Cutting down a Windshield

CUTTING DOWN A WINDSHIELD

Cutting lexan is easy if you have patience and a Sabre saw or a Dremel

You will also need:

1. Duct tape

2. A fine tooth blade for the Sabre saw or a Dremel with a cutting wheel

3. Big sheet of poster board

4. Fine tipped marker

5. Bastard file

6. Various grades of emery cloth and wet and dry sand paper

First, decide how much lower you want the windshield. Cover the windshield with the big piece of poster board, and mark carefully where the lower point of the windshield is. There should be some mounting points, or a bar that goes all the way across the windshield at about handle bar height. Tape the poster board to the windshield or get a friend to hold the poster board while you trace the outline of the windshield, paying close attention to the top curvature. Spread this paper on a level surface, and cut out the pattern you now have of your full size windshield. If you need the windshield lowered 1", take it off the BOTTOM of your pattern or fold the pattern up 1"!! Very important--you are not cutting the windshield as the bottom, but rather you are "lowering" curvature of the windshield so that now your pattern will show the curvature 1" lower.

Take the windshield off the bike, lay it down carefully on a blanket or something where the windshield won't get scratched. Put your new shorter pattern on the windshield. Eyeball where the new top will be, and put a layer of duck tape in the rough area of where you will be cutting so the windshield won't crack while cutting. Now tape the pattern down correctly, and trace your new top curve onto the duck tape. I put the windshield on my lap, main curve upward. BE CAREFUL WHILE CUTTING. Start your Sabre saw on one edge, and SLOWLY, work up the line you've traced onto the duck tape (or Dremel if you choose to use that tool instead). Soon you'll have the excess 1" (or whatever) on the floor. Now with the bastard file smooth out the cut you just made. Use your artistic sense to get this part done. Take off the duck tape, and using the file, start "rounding" or beveling the edge. BE CAREFUL!! The file slips, you get a scratch, it's there forever. When you get it roughed in, use a block with emery cloth around it to do the fine work. Finish off with fine emery paper, wet, and eventually you will have a factory edge. Total time s about 2-4 hours, depends mainly how picky you are about making the edges just so.

Submitted by Camo