Stuck with stock windshield?
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 241
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From:
RE: Stuck with stock windshield?
I cut mine down. There were a couple of good articles in this forum on how to. The one thing I'd like to add is; chop it down in 1/2" incriments. It's not only about seeing through it, it's also about the way the wind is deflected. I did 1 1/4" and that was a HUGE difference. I would have settled for a big difference.
And no, you can't cut it on the bike. Do it on the work bench.
And no, you can't cut it on the bike. Do it on the work bench.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 50
From: Baton Rouge, LA
RE: Stuck with stock windshield?
I agree your best bet is the jigsaw or scroll saw. Plan your cut well by cutting a template with paper or thin cardboard to get the position perfect. Tape it to the windshield and take a ride, remembering that if you ride with a backrest it needs to be on the bike, as that will change your eye level. Have it equipped for the application that eye level is most important, like with a loaded Tour Pak installed.
I used a scroll saw and cut my stock windshield down 1½", then did the same when I bought an adjustable windshield, both for my old RK. No sawing yet on the SG's windshields, as the 11" Clearview is perfect for me.
The concrete on your garage floor may be the best sanding medium, as on my last saw job I simply scraped the edge of the windshield on the garage floor to smooth it. It was faster and better than sandpaper, saving lots of elbow grease. Keep the surface moving along the edge so you don't wear a flat spot. This technique was described to me by a BMW owner who has a fetish for windshields, and is continually modifying his.
I used a scroll saw and cut my stock windshield down 1½", then did the same when I bought an adjustable windshield, both for my old RK. No sawing yet on the SG's windshields, as the 11" Clearview is perfect for me.
The concrete on your garage floor may be the best sanding medium, as on my last saw job I simply scraped the edge of the windshield on the garage floor to smooth it. It was faster and better than sandpaper, saving lots of elbow grease. Keep the surface moving along the edge so you don't wear a flat spot. This technique was described to me by a BMW owner who has a fetish for windshields, and is continually modifying his.
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 84
Likes: 0
From: Nebraska
RE: Stuck with stock windshield?
ORIGINAL: mp
Go to a glass shop. They can probably cut it right on the bike.....for a lot less than an hour of HD labor.
Go to a glass shop. They can probably cut it right on the bike.....for a lot less than an hour of HD labor.
Ditto. My dad has done this a couple times. Way cheaper.
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 354
Likes: 0
From: The streets of Bakersfield, CA
RE: Stuck with stock windshield?
The trick is not the cut...it's the bevel and finish of the edge. Coverthe windshieldwith 3M protective wrap or 2"-3" 3M BLUE painters tapeand take it to your local plasic shop. They will cut, bevel and finish the edge for 50 bucks or less.
Don't use regular masking tape or you will hating life real quick.
Don't use regular masking tape or you will hating life real quick.
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
From: Wickenburg Arizona
RE: Stuck with stock windshield?
I had my old soft tail windshield cut down by a glass shop. It cost me $20.00. I had to mark exactly where I wanted it cut, take the shield off and they cut it down and ground the edge smooth.
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 124
Likes: 0
From: Cincinnati, Ohio
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,380
Likes: 14
From: Atlanta
RE: Stuck with stock windshield?
You don't need the entire windshield; you can reuse the brackets from your stock shield. HD makes a "mid-low" which is two inches shorter than stock which worked for me. When that one was broken by a bolt that came off a truck that I was following, I replaced it with a Clearview for a few dollars less. It has the added features of a slight grey tint and a recurve at the top of the windshield to deflect the airstream. I really like it!
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