Not another wind screen tread - Making my own.

[jangermann]

Ok. Maybe I get wiser after this, but I have an idea I just have to test.


I have seen a LOT of windscreens but it seem like most (maybe all) suffer from bluffering in high speeds.
Well in speed below 110 km/t I have NO problem with the original wind screen, but at higher speed I am fighting the wind.

My main purpose here is to make the NC700 more comfortable at higher speeds (130-140 km/t). All the tall screen seems to make a huge vacuum behind the screen causing a lot of bluffering, it is just the cause of nature.
Inested of thinking the wind screen as at rock solid wind deflector (causing vacuum), I want to make a tall screen, deflecting some of the wind, and letting some of the wind pass trough the screen, so there still will be a constant wind around the helmet and no bluffering.

But first I have to make sure that it's not the original screen making it uncomfortable to drive 130 km/t, so the first thing I have done is making a 7 cm shorter screen, witch still need to be tested.
If 130km/t still is uncomfortable, well then I will make a tall screen with air vents, forcing some of the wind trough the screen.

First thing first. I need test my new homemade screen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdUeauOG1ng

 

[sumo]

LOL. When I read you were going to make your own windscreen I envisioned some Frankenstein monstrosity...but I was wrong! Nice job!

 

[jangermann]

My first design of the tall windscreen (if small dont work)
It consist of two glasses. The top glass is mounted with some spacers (around 4 cm) in front of the lower glass so air can pass trough. The cutouts in the top glass is bend in, also to let air pass trough.
The top glass will be mounted just a bit more vertical than the lower glass.
The total length is around 50cm (depending on how vertical the top glass is mounted)

Let me know what you think.

 

[mreric]

you are right... there is so many screen out there. not all of them fit all.

Madstad was the one for me. it adjustable in height and angle. eliminating the buffeting and the vaccum

 

[the4Dman]

awesome, nice result

i'd like to see a video or photos of how you shaped/fit it....

 

[jangermann]

awesome, nice result

i'd like to see a video or photos of how you shaped/fit it....

That is the easy part
I just use someting round, and heat it up and shape it.
I use a small laser 30x50cm.

 

[VE258]

can you elaborate a bit further? how did you bend it? on form or something? what type laser did you use? laser specs. i'm very interested in all this stuff. long time ago i tried to bend large piece of acrylic on the form and failed miserably
i'm thinking that something KTM-mish should look really cool on NC

 

[potter0o]

Very cool, never seen a laser cutter in action before.

 

[ronsaw]

Ok. Maybe I get wiser after this, but I have an idea I just have to test.


I have seen a LOT of windscreens but it seem like most (maybe all) suffer from bluffering in high speeds.
Well in speed below 110 km/t I have NO problem with the original wind screen, but at higher speed I am fighting the wind.

My main purpose here is to make the NC700 more comfortable at higher speeds (130-140 km/t). All the tall screen seems to make a huge vacuum behind the screen causing a lot of bluffering, it is just the cause of nature.
Inested of thinking the wind screen as at rock solid wind deflector (causing vacuum), I want to make a tall screen, deflecting some of the wind, and letting some of the wind pass trough the screen, so there still will be a constant wind around the helmet and no bluffering.

But first I have to make sure that it's not the original screen making it uncomfortable to drive 130 km/t, so the first thing I have done is making a 7 cm shorter screen, witch still need to be tested.
If 130km/t still is uncomfortable, well then I will make a tall screen with air vents, forcing some of the wind trough the screen.

First thing first. I need test my new homemade screen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdUeauOG1ng

Nice job! I've been looking for a shorty for years. If you ever decide to make/sell something like that, please reach out to me/us. I can't be the only one looking for a short screen!

 

[jangermann]

I just use a pipe to bend the the heated glass over.
For my next glass I will use a oven to heat the entire glass for a more equal heat.

The laser I use is the 50W co2 laser from ebay. Just type "50w laser" and find the blue cheap one. It cuts 50x30cm

Plexiglas is not very strong, it will do for the short screen, but for larger screens it has to be poly carbonate.

 

[the4Dman]

I just use a pipe to bend the the heated glass over.


Plexiglas is not very strong, it will do for the short screen, but for larger screens it has to be poly carbonate.

