Getting ready for a pretty big trip and wanted to make it easier to view the GPS on my phone.
I looked around and couldn’t find a sunshade that would work for my setup, so I threw together this using a couple of foam sheets from hobby lobby and contact cement.
I tested it on the road this morning and it worked pretty well...
It took me about an hour to make and since I had all the supplies at home it didn’t cost me anything. I will ride with it this weekend both with and withou the windshield to see how well it works. I wouldn’t mind making it a little less deep - but we will see.
it is weird that this isn’t really available on the market.
I may try to make something like this out of Kydex. I wonder if you would split the top and make it 2 separate pieces, it could attach to the xgrip and adapt to any phone.
The material was pretty thin and I wanted it thicker at the top.
- the first peice was the back and sides with folded down tabs connecting the top.
- I then glued on the top and folded down the sides to give it rigidity.
I have made a few of these for phones and a GPS from thinner leather and velcro a few years ago .. They seem to of held up as I still ride with a couple of the fellas ..
Here is what I just did. I used Captin Itch's idea about Velcro. No glue necessary.
My materials fromOffice Depo. Very cheep 1" Black POLY binder and 3 pack of 2'X3" Scotch VELCRO patches. The poly material is waterproof and fexable but yet stiff enough for this application.
Using a sharp utility knife I cut one side of binder as shown. The piece of velco in the middle mates with a piece I put on the back side of my phone. Just wanted to make sure the phone did not slip out of the slippery poly.
Flipped ove to show the placement of the mating Velcro patches
Partialy folded. The bends made at score lines made gently in the poly.
Installed in RAM X-Grip. Note that I cut notches in the shield where the grip clamps onto the phone. Without the notches the grip tended to colapse the poly inwards and did not feel to secure. With the notches the grip grips the phone and not the shield. The piece of Velcro attaching the phone to the shield would not really be needed. However, the Velcro does keep the phone attached to the shield when not in the grips, preventing acidently dropping the phone.
Drivers view installed. I used the Velcro so when I don't mount the phone, I can undo the Velcro and fold the shied flat to store in the saddlebag so it is with me. If the sun is behind you it may not work, but it should help to be able to read the screen most of the time. It is possible you may want to increase the sides and top to 3" or more, but I did not want it to stick out too far.
My handelbars are raised about 1 1/2 inches so the mounted phone clears my speedo allowing me to located as shown in the middle well protected by the windshield. However, I do feel this material will work OK even without a windshield.
Allthough this shield does not look TOOOO bad, it is not a permanent installation and I will only use it on long trips when navigation is necessary.
08-02-2018, 10:29 AM
Sunshade for phone on bike
