I Can't Take It Anymore...

I love my VFR. I love my ZG Double Bubble windscreen, especially in the rain. I HATE the loud wind noise created by the vacuum behind the screen.

I took off the windscreen and went for a ride and it was sooo quiet and peaceful in comparison to when the screen is installed.

I want to cut 4 or 5 inches from my screen, but I don't know what is the best method.

Does anyone know of any type of shop or business that I can contact that has the right equipment to precisely cut plastic?

Even with earplugs, the wind noise is really killing me, and after putting almost 20k miles on this bike, I have hearing damage resulting in tinnitus. And I wear earplugs about 80% of the time. I do a lot of riding, and a lot of longer trips, and the noise is really sapping the joy out of riding...

Please help me find a solution. All suggestions are appreciated.

Maybe this thread will help: http://www.vfrdiscus...showtopic=41261

This is just a suggestion, I'm not responsible if this doesn't work, but here is what I would do, after practicing on an old windscreen if possible.

Items needed:
-blow torch
-razor blade
-grease pencil
-masking tape
-pair of vice grips
-dremel tool
-sand paper

Use the masking tape to get a straight line across the windsheild (this will be easiest to do with the windscreen on the bike so you can get an idea of what it will look like), you'll probably never be able to freehand it. Go about 1/4 inch higher than you want it, then run a line on top of the tape with the grease pencil, this is where you want to cut. Put the razor blade it the vise grips and make sure they are really tight. Heat up the razor blade with the blow torch until it's good and hot then cut along the line you made with the grease pencil. You will have to reheat the blade every ten seconds or so, go slow when you are cutting but not too slow or you may melt more than you wanted to. Once you have your cut go back over it and finish it out with the Dremel, then use a fine sandpaper to give it a smooth finish at the top of the windscreen. Make sure you mask off the front and back sides of the windscreen, you don't want to scratch up that windscreen.

I would suggest first making a practice cut towards the top of the windscreen, I think you said you were cutting off about 5 inches so make a cut an inch from the top to practice first. I have never used this method to cut a windscreen but I have used it to cut through other plastics several times with success. Hope this helps, luck, let me know if you use this method and how it comes out.

One other thing, obviously don't do the cutting while the windscreen is on the bike, lay down some old news papers and wear gloves, using this method has a tendency to produce hot gooey globs of plastic that you don't want to get on yourself, your bike, or anything important.

Plexiglass is very easy to cut with a 3" disk grinder. Since it more or less melts its though the plastic it will not crack it. Do not use a saw it will crack. I would just put some masking tape across the area you want to cut off and make a line that you want to cut off and go to it with a cutoff wheel. After you're done you can smooth out the edge with some 220 on a sanding block then go to 400 wet and finally some 800 wet.

[image: View Post]Alien TLR, on Jun 22 2008, 10:25 AM, said:

I love my VFR. I love my ZG Double Bubble windscreen, especially in the rain. I HATE the loud wind noise created by the vacuum behind the screen.

I took off the windscreen and went for a ride and it was sooo quiet and peaceful in comparison to when the screen is installed.

I want to cut 4 or 5 inches from my screen, but I don't know what is the best method.

Does anyone know of any type of shop or business that I can contact that has the right equipment to precisely cut plastic?

Even with earplugs, the wind noise is really killing me, and after putting almost 20k miles on this bike, I have hearing damage resulting in tinnitus. And I wear earplugs about 80% of the time. I do a lot of riding, and a lot of longer trips, and the noise is really sapping the joy out of riding...

Please help me find a solution. All suggestions are appreciated.

I've developed the tinitus too, the vfr didnt help


IMO you're dealing with 2inches, cut any more you loble to get buffeting ataller seat also has the same effect as cutting the shield, moves you up into quiter air

I cut the snot out of mine (actually an MRA replacement screen that seems to have done the same thing to me as your ZG has done to you) using a bandsaw with a general purpose / wood band installed. I cut the thing a bit short (long? I didn't do this as a final cut, just close) and finished it out to the shape I wanted using a bench mounted belt sander. The edge was a bit rough so I smoothed things out with some sand paper, 400 grit should do a good job, I can't remember what I used.

I laid out my lines using 1/2 inch masking tape, cheap stuff is just fine. I think I spent more time laying out the lines than actually cutting and sanding.

Cut incrementally, don't worry about doing the edge sanding until you're sure you'll like it, I think I wasted an hour total sanding because I cut the thing three times before I finished. And yes, the shield is very short now.

Go back to the stock screen?

Ear plugs are cheap and will save your hearing. Have you read the studies of hearing lose and motorcycling?

[image: View Post]slowf2337, on Jun 22 2008, 11:21 AM, said:

Plexiglass is very easy to cut with a 3" disk grinder.

I believe that windscreens are Lexan, not Plexiglass.

Quote

Lexan - trademark name for the material otherwise known as polycarbonate. Used to make bulletproof windows, it's tougher than plexiglass/acrylic and 2 or 3 times more expensive.

Plexiglass - trademark name for material otherwise known as acrylic, polymethylmethacrylate (or PMMA), or Lucite

For what it might be worth to you or anyone, lately ive noticed a bit of the same thing in certain conditions at highway speeds. I have an MRA adjustable touring screen. I like anything with adjustability, but ive noticed the same thing.....if i move my head out beyond the screen's protection, the air is smooth and much quieter. Ive had a few windscreens on my '02 since ive gotten it, and i swear i dont remember wind noise being an issue before....but maybe i just wasnt concerned with it.

I have the stock screen still, the MRA, and the Honda Touring Screen from the European market. Sometime soon, i was going to install each one quickly and go out and try them out back to back, which should really indicate which one is best (for me). By the way, Im 6' 2".

If anyone's interested, i can post my findings here, as it could help others who are similar to my size. Im not interested in a smaller screen or cutting at this point as I like the rain protection at times, but moreso finding the one that ends up being quietest and still offers protection.

Also I should add, after my accident last august I did end up riding the bike one afternoon without any screen on it at all. At speeds above 70mph, the pressure of the wind pushing back on my helmet was extremely noticable, to the point where i was eager to get some kind of screen back on the bike soon.

[image: View Post]Adam30, on Jun 23 2008, 11:20 AM, said:

I have the stock screen still, the MRA, and the Honda Touring Screen from the European market. Sometime soon, i was going to install each one quickly and go out and try them out back to back, which should really indicate which one is best (for me).
I believe cornercarver (Keith) invented an "easy on/easy off" windshield mount just before TMac last month. Might be a good way to switch between shields. :goofy: (Just kidding, Keith!)

Seriously tho, I use earplugs anytime I'm riding more than 30 minutes, esp. when slabbing it. I've done all-day rides and had no problems. Just have to get those suckers in deep and let them expand before releasing the plugs and letting go of my ears when inserting the plugs.

I've already got a significant hearing loss in my left ear from nerve damage (due to a bad infection) when I was a kid, plus I'm a musician who is regulary subjected to really loud stage volumes, so I don't need any more hearing loss. I didn't use plugs much before but the more I ride (and play gigs) the more I wear them.

Has anyone ever tried using industrial-type canal caps? I don't know if they'll work with helmets, but they should be more effective than earplugs. Maybe too effective. You still need to be able to hear a little bit while riding.

BTW, I'm 5'8" and still use the stock screen. At 60+ mph without earplugs it's kind of loud. Sitting more upright and getting my head over the windshield cuts down on the noise but creates other undesirable issues, like turbulence and bug splat!