Reflective lens on trunk

[MrOflam]

I apologies firstly for not have a pic to add to this post at this time.... I will update later with one.

 

But I have a cracks reflector on the trunk of my 1987 xvz1300, just under the latches.. Where can I find replacements for this? I have been looking on ebay with no luck, and maybe Im not googling the right thing, but I found nothing that way either.

[Flyinfool]

Unfortunately your only recourse is used. You can check local bike salvage yards, and Ebay are your best shots. It may take a while of diligent looking to find a good one, but they are out there. Some people think theirs are solid gold. Just keep looking.

[lonestarmedic]

They do come up. Do not jump on the first one you see. I picked up a spare a while ago for about $25.00. These folks asking $100.00 are nuts.

[videoarizona]

http://www.bigbikeparts.com/templates/product.aspx?ProductGuid=900100L&GroupGuid=674

[bongobobny]

Nice find!!!!!

[IH Truck Guy]

http://www.bigbikeparts.com/templates/product.aspx?ProductGuid=900100L&GroupGuid=674

 

This one is for the after market light bar that replaces the reflector.

It will not fit without the light base.IIRC

[Flyinfool]

:sign yeah that:

 

This one does not replace the stock reflector.

The base that it does fit is discontinued and no longer available, this reflector is just old stock they are dumping.

[lonestarmedic]

Chuckle, unless you have bases.

[camos]

http://www.bigbikeparts.com/templates/product.aspx?ProductGuid=900100L&GroupGuid=674

If you decide to go this route then you will also want the amber turn signal lenses:

http://www.bigbikeparts.com/templates/group_ProductList.aspx?GroupGuid=674

Add some LEDs and you will have a far superior replacement for that old reflector.

 

I have not actually gotten to complete it yet but I'm sure the lenses will fit into the reflector base. The base for the lenses is deeper than the reflector but that is just to accommodate light bulbs rather than LEDs. I will be working on this mod soon so will know if my theory is correct.

 

While on this topic, what is the best way to remove the old reflector lenses from the base?

Edited August 30, 2015 by camos

[videoarizona]

Heat and a wide spatula type tool. Take your time...

[videoarizona]

This one is for the after market light bar that replaces the reflector.

It will not fit without the light base.IIRC

 

If you take the original off carefully, you will have the base...

[Flyinfool]

At this point we need a pic of what you have.

People in this thread are discussing 2 different versions of the trunk reflector.

Parts for the 2 versions are not interchangeable.

[Great White]

I've got a set of the bigbikeparts lenses on the way thanks to Richard.

 

I'll be either making a base or using the oem ones with leds.

 

It will be a while before anything gets done, but I can post up the results once I'm there....

[camos]

At this point we need a pic of what you have.

People in this thread are discussing 2 different versions of the trunk reflector.

Parts for the 2 versions are not interchangeable.

While it's true they are different versions, I'm counting on you being wrong about the interchangeability of the parts. Just sayin....

 

Without having removed the OEM reflector, I held the Big Bike lenses up to the reflector as close as possible and it sure looked like they would fit into the base.

I do have the complete BB trunk light on my 90 so no matter how it works out they will be used. Figured it was worth the gamble.

[camos]

Heat and a wide spatula type tool. Take your time...

By spatula tool would you mean one that fits into a soldering iron?

 

From what I remember finding in posts on VR.org heat will work on the BB lenses but perhaps not so much on the OEM reflector. Certainly, I could be mis-remembering but I'm sure I've seen pix with little bits of reflector still stuck to the base. So it might just be a sharp thin knife could be the best method to remove it.

 

Anyway, before I dive in I will re-read all the threads on this project. That is a very daunting thought so I was hoping someone who had actually removed the reflector would chime in and save me hours and hours of frustrating searching and reading.

[videoarizona]

Clive,

 

The reflectors around the trunk were mounted by double sided tape. The double sided tape comes off easier with a little heat (think heat gun - not direct heat via soldering tool) and then gently prying off. I replaced my cracked reflector on my 1st Gen last year after reading about "how to"...here. It was a bear to get off...but did come off cleanly. I used a hair dryer and a stiff putty knife. Not daunting at all...just take your time.

[Flyinfool]

Getting the reflector off of the trunk is the easy part. Mine was held on by double sided tape and 3 screws from the inside of the trunk. I used the sharp corner of a thin piece of sheet metal to get up between the reflector and the trunk to cut the tape.

 

It is separating the reflector from the backing that is hard to do.

I have never had the opportunity to play with a BB reflector, only OEM Yamaha. The reflector and base are chemically welded together. You have to work your way all around breaking that weld to separate them. I used a small 1/8 wide screwdriver to pry them apart bit by little bit.

I used hot glue the first time to reassemble, first time I rode in cold weather the reflector disappeared. Second time I used clear silicone to glue it back together. Has held fine for 4 years now.

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

I took reflector off my 86 with heat gun from the inside of the trunk. Like I heated the PVC of the trunk and slowly peeled the 2sided tape off. Slow and easy. There were no screws.

I purchased an OEM Yamaha reflector but there were none in Canada but one was located in California. This was 5 yrs back now.

[videoarizona]

Getting the reflector off of the trunk is the easy part. Mine was held on by double sided tape and 3 screws from the inside of the trunk. I used the sharp corner of a thin piece of sheet metal to get up between the reflector and the trunk to cut the tape.

