Lower screen

TheJoker · Feb 4, 2005

Gents,

Seems like I've finally managed to pull my thumb outta my .... to post these pics.... I'm currently at home aiming to be in at work soon when doing this, so I might have to make this a two part story... Anyway, we'll see how far I get...

The aim of this project was to remove the riding-a-conservatory-effect, as I'm used to get the wind in my "hair" when riding. I also didn't like the noise the original was causing so more clean air should cure that...

Initially I cut the screen down by 20 or 25mm (can't remember), then I took another strip of 10mm off so the total 30 - 35mm shorter screen. But the major changes were the sides...

The tools I used were a simple Dremel mini-drill equipped with a metal cutting disc to cut large parts off, and a sanding "drum" about 10-15mm in diameter with a sanding paper cylinder on it (dumb descriptions I know) to "fine adjust" the edges, in fact this one worked so well that I could actully remove quite a bit of material with it... At the expense of "plastic snow" in the whole garage.

The bike is equipped with Tobinators and I used them in their topmost position and the screen angled back as far as possible. This to ensure that whatever position on the screen I used it would not touch the bars - this has proven to be a bit excessive afterwards as tilting the screen that much is kind of pointless. But it's quite fine as it is now.

First thing I did was to round off the corners of the screen, gave me a good feel of the material without having to venture into critical parts.

TheJoker · Feb 4, 2005

Next thing was to cut off a piece on the top... used the cutting disc to cut it, then the drum to sand it down....

TheJoker · Feb 4, 2005

I then mounted the screen onto the bike, and started working on the clearance for the bars, this was done very organically... move the bars, cut some more, move the bars, cut some more till they're clear... repeat on the other side. The screen hinges at the front proved to be really useful as I could flip the screen forward

TheJoker · Feb 4, 2005

As I had come so close to the fold on the sides by cutting so much off to clear the bars, I decided to cut the screen to the fold. I tidied it up a bit, and to compare it with the original I took these pics

TheJoker · Feb 4, 2005

Side by side...

TheJoker · Feb 4, 2005

Standing up..

TheJoker · Feb 4, 2005

I didn't spend much time on finishing off the edges and the generic finish, I guess I was too lazy and too eager to try it out.

The recipe for tidying it up is simple, sand it down using finer and finer grade sand paper, then polish it up,....

TheJoker · Feb 4, 2005

This pic shows the screen on the bike (no, honestly

) In a very tilted back position (really!

)...
I now use it fully angled up at the back, and the Tobinators on 3rd lowest setting or so. I've not tinkered enough with the settings, but I know that putting the Tobinators on lowest and back settings on highest allows me to cruise at very high speed with pretty much no turbulence with my biiyatch at the back.

It might be that I can even completely remove the Tobinators... I need to play around more, but the darkness of winter hasn't really inspired me...

TheJoker · Feb 4, 2005

Quick conclusion:

- Well worth doing,
- Get's you out in the open
- Not much worse wind protection
- Looks way better (More 950ish)
- Screen doest vibrate anymore!

Hindsight:
- Maybe not cut as much off the top (-10mm)?
- Maybe not angle it back so much when freeing the bars and thus leave a little bit more on the "struts" that go towards forcing air away from your bars (dumb description again)
- To be pedantic I could have masked the screen to prevent scratches and dremel-slippages, but then again I'm not that 4n4l...

I'm off to work now, but please ask any questions I might have forgotten to answer!

And thanks to a kind Gentleman nearby who didn't need his slightly scratched screen! :beerjug:

Paul Wakefield · Feb 4, 2005

And thanks to a kind Gentleman nearby who didn't need his slightly scratched screen!

My pleasure! Glad to see it put to good use. I'd like to see the revised screen in the flesh sometime - looks like quite a radical change.

Paul

Rich · Feb 4, 2005

Very nice mod, IMO. I like that a lot. What would you use to polish the plastic?

suarvharv · Feb 4, 2005

Joker,
Thanks for an superb set of pictures, description and tips. I shall be doing something similar very soon.
harv

Cestria · Feb 4, 2005

When I heard about the screen being cut down etc etc I thought it would be a complete disaster.
Having seen the pics I think it looks MUCH better than the original, and worth doing for that alone. I'm not brave enough though! :beerjug:

TheJoker · Feb 4, 2005

Paul
Thanks again! I might be doing the Fred Hill run this Saturday 5th at noon, so if you're up for it, join in! See the Fred Hill thread for some info.

Dr Rich
There's plenty of different types of polish out there, my girfriend once bought some glassfibre fairing polish, you've got your classic T-cut, visor scratch removers etc... so, I don't know exactly which one to use, but I'd give a few of them a try.

suarvharv
Go for it! :beerjug:

If you have any questions, just ask, here or in a PM.

Cestria
I do admit there's this horror-feeling when you put the cutting disc to the screen the first time

That's why I, luckily, sourced a 2nd screen - I still have my original screen nicely packed down into a box.

I need to find a more recent picture of the bike, where the screen isn't angled back so far. It looks quite neanderthal with it that far back.

Thanks for the compliments!

Tobers · Feb 4, 2005

I'm playing with a Secdem screen at the moment. I'll post up pics later this weekend. It's about the same width as the standard screen but is a fair bit taller.

Lots of adjustment still to do, initial results are "interesting". I'm testing with & without Tobinators and being as objective as possible

More later....

Andy

Mouse · Feb 4, 2005

Brasso is good for polishing screens.

John Armstrong · Feb 4, 2005

I think what you really need is one of the aviation perspex (tradename I know) polishing kits. What you get is exceedingly fine wet and dry cloths that go from something like 5 000 grit to 40 000 (not much rougher than paper). Basically you sand the scratches down making them finer and finer until with their magic final liquid polish they disappear from sight, if you've done it right.

Basically you're making them so fine that you can't see them, I've used it on glider canopies and it works if you have the patience.

shedracer · Feb 4, 2005

Excellent Dude.

Nice bit of handy work Joker. Well done.

ECM · Feb 4, 2005

@ Joker

Thanks for your more then helpfull info into lowering the standard screen.

I have obtained a second screen for the same purpuse too, but was not brave enough to cut it just yet!

I am looking forward of your report on the results without the Tobernators (since I don;t have those..)

Thanks for your pictures. ! In fact, it made me to register to this site too, just for your posting allone!!

Greetings from the Netherlands.
Ton

TheJoker · May 6, 2005

Just got a question about cutting the screen down, so I thought I'd post a few action shots....

Touring configuration - with the screen in "high" position I can do 100ish mph two up without much problems

Lower screen

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