[bcscammell]

With the colder weather coming I figured I'd try and cut down on some of the wind and rain. I've already installed a windshield and hand guards but my legs were still getting wet . I made up these wind/rain deflectors and took it for a test drive. While it hasn't rained yet(unusual for this part of the country) the wind on my legs was cut down a lot. It was 0 degrees Celsius on the ride and at 80 kph on the highway it felt quite comfortable . I cut a piece of ABS drain pipe length wise and heated it with a torch, it can then be flattened into a sheet. A couple of homemade brackets and a little paint finished it off. They look a little goofy but can be trimmed later.

 

[Rainman]

Those look great! I hope they help keep you warm and dry. Good job!

 

[xdac]

Very creative!



Whats on your passenger peg?

 

[lizrdbrth]

Very creative!



Whats on your passenger peg?

Bang!

 

[xdac]

who farted?

 

[bcscammell]

Very creative!



Whats on your passenger peg?

Thanks. The tube on the passengers peg is the lower part of my gun rack. Made out of a piece of ABS pipe and a cap. Keeps the muzzle end of the rifle from getting damaged . The top part of the gun rack is the U shaped bracket bolted to the cargo rack, painted with a contrasting color so I don't remove my manhood on it. Before I had the cargo rack I let the butt end of the rifle, in a soft gun case, rest on the turn signal and secured it with a single bungee, worked real good.

 

[bcscammell]

Those look great! I hope they help keep you warm and dry. Good job!

I'm kind of looking forward to the rain to see if they work.

 

[joedirt1970]

They look cool. Can you get an angel from the side? I could use some to slow my 14 hp TW down from high speeds.

Sincerely, they do look cool. Love the innovation in this forum.

 

[PalmStateCrawler]

I have been thinking of doing this as well. What kind of clamps did you use? I think I may make my deflectors a little longer for my rainy day trips

 

[Mr. BigWheel]

That's a very nice looking set-up. What kind of windscreen is that?



Regards,



Mr. BigWheel

 

[bcscammell]

I have been thinking of doing this as well. What kind of clamps did you use? I think I may make my deflectors a little longer for my rainy day trips

I didn't use clamps, I made brackets out of 1/8" flatbar for the top mount and slightly thinner but wider flat bar on the bottom. The brackets bolt to existing fork clamp bolts and the ABS is riveted to the brackets.The only part of my leg that I could feel the wind on was the outside of my lower leg. It's supposed to rain like crazy tomorrow so I'll see how dry they keep me.

 

[bcscammell]

That's a very nice looking set-up. What kind of windscreen is that?



Regards,



Mr. BigWheel

Thanks. The windshield was off of a 2009 Yamaha V-Max. I got it used at a dealership sale. The shield is made by National Cycle, sorry I don't know the model. It was originally made for a round headlight but I cut it to fit over the headlight shroud. I was really pleased with how much wind blast it removed from my chest. My back doesn't get sore on highway rides anymore.

 

[admiral]

Well done. I'm sure this will be copied in some form or another. Maybe even me since I don't want to stop riding this winter completely. Thanks for sharing your ingenuity.

 

[PalmStateCrawler]

What did you use to trim your windshield? I have one that is cut for a round headlight as well that I would like to trim but I don't want to crack it. And can we get a side shot of those deflectors? I'm going to attempt to fab some up this weekend!



Again, very nice job! Your bikes looking great

 

[lizrdbrth]

Nice idea.



When you have time can you show some detail of the barrel bucket?

 

[bcscammell]

I took it out for a test ride today and gave her a good shakedown. The rain was coming down in buckets and sideways to boot. At first my left leg was staying relatively dry and then the wind changed. I looked like someone had dipped me in the ocean.The deflectors did keep off a lot of rain and wind, made the ride much more pleasant.



.I actually used a drum sander in a hand drill to reshape the windshield, takes a little longer but no chance of cracking. If you have to drill any holes don't drill all the way through, just far enough for the tip of the bit to come through and then drill in from the other side, supposed to prevent cracking, did for me. I added the photos of the side view but I don't think they turned out that great. Post some pictures when you get it done.

The bottom tube for the gun rack is made out of a piece of three inch ABS pipe with a cap glued on the end. I cut the u shape out to make it easier to get the gun out but I don't know if it's actually necessary. I placed a piece of foam in the bottom to add a little cushioning to the soft gun case and protect the muzzle end of the rifle. Also drilled a small drain hole to let any water out. The tube rests on the footpeg and I drilled small holes to line up with the frame work of the bike . I use the holes to zip tie the tube to the frame. It stays on real well but does get in the way of the kickstand somewhat. I did think of using something more permenant like u-bolts and mounting it up a bit higher to get it out of the way of the stand but haven't got around to it yet. Good luck.

 

[lizrdbrth]

Thanks. Any day there are two theftworthy ideas in one thread is a good day

.

 

[PalmStateCrawler]

Just out of curiosity, are those rivets you used to attach your brackets to the plastic? What type of metal did you use to make the brackets and how thick was it? And do you think you would have made them longer and/or curved on the bottom if you had to do it over again? I think i'm gonna make this a project for this weekend and i'm gonna head to lowes for materials later this week. Depending on what I see around I may use a different plastic or I may just do exactly what you did. We'll see. Thanks again for the idea. I have been trying to figure out a good/cheap way to make these.

 

[lizrdbrth]

Suggestion for material. Go to a truck stop and buy a polyethylene mudflap.



They're cheap, cuz they're total garbage as mudflaps on 18 wheelers compared to rubber. Tough as nails for projects like this. They come in white or black, about 3/16" thick. Been awhile but 10 bucks used to get you roughly a 2' x 4' sheet of virgin material.



Edge rounding blades used for leatherwork do a nice job of making things purty.

 

[bcscammell]

Just out of curiosity, are those rivets you used to attach your brackets to the plastic? What type of metal did you use to make the brackets and how thick was it? And do you think you would have made them longer and/or curved on the bottom if you had to do it over again? I think i'm gonna make this a project for this weekend and i'm gonna head to lowes for materials later this week. Depending on what I see around I may use a different plastic or I may just do exactly what you did. We'll see. Thanks again for the idea. I have been trying to figure out a good/cheap way to make these.

They are, 3/16 x 3/4", had to cut them down a bit, aluminum so no problem. Pop rivets work also but the solids are stronger. You can buy aluminum nails meant for corrugated fiberglass roof panels and use them for rivets, they are cheaper and work very well, don't know why I didn't use them. Dome head machine screws and lock nuts would make the job of installation alot easier. Bolt on the brackets first and then the deflectors. This way you don't have to maintain access to the bolt heads on the forks. Don't know why I didn't do that as well.



I used 1/8 flatbar steel for the top brackets that I bent by hand in the vice. The bottom bracket is slightly thinner but wider flatbar, steel also. Making the deflectors a couple inches longer on the bottom couldn't hurt and would probably help, maybe an inch wider as well. Bending and cutting the ABS is fairly labor intensive and if I wasn't so cheap I would have found it easier to buy something pre flattened like Lizrdbrth suggested. . Now that I've gone through this to answer your questions I can see all the flaws in my design, back to the drawing board.

Good luck