 

It is separating the reflector from the backing that is hard to do.

I have never had the opportunity to play with a BB reflector, only OEM Yamaha. The reflector and base are chemically welded together. You have to work your way all around breaking that weld to separate them. I used a small 1/8 wide screwdriver to pry them apart bit by little bit.

I used hot glue the first time to reassemble, first time I rode in cold weather the reflector disappeared. Second time I used clear silicone to glue it back together. Has held fine for 4 years now.

 

I read that some units did have screws. I was going to mention that, but went out to check on mine and no screws. Interesting.

[Flyinfool]

My 88 standard does have the 3 screws, be worth checking, you could do a lot of prying on that tape if it is still screwed down.

[camos]

Getting the reflector off of the trunk is the easy part. Mine was held on by double sided tape and 3 screws from the inside of the trunk. I used the sharp corner of a thin piece of sheet metal to get up between the reflector and the trunk to cut the tape.

 

It is separating the reflector from the backing that is hard to do.

I have never had the opportunity to play with a BB reflector, only OEM Yamaha. The reflector and base are chemically welded together. You have to work your way all around breaking that weld to separate them. I used a small 1/8 wide screwdriver to pry them apart bit by little bit.

I used hot glue the first time to reassemble, first time I rode in cold weather the reflector disappeared. Second time I used clear silicone to glue it back together. Has held fine for 4 years now.

I'm pretty sure what I am remembering was the posts you made after doing this mod. Is the weld in the slot between the reflector lens and the sides of the base or at the bottom of the lens?

 

Clive,

 

The reflectors around the trunk were mounted by double sided tape. The double sided tape comes off easier with a little heat (think heat gun - not direct heat via soldering tool) and then gently prying off. I replaced my cracked reflector on my 1st Gen last year after reading about "how to"...here. It was a bear to get off...but did come off cleanly. I used a hair dryer and a stiff putty knife. Not daunting at all...just take your time.

As you might have guessed from the above I'm not so much concerned with getting the base off the trunk but rather with getting the lens out of the base. I have a perfect reflector on a less than perfect spare trunk bottom that I think is probably repairable.

Then there is the reflector that is currently on the 89 that a PO drilled 8 holes to mount 4 trailer lights.

 

This is the one I want to use to replace the reflector lens with the BB lenses. So the destroyed reflector lens needs to come off without damaging the base. With that in mind it would be really helpful to know just how the reflector lens is attached to the base so I don't total it.

Have I mention lately that I'm pretty good at breaking things?

 

Thanks for bearing with me so far.

 

Also to the OP, hopefully this is relevant to your original question.

[Flyinfool]

Here is how the edge is assembled.

The lens is Chemically welded (permanently glued) at the point where the two meet. I had to put the small screw driver in the slot in between the lens and the base.

 

In your case since you are trying to save the base and not the lens, the base is a much softer plastic and the lens is a very hard brittle plastic, so the lens will break long before the base will break. Once you get it apart it will be fairly floppy. When you are ready to glue it back together, I mounted the base to the trunk to hold its shape and then glued the lens to the base.

[camos]

Here is how the edge is assembled.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]101500[/ATTACH]

The lens is Chemically welded (permanently glued) at the point where the two meet. I had to put the small screw driver in the slot in between the lens and the base.

So the lens could be attached either or both on the bottom and on the lower side where the ledge is.

 

In your case since you are trying to save the base and not the lens, the base is a much softer plastic and the lens is a very hard brittle plastic, so the lens will break long before the base will break. Once you get it apart it will be fairly floppy. When you are ready to glue it back together, I mounted the base to the trunk to hold its shape and then glued the lens to the base.

My plan "A" is to try removing the lens with the base still mounted on the trunk. Plan "B" will be developed if that doesn't work.

 

Thanks for the schematic, that should give me enough to go on.

[Flyinfool]

The ledge is very small and just for locating at assembly in reality the lens is glued on both the bottom and that tiny bit of side.

[camos]

Removed the reflector lens today with debatable success. That lens was not coming off in just one piece...no way...no how. Used an Exacto knife to cut and pry in the slot. For the most part it worked well but there were 3 or 4 places that would not separate. After an hour and a half of fussing with it I ended up breaking it out of the base, which didn't matter in the least because the lens was not worth save to begin with. Getting the few bits left behind still took a serious effort with a chisel which is my reason for saying "no way...no how". For those who have successfully removed the reflector lens without serious damage, I say you were lucky. Conversely, of course, I may have just been unlucky.

 

So, cleared out the reflector bits and test fit the BB lenses. They fit OK enough for me to be happy and somewhat relieved. There were still a few bumps of glue so cleaned them out and it fit quite a bit better. Decided to take off the little ledge at the bottom of the base and now it fits... PERFECT ....

 

Love it when my guesses turn out to be correct.

 

 

Now need to decide the best method of attaching the BB lenses. They need to be removable for servicing the LEDs that are to be mounted to the base. I'm thinking black RTV in the top and bottom joints. There is no way to make these lenses watertight because the joints between the rear lens and the turn signal lenses are essentially open.

 

One other thing, I'd like to remove the Venture Royale logo from the reflector and, as per someone's suggestion, mount it on the trunk. What is the best way to get it off without damage?