drilling a windshield

[texasrices]

I have the Midnight Venture 2006 with what I am sure is an original windshield. I want to install windshield bags directly onto the windshield. What do I need to know before I start this project. I certainly do not want to have to buy a new windshield because I did something stupid.

[k9cottage]

take the rake [the cutting edge]of the drill bit .put a strip of electrical tape over the spot to be drilled and do not use to much pressure let it drill itself, if you use to much pressure it could crack on the way out try practice drilling on a spare bit first, i don't know if you hardware stores have small bits but well worth buying a bit to play with a lot cheaper than buying a new screen .

[JohnT]

The tape is a good idea. I might put it on both sides. If I were going to try it I would drill nearly all the way through. When the bit marks the tape on the back side I would then use that for a pilot mark to drill in the other direction.

Plastics are not nearly as fragile to drill as glass. They tend to just chip instead of crack.

Your mileage may vary. Objects in mirror may be closer than they appear. Yada, yada, yada,,,,,

[rickardracing]

I went to Menards and bought a sheet of black abs plastic. I made a posterboard template of the backing of the bags (Kuryakan) with an extension to the windshield bolts. I mounted the bags to that and just bought a little longer bolt for the windshield. I refuse to drill into a windshield, especially my brand new dark smoke.

[Eck]

Hi Mike,

I would like to help you with doing this if I may based on my experience.

 

I did exactly as you are planning to do and there is nothing to it.

See pic of my bike below.

 

Here is how I drilled and attached mine, and I never had a crack in the windshield from doing this.

I drilled and mounted three leather bags to my windshield.

 

First, I gave my wife a black fine point marker. She stood in front of bike facing the windshield.

I sat on the drivers seat and held the center bag in the center of the windshield and lined it up by eye from left to right top to bottom, and got it where I wanted it.

 

My wife would just touch the front of the windshield with the marker, in the center of the mounting holes thus leaving a small dot for the location.

 

I then held the right side bag, she marked holes again, and then I held left side bag as she marked those holes.

 

I then placed a DAMP towel on the dash to catch the small pieces of plastic (chips) from when I drilled.

 

 

How to drill the holes.

DO NOT PUSH the drill into the windshield.. Did I mention that you do NOT push the drill into the windshield...

 

Here are a few notes before you drill anything.

 

 

• Use a small variable speed hand drill (cordless if possible) for better handling and less to control when it comes to tangling the cord, or tripping on it.
  
• I did not use any tape, but you can if you want if you feel more confident in doing so.
  
• Let the Drill bit do the work- do NOT push it thru the windshield..for it will easily go into and through the plastic almost entirely by it's self.
  
• Pull back on the drill as it drills the hole so that the chips break off and are channeled out thru the flutes of the drill bit.
  
• Drill very slow speed....very slow.
  
• You must first, Drill the mounting holes using a small drill bit. Reason for this is if the hole does not line up exactly in line with the mounting holes in the bag, you can always PULL the hole to the direction you may need when you use the full size drill bit..
  
• Drill from the front towards the drivers seat as you straddle the front wheel
  
• Once you drill the mounting holes for ONE BAG, stop and make sure the holes line up
  
• Do NOT drill the mounting holes any larger than the diameter of the mounting screws you plan to use. Mine were a snug fit and I never ever had a crack or issue with mine.
  
• Provided all the windshield holes line up to the bag mounting holes, you now have to drill the holes full size. Again, the same size of the mounting screws you are using.
  

 

 

To mount the bags.

• I used black Dome head Allen screws (which blended in with the black bags and you could not hardly even notice them), and I used CHROME acorn nuts.
  
• I pushed the screws into the windshield from the FRONT of the windshield, thru the leather bag.
  
• I used a dab of BLUE lock-tight and then attached the chrome acorn nuts from the inside using an Allen wrench to hold the screws. NOTE: DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN..I used my fingers to hold the acorn nuts. Once the nut turned in my fingers using the Allen wrench from the outside, it was tight enough. They never came off and I never hand an issue.
  

Good luck!

 

Here is the pic of mine:

[Guest tx2sturgis]

.

• Drill very slow speed....very slow.
  

 

I also drilled my windscreen for a bag, and this is very important on these semi-rigid plastics. DRILL SLOWLY!

 

Drilling with the larger bit turning fast can result in chips or cracks...so drill SLOWLY...use a small capacity cordless drill with a variable speed trigger.

 

Start with a small pilot hole, then work up in two or three steps. Take your time and it will come out perfect. As the leather or vinyl bags age, and with items inside, they they tend to 'sag' somewhat, so keep that in mind when choosing the location.

 

 

 

[k9cottage]

hi Eck just looked at your pick what are the extra handles mounted on the bar end weights ??

[Eck]

hi Eck just looked at your pick what are the extra handles mounted on the bar end weights ??

 

I don't want to high jack this thread, I will send you an email..

[PGunn]

One thing you should always do when drilling plastic of any type is chamfer the edges of the holes this will prevent cracking outwards from the hole. If you look at a boat where someone has drilled a hole and mounted something in the fiberglass down the road you will see small cracks leading out from the hole those are what I am talking about. All you need is a small chamfer say around .03 of an inch just to break the edge.

[dacheedah]

I just added a longer tail to it, I added mine to the inside facing me, loosen the windshield and slide it in. You will need to cut slots in for the screws and the center where the bar is. No drill or frills

[charlie h.]

They make a special bit for Lexan and plastic, you might want to buy one they are 5-6 bucks, and drill carefully on a scrap piece first. Gustaffson plastics is where I got mine. http://www.bikescreen.com