact same shape and double stick tape it to the 1/8" oversize windscreen, and use a bearing under straight sided router bit so it's the exact shape with nice clean edges, just it's flat, then I take a fine "single cut bastard" mill file and chamfer all the edges all the way around (or use a burr-quick tool if you have one)  now I heat the polycarb in an oven (about 400 degrees) and then using hot mits I drape the piece over the same form as for the vacuum form and smooth it with the hot mits, once it's cooled off for about 5 minutes I use LOTS of soft jawed mini clamps all the way around to hold it in the form while it cools, and let it cool for over an hour.  DO NOT FORCE COOL IT OR USE COMPRESSED AIR TO COOL IT FASTER OR IT WILL WARP OUT OF SHAPE.

once it's cooled tape it to the original screen (same double stick on the inside but just use a couple of "dots" so you can get it off again, and mark the holes, and drill those out, USE A "DUBBED" DRILL BIT, OR GET A "PLASTIC DRILL BIT" or you can crack it while drilling (I use some silicone lube spray on the bit as well)  once thats done you'll need to peel the protective sheeting, and to be super fancy, take some lacquer thinner (or THF) on a tiny piece of lint free rag and wipe the edges with ONE stroke, careful don't drip any on the screen, just get it on the edges, and it'll look like polished edges.  don't do it until you peel the sheeting or it can wick underneath the film, and screw things up.

now you know "windscreen-do" the art of making professional looking windshields

[GT @ oh.]

I have a weathered slightly cracked (not broken thou) 83 screen I would be willing to give to the cause to speed things along..... let me know Reckon if it is of use to you in making your mould.I would gladly buy one once you are ready....may have to hurry thou.... as it is nearing the season and I am anxious to get my newly aquired fairing on ;) ;D :D ;D     Just need to get mirrors and windsheild to be ready.       Oh yeah... and right lower mount.... fabed up.....(help in this department greatly needed)                                                           Speaking of mirrors.... to all out there that have.... aftermarket mirrors....and you think they are good looks and quality...... please give brand name and $ so I can find and compare.Someone posted they got theirs from cycleables.com(I believe) do you like them? Sorry for the highjack              Greg

[Scott_Mc]

....kidding,, i dont see how you have time for half of what you are doing as it is.

I hear you.  Reckon, it's fantastic what you've been doing here 8)  !

[Glyn]

Hi Reckon
Do you ,make shields for any bike, or do you need a sample? I'm  after a small flyscreen for a 1981 CX500. Cheers Glyn.

[reckon]

Hi Reckon
Do you ,make shields for any bike, or do you need a sample? I'm  after a small flyscreen for a 1981 CX500. Cheers Glyn.

making the screen using an original as a template insures a good fit, and makes fabrication MUCH easier.

so yes, I usually need an original screen (even if it's cracked or broken, just try to send all the pieces)to make a replacement.

if not, then I need the upper fairing, and a GOOD picture, preferably several pics from different angles

I'll probably start producing windscreens before the YICS boxes, unless I can find a more suitable material to pour/inject for the YICS boxes.

I'll post that in a few weeks

[Night Vision]

do you still need a "cracked" shark screen?

[GT @ oh.]

or full fairing screen?

[reckon]

or full fairing screen?

do you still need a "cracked" shark screen?

thanks for the offers, but my V has an intact, albeit haze cracked windscreen on the shark fairing, and I am getting an 83' complete fairing set in a couple of weeks (needs paint and some work) so it should also have a usable windscreen.

is there a difference between the factory sport, and "shark" fairings?

[h2olawyer]

There were 2 different "sport" fairings.  The Shark is more common.  Check out D. Knox's bike for a good example of the rarer style (photo below).  There's also a V on eBay with the rarer one - the auction for the 3 Vs for one deal just listed in the last 24 hours.


H₂O

[Kenny]

  Hi Reckon,
     Was wondering if you have done any work on the 83 windscreen project yet?
                         Thanks Ken S.

[pullshocks]

I want one too. (83 full fairing model)

[inanecathode]

Reckon, have you thought about using metal for the YICS boxes? It'd be worlds easier to make a strong chemical resistant box out of metal than it would of plastic. Unless of course the box needs to flex, in which case theres no reason why a diaphragm can't be built into one side of it :)