Poll: Windshield, flyscreen or none of the above?!

Hey guys, I need your input. I've been thinking of adding a windshield or flyscreen to make my ride to work more enjoyable (40 min @ 50mph). Do you have a screen? What kind works best. I prefer the looks of the smaller windshields or flyscreen, but have heard that they may just direct the wind to your face! Pics, links, and scientific explanations welcome (1st hand experience preferred)

Thanks for your help,
Smitty

Smitty,

Everyone has an opinion though none has been expressed yet. I'm gonna reconfigure a broken Harley 'vest screen' into a flyscreen about the size Matty has. I ride a 3/4 helmet and faceshield and still have to remember the old saying "Ride with your mouth closed".

If you get one you have to be able to see over the top of it. Just my humble opinion.

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"I see a big market for designer tin foil head gear..."

"Grow up and stop posting like a 14th Century Vatican Flat Earth Zealot."

Thanks for the input RufusSwan. I too like Matty's setup. I followed the description of mods done by RoyTheBad before he sold it to Matty. From the pics, it appears he extended the support arms up to the metal strip that holds the glass, thus being able to put a larger piece of glass in there for more coverage. Not sure if I could do that though. The idea of several different sizes at hand with one base is appealing. And the price is right at just over $50.

You said something about that Harley piece you were going to modify on the other thread and it got me thinking. I ran across a blog about a year ago about someone making their own windshield in the old school Harley style with the metal on glass look. I have not been able to find it again. I think her scoot was a honda met, so the handlebars were different and I just skipped it. If I remember correctly, she was an engineer and used plumbing pipes and fittings to mount. Then painted them chrome. May be food for thought for your project. (post a pic if you get a chance, I would love to see what you are working with).

P.S. I voted flyscreen just so it wouldn't be a landslide for Neked!

Smitty

I don't have one, but I rode a friend's stella who has the small windscreen. It really made a big difference as far as the wind that hits your face/chest. It's still there, but not as strong. I don't know how it affects the top speed, as I was just on city streets.

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Mad Toto Scooter Club
www.madtoto.com

	Angry J wrote:
	.. I rode a friend's stella who has the small windscreen. It really made a big difference as far as the wind that hits your face/chest.

And the bugs, and the rocks and road detritus coming from cars ahead .... I really wouldn't expect much of any difference in top speed either way, but hell we aren't racing in Le Man.

I have tried riding my scoot sans my slick, tight-fitting leather jacket. It feels good for about 2 minutes, at 5 minutes riding is no fun at all. "Wind slap" just beats the crap out of my arms and chest. It is not enjoyable, and at the end of a long ride you'll find it extremely tiring.

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"I see a big market for designer tin foil head gear..."

"Grow up and stop posting like a 14th Century Vatican Flat Earth Zealot."

SmittyScoots wrote:

I ran across a blog about a year ago about someone making their own windshield in the old school Harley style with the metal on glass look. I have not been able to find it again. I think her scoot was a honda met, so the handlebars were different and I just skipped it. If I remember correctly, she was an engineer and used plumbing pipes and fittings to mount. Then painted them chrome. May be food for thought for your project. (post a pic if you get a chance, I would love to see what you are working with).

Smitty

I came across the same thing and posted a link to it here.

http://retrobajaj.informe.com/viewtopic.php?t=134&highlight=wind+shield

Unfortunately that link is DEAD. Crying or Very sad

Turns out she lost it all:

http://www.girlbike.com/

Maybe it will get recovered. (doubt it)

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It was just an innocent gas pump fight...who would know it could be dangerous?

It just so happens I discussed this topic this weekend with Matt_x and Valimagdon, and one of them mentioned that the plastic portion is real easy to compound bend if heated in an oven. Like leather it will bend and hold form when it's cooled.

A caveat to working it is you cannot cut it, or sand it with hi-speed tools as it begins to melt and clogs jig blades and grinding heads. If you have a speed adjustable jig saw you can cut it even if you have to sacrifice $2 worth of blades. Might take some work, but you could finish out the edges with sandpaper if you can't find a slow speed sander.

I looked around and found this link about making a sidecar windscreen:

http://distributionbizwiz.wordpress.com/2007/09/12/make-a-polycarbonate-motorcycle-sidecar-windscreen/

Edit: Found this general info link http://www.acrylic-designs.com/plastic_FAQ's.htm

Quote:

Acrylic plastic becomes flexible at around 280 degrees. You should set your oven at 350 to 400 degrees. It will take 2 to 8 minutes to heat depending on actual temperature, thickness of material and what you place the plastic on to heat. Another important thing to remember is that when the sheet is flexible, it will get "mark off" from any surface it comes into contact with. We use cotton flannel to cover the surface of your form. The plastic should be put into the oven on a piece of smooth hardboard, Formica, or cardboard. Corrugated cardboard will not burn at these temperatures in 15 minutes. Keep it away from elements or flame and don't put it in until the oven is hot.

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"I see a big market for designer tin foil head gear..."

"Grow up and stop posting like a 14th Century Vatican Flat Earth Zealot."

The other thing I have heard from motorcycle folks who tour is that the big honkin Goldwing etc screens (not prolly like any of our scooter screens) can sometimes cut down on the wind flow through full-face helmets. I love my full-face helmets flow at 50 mph, and would assume I would like it even more at 100 mph if I were to ever trade in the Chetak for a . . .say . . Honda CBR 600RR for example Smile

I would like the small/mid just to protect my hands and give me a little aerodynamics for my big body, but not to take away from my helmet venting.

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Jamie B.
'85 Honda Elite 250 "The She-Beast"
'01 Suzuki DR650
'09 KLR650 - For SALE!

