Windscreen for an '83

Where in the world (on the web) can a guy source out a new windscreen for the first gen 'Ceptor?
I can find for an '86 and up, but nothing for the earlier models.

Any and all help would be grateful.

 

If you have the original, it's fairly easy to make a replacement. All you need is an oven, gloves, towel, masking tape, marker and a roto-zip or equiv. tool.

 

Try twistedthrottle.com, they are the dealers for MRA windscreens. They will have one. They had one for my 1000R. MRA shows three styles available for the original VF750. Stock, SportScreen and TouringScreen. http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productlist/359/45 about half way down.

 

Thanks for the replies. I'll try twistedthrottle.
Mason, what product would you use to DIY, plexiglass??

 

Here's a copy of a writeup I did for another board. Since the windscreen for the VF/VFR is much smaller with more mounting area used, a thinner plexiglass should work great! If you want black, paint the inside of the windshield.

Materials Needed:
- Go to Home Depot and buy a sheet of Lexan. Mine was the thickest they had (about 1/4' I think). It cost me about $25. It was 24" X 48".

- I borrowed a friend's Rotozip and bought a set of plastic cutting bits for it - $9. A jigsaw will work, but not at all well. Either borrow a Rotozip or buy one. You will definitely find a use for it later.

- Cookie sheet and clean cotton rag

- Bathtub halfway full of cold water

How to make your very own custom windshield:

- Based on my original Hellcat, I created a template of what my windshield was going to look like from posterboard. Measure from the inside of the original windshield. Lexan will stretch on the outside of the curve, not the inside.

- Tape the template to the Lexan and use a broad felt tip marker to run it around the template - half of the tip on the posterboard, and the other half on the plastic. (Hint: leave the plastic sheeting on the Lexan. This will protect it from being scratched.

- Remove the template and use the Rotozip to cut out your new windshield. (The Rotozip makes one hell of a mess - shoots plastic bits everywhere) You will not be able to make fine cuts with the Rotozip. That comes later. I would practice making cuts on a corner of the Lexan or other plastic.

- Fill the bathtub with cold water about halfway full.

- Take the plastic sheeting off of the Lexan. Heat your oven up to about 200 degrees. Take a cookie sheet, turn it upside down and put it in the oven with a clean cotton cloth over it. Make sure the cloth will cover the entire bottom of the windshield. A little overhang from the cookie sheet is OK. A lot will allow the Lexan to touch the oven racks = BAD.

- Leave the Lexan in the oven for about 15 - 20 min. If it is not immediately flexible, turn up 25 degrees and wait another 15-20 min. Repeat until the Lexan is readily flexible.

- Remove the Lexan and bend it to your desired shape. I used my winter riding gloves to handle the plastic. Potholders just won't do it. Careful you don't misshapen the edges with your fingers.

- Hold the Lexan in its shape and simultaneously dunk it in the bathtub water to "freeze" it. If the shape is not correct, put it back in the oven again and melt it again.

- Now we need to drill the holes for mounting. This is when you can easily crack your Lexan. Be careful!! My mounting holes were about ½" in diameter. Mark your holes and drill with a small bit first and work your way up to a larger bit. If you have a variable speed drill, slower works better when you try to punch through the backside. I discovered that drilling from only a center point does not really work well because the hole tends to drift one way or the other as you go up in drill size. I had to do a little modifying on the hole so it ended up looking like an ellipse. (Hint: Put either masking or clear packing tape where you will drill the holes. This will "help" prevent the holes from cracking the Lexan.)

- Now you will want to round the edges down. I used a bench grinder to grind the edges rounder and smooth out the irregularities the Rotozip left. Actually, you don't really "grind" the edges, you melt them. Be careful! Don't grind too far, or you will have to redo that entire side again. For the concave curves (like over the round headlight) I used a round pencil shaped wood file.

- Now the finishing touches. Use a medium grit sandpaper - $3 and a half round rubber sanding block - $2 from Home Depot to sand the edges a nice smooth shape. You cannot really remove much material. It is a little more like polishing. To sand the concave curve over the headlight, change the sandpaper to go over the rounded part of the sanding block. Roll a portion of the sandpaper into a cone and sand the edges of your mounting holes.

- So for about $50 dollars, I have a brand new windshield worth $100 that is custom made and still have enough material to make some for your friends - and maybe recoup your $50.


Notes: Be sure that you always wear gloves and earplugs when you use the Rotozip and the bench grinder. When you heat the Lexan, it will smell a little bit - make sure your SO is out of the house.

 

EXCELLENT!!! I'll definitley give it a try. If I fail twistedthrottle does carry one for the first gen.

Thanks to all that replied.

 

I bet pushing the end of the windshield against the side of a 5 gallon bucket will be great to create your own "lip" to bring the air up over your head.

Tip: put a towel over the original windshield and press the hot lexan against it to recreate the stock bend.