Jangermann is correct, what most folks call "Plexiglas" is indeed Acrylic sheet. Acrylics can be very easily cut with a laser, a 50W CO2, will cut up to 1/4" fairly well. 3/16" I find is a real sweet spot, I cut it all the time and it bends easily.

Polycarbonates on the other hand, are a much tougher material and have some caveats.

"Lexan" (DuPont) is polycarbonate(PC) based, some formulations of PC have chlorine in them. if you try to cut this with a laser, you will produce a toxic fume (and a crappy edge, it tends to burn/blister). some other PC's cut just fine, so it's a trial and error, whether you want to poison yourself or not with fumes.

PC is much tougher than Acrylic, acrylic scratches and cracks easily, but tends to look clearer, and is much easier to bend. If you see an Acrylic windshield, it's probably molded ABS (an acrylic based formulation) with a hardcoat added. or even PC-ABS blend, which is the best of both worlds, clarity and toughness combined.

The final consideration is the toughness, or Impact resistance. if your windscreen is mission critical (Long distance trip, through harsh environment) personally I wouldn't select an acrylic sheet, bent, the first sizable stone that hit's it, it's toast. BUT for making cool experimental windscreens for around town, Bent sheet acrylic is the material for me.

J-Mann, your design and implementation is really cool, keep posting as you experiment further. next time you cut/bend document it with photo/video.

 

[MZ5]

Thanks for posting! Can you make compound curves at home (few or no tools)? By compound curve, I mean a screen that curves back on the sides, but also curves back on the top? I have a couple small pieces of polycarbonate at home that I want to try making a windscreen with.

 

[dduelin]

can you elaborate a bit further? how did you bend it? on form or something? what type laser did you use? laser specs. i'm very interested in all this stuff. long time ago i tried to bend large piece of acrylic on the form and failed miserably
i'm thinking that something KTM-mish should look really cool on NC

I have no background or education in styling design or production but that screen is similar to the stock and touring screen Triumph puts on the Tiger 800. On that bike the indentations or channels and sharp corners down low seem to develop a lot of turbulence that buffets the rider and makes a very loud noise. It might be quiet on a KTM though. The Tiger screen is very good looking but miserable in use.

 

[the4Dman]

you can put it in an oven, heat it up slowly it softens around 260F to 280F then you can either form it over a mold or form it in a cavity, if whatever you are using has any roughness to it use felt or a towel (something soft) to pad it.

some polycarbonates contain BPA plasticizers, these will outgass, probably not good to do with an oven you plan to cook food with. find an old electric range oven and you're golden. (and a pair of clean soft leather gloves)

while heating you will need a flat surface (or it will deform lightly and get depressions from a rack), cookie sheet with felt works well.

remember that the more radical the bend, the more you will need stretch so bunching does not occur, and the hotter the piece, that's why going over or around the outside of a form works well.

 

[dduelin]

My first design of the tall windscreen (if small dont work)
It consist of two glasses. The top glass is mounted with some spacers (around 4 cm) in front of the lower glass so air can pass trough. The cutouts in the top glass is bend in, also to let air pass trough.
The top glass will be mounted just a bit more vertical than the lower glass.
The total length is around 50cm (depending on how vertical the top glass is mounted)

Let me know what you think.

View attachment 29077

Based on a couple of Madstads and experiments with a Honda ST1300 and NC700X screen try and get as much spacing between the two elements as possible. With a goal of cutting down noise and buffeting with laminar flow on the back side of the screen......... openings of less than an inch weren't even noticed. I went as far apart as 1.75" and began to just notice improvements. Madstad sets the opening around 3" between a lower plate or base and the screen.

 

[the4Dman]

good guide, has info on how to form plexi

https://www.curbellplastics.com/get...cf-ebc3706028f7/Plexiglas-Forming-Manual.aspx

 

[jangermann]

Still working on this. I am making a design of 5mm plexiglas. When bend it is really strong, it will not break.
I have made a windscreen consist of 3 parts, and with 3D printed spacers.
I really think I am close to a design with almost no bluffering at high speeds, witch is my main priority
This may sound stupid, but my last test will be to make saw pattern on top of each of the 3 parts. This idea come from windmill blades where some of the latest blades has the saw pattern on the edges to reduce turbulence.
Will make some pictures when the prototype is done, and the design is right.

 

[potter0o]

Sounds very cool. Good luck

 

[jangermann]

Latest version.
45cm high. 3 glass with spacers ;-)