I have a medium size OEM windshield that I use in the winter. It does reduce MPG from 90's to 70's.

wow

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Jamie B.
'85 Honda Elite 250 "The She-Beast"
'01 Suzuki DR650
'09 KLR650 - For SALE!

Thanks for the info guys.
RufusSwan, I agree and always ride with my jacket...I also dont like to ride w/o some sort of armor.
I ordered the same flyscreen that RoytheBad started with and ended up with Matty X. I think it will help even if I can't make it taller.

Rabid Wombat, I went to the hardware store when I had my mirrors off and found that the stock bolts are about 8x20 mm. I picked up a couple of 8x30s and 8x40s along with a handfull of washers to make the brackets fit. I'm still trying to locate the straight 3 hole mirror brackets (suggested by Matty) for the setup. QuestionMarke used these on his mirrors and I hope to hear from him soon. Otherwise there is P-Town scooters here in portland who do a lot with older Vespas...maybe they have them.

Thanks all for adding to the thread,
Smitty

Cool thanks for the measurement on the bolts.

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Jamie B.
'85 Honda Elite 250 "The She-Beast"
'01 Suzuki DR650
'09 KLR650 - For SALE!

This is what the bracket looks like:

They may have them at Scooterworks if you call. I don't see them listed in their online catalog though.

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The "X" stands for ex-Chetak owner.

Thanks Matty,
I'll try to find them around town so there's no shipping. Otherwise its good to have the brand and such when the websites don't have pics of their parts.

I checked out the great pics on your scooter space and I think that most of my questions have been answered. Do you think that the support mod to the metal strip on the flyscreen was necessary or just a precaution? I know Roy did it to make the whole thing sturdy and I would hate to have to dodge flying plexiglass, but as the only weld I know is JB, I would have to farm that job out.

Thanks
Smitty

PS I hope the black and silver combo will look as sweet as the black and red!!

I don't think you need the extra bracket. That was added as a peace of mind mod more than anything else. Those windscreens work just fine on vespas with no mods so I say no worries.

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The "X" stands for ex-Chetak owner.

Smitty,

When I ordered my mirrors from POC, they included those brackets that Matty posted the pix of. They're not needed for the Chetak installation, why they sent them, I don't know. They're sitting in my garage doing nothing. If you find you need them, let me know.

Saluki10, I would put those to good use! Let me know what to send as far as $ to get them in the mail.

Thanks,
Smitty

If you'll give me your address, I'll throw them in the mail, then you can just check the postage on the package and send that amount back to me. You could post address or e-mail me at saluki10@aol.com

Dean

And that right there is why this board rocks.

Here are some random shots of things that may be helpful.

Here's the back of my Roythebad flyscreen. He added a bracket to it and welded the mounting hardware to it. I think it's overkill, but I'm not complaining either. Compare this to the next picture.

Here's my old flyscreen. Note that it does not have the bracket.

From the front:

Check out the crappy mounts. These are meant to install underneath the mirror on the Vespa mirror brackets (see post above). They work just fine. I tend to think you could get away with making your own brackets, similar to these, from common hardware store parts.

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The "X" stands for ex-Chetak owner.

Def Matty! Thx for pics.

My screen comes in Monday, and pending no craziness at work I'll post some pics of the parts and process for it, too.

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Jamie B.
'85 Honda Elite 250 "The She-Beast"
'01 Suzuki DR650
'09 KLR650 - For SALE!

Matty, perfect shot to see what Roy did, thanks again for all the info.
Looks like I have some brackets in the mail, but I think the screen may take a while.
Scooterpartsdirect has good stuff and great prices, but they are super busy and a bit backed up with orders (good for them!).
My headlight took almost three weeks!
By the way, I almost ordered the screen you had before. They look just alike on the websites. Glad I got the right one.
Thanks Roy for including not only the website but the part # in your first description.
The other one is more expensive too! (Vespa parts I guess)

Been checking out your other "how to" posts today Matty. All very NICE!
Good shots and good "walk through" for those of us who are still learning.

Thanks,
Smitty

Pulled the flyscreen off to take some more pics for you folks so you can examine and learn from what I've got.

Here's a bunch of pics:

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The "X" stands for ex-Chetak owner.

So I did some experimentation in the garage today. Here's how to DIY some brackets for your flyscreen.

Also included are pics of hardware you'll need for attaching everything.

I started with these pieces of metal I found in my garage. I think they're off a screen door. If you can find a metal strip similar to this, you're set.

Get a drill out and drill the holes (I just drilled them bigger).

Put the hardware together. I used 7 lock washers - one as an actual lock washer and the others as spacers.

The bolt you need is 1 1/2" long.

This is how it all goes together under the headset.

This is what it looks like before you attach your flyscreen.

I also played around with the Vespa mounts but I was actually happier with the results from the DIY ones I made.

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The "X" stands for ex-Chetak owner.

Matty- you are a powerhouse of awesome how-to's lately. Thanks man.

And you gotta love those old school Spiccoli Vans! Very Happy

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It was just an innocent gas pump fight...who would know it could be dangerous?

Great info Matty, it's like you're reading my mind. If I could not find proper brackets soon, I was going to hit the hardware store to make something work. As fate would have it, I have some in the mail (thanks Dean!). This could have other applications too, like adjusting the distance and angle of the screen if avaliable brackets do not quite work out. Roy's reinforcements may be achieved in other ways...it's good to see what exactly he did. Looks like he made it into quite a tank of a flyscreen!
Now, for me it's the hardest part...waiting for it to get here!

Thanks,
Smitty