Mod to CeeBailey windscreen

So I was reading the forum about how so many people love their CalSci windscreen. They especially love the way it does not buffet and has very low turbulence, without the need for alignment tweaking etc.

After considering trading in my CeeBailey Flip-top, the thought occurred to me that I really had nothing to lose by trying some mods to my CB shield first. After all, I'm just going to trade the damn thing in anyway!

So I decided to make the vent holes in my CeeBailey, similar to what the CalSci has.

Here's what the CalSci looks like.



Here's the finished version of my "modified" CeeBailey Flip-top.



For those interested...

Tools needed: Dremel with; reinforced cutoff wheel, shank cutter bit, sanding drum. Safety glasses and lots of tape, masking and duct tape both.



I used a cheap mud flap for material to make a cutout pattern.



Used the same mud flap to make a cutting guard that slips between the fairing and the shield. Note the notches that allow the guard to fit nicely around the lower brackets.



Place the guard in between the fairing and the shield. Tape up all the bracket surfaces with duct tape. Multiple layers does not hurt. You have to make sure that a slip of the Dremel tool doesn't result in loss of paint! (Don't ask!)

Cover the area of the shield you are working on with masking tape. This allows you to trace a pattern and helps protect against accidental scratching etc. (Again, don't ask!)

Use the template to draw matching patterns on both sides. Here it is ready for surgery.



The cutoff wheel does a nice job of cutting the straight line areas. Don't get too close to the corners. Leave plenty of room for the shank cutter bit to make BIG round corners.



After the straight cuts are made.



Next, use the shank cutter bit to remove the corners. Stay WAY inside of your outline pattern. The objective is to barely get the big pieces out.

You can see the mud flap protector behind the cutouts.



Note that the corner cuts are almost 45 degree. From this stage it's pretty easy to use the sanding drum attachment to make nice round corners. Patience and light pressure are ESSENTIAL! Take it easy and take your time.

Here's the almost finished cuts.



Now it's time to remove the tape and use the sanding drum to touch-up any little details. You have to remove all the tape to get a good visual reference. So be careful and be easy. Again, patience and a light touch get it done.

Now go back to the top to see the finished product.

Yeah, but does it whistle?

Pretty slick, Jeff. You've got to admire a guy who knows his way around a Dremel tool. Good job.

Any reason you did it on the bike, and not on a workbench? :bigeyes:

Nice job... let us know how it works out.

Nice work! Let us know re: back-pressure and turbulence. I would consider the same mod with my Dremel - although (as per Groo) I might consider taking the windscreen off - if only to reduce the cleanup of the plastic bits.... B)

Nice job, will be interested to hear how well it works for you.

I've been thinking about doing something similar to the Cee Bailey +4/+4 I have on my '04 FJR, except I plan to make only one cut, in the middle of the windscreen similar to the cutout that came with the replacement windshield I recently put on my '87 GL1200. That windshield is a huge improvement over the OEM windshield, reduced backpressure to almost zero.

The masking tape is a good idea but, instead of doing the cutting with a Dremel tool, I've been thinking of drawing the pattern on the masking tape, drilling a starter hole in each of the four corners and simply cutting the plastic out with a thin fine toothed blade and a small reciprocal saw. Then use a Dremel tool to smooth the edges.

Lee in the Mountains of Northern California B)

Great pics, great detail, all around great post. You'll be promoted to FJR pilot in no time

P.S. Great idea! Think about it guys. It's a lot easier to dust off the bike than it is to remove and reinstall the windscreen and there's no way you're likely to hold it on the bench better than in place on the bike. :good:

Any reason you did it on the bike, and not on a workbench?

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As someone already mentioned, I did it on the bike because it works great for holding things in place. I don't have a (clean) workbench large enough to hold the windshield, and my kids (girls) run from Dremel sploog. So leaving it on the bike seemed like the simple solution for a one-person operation. All the plastic dust instantly went away at 100 mph. Which brings me to...

So far it is working very well. Turbulence is greatly reduced. Back pressure is gone! I might consider making the cuts a little smaller (shorter), but too early to tell for sure. I think it would greatly depend on where you typically run your shield.

I set my cutouts for where I typically WAS running the shield. With the cutouts, I seem to be running the shield a bit higher, probably because it works so much better now. So my gut recommendation would be to stop the cutouts about 10mm below where you currently run your shield.

I'll make some updated photos that include a ruler beside the template so that everyone can see how big the cuts are.

I appreciate the complements and all the feedback!

Wouldn't it be easier to drill a couple holes with a hole saw and 3/8 drill?

Wouldn't it be easier to drill a couple holes with a hole saw and 3/8 drill?

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Thought about it. Problem is, that without a wind tunnel to test in, you can't tell how much turbulence effect the holes will have. Decided to play it safe and (more or less) copy what someone else has already proven to work.

I know from my aircraft experience that round holes, especially lots of smaller ones, can produce more drag than an opaque surface. Just playing it safe.

But if you decide to try holes, please share!

Jeff,

Any more commecnts on the effectiveness of this. I am seriously thinking about it. How much air hits you in the chest now? Does it effect rain protection much?

James

Jeff,
Any more commecnts on the effectiveness of this. I am seriously thinking about it. How much air hits you in the chest now? Does it effect rain protection much?

James

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I have not been caught in the rain yet, so I can't say from experience yet. The rain around here lately has been in the form of severe thunderstorms and 30-40 mph winds. I love this forum, but just can't bring myself to seek out a thunderstorm for you guys! Now maybe FJRChik or another two-wheel honey...



I have caught some bugs through the opening. Most pass just over my helmet. Some actually smear up the backside of the windshield. The gut trails are extremely clean on both the shield backside and the front of my helmet. All that leads me to believe that the airflow is very clean compared to the former splatter patterns I saw. Yes, this is real redneck science. :lol:

Can't say that there is any noticeable increase in air on the chest. Almost all the air coming through the holes seems to pass up the shield, between the shield and my face. I do notice substantially more air in my helmet vents than before.

I stand by my original recommendation to reduce the overall height of the openings by 10mm or so. You can determine the size of my cutouts by carefully studying the shape in relation to the mounting screws. My longest vertical dimension of the cut is about 85mm. I would reduce that to 75mm but keep the same shape. After all, it's pretty darn easy to make the holes bigger.

It's a mod definitely worth doing. The buffeting is vastly reduced. Back pressure on my helmet and subsequent strain on my neck is almost non-existent. And I still stick by doing it on the bike. Let your first ride blow off the plastic dust!

Alright, you talked me into it. I think I'll cut some openings in the stock screen this weekend and see what happens. The only thing that could happen is I have to go out and buy a CalSci.

Bill

Thanks for the posts Jeff, I am going to take this on this weekend as well. I will probably try it on my stocker before taking the Dremel to the CB +4+4....

And I will do it on the bike - nice stand - but I will cover the bike...

One more last-minute update...

My Top Gun ECM shelf just arrived via the nice man in the brown truck who delivers toys.

Upon mounting it, I can see that there might be some possible whistling or turbulence effects. The openings pretty much split their flow right across the ECM shelf.

I have a long distance ride starting Friday morning. So we will see what happens the hard way!

:blink:

Great Job on the cut outs, they look better than the Cal Sci's IMHO!

Great Job on the cut outs, they look better than the Cal Sci's IMHO!

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+1 on that - the Ca;Sci cutouts are level on top, where Jeff's are canted upward - I will follow Jeff's lead - and make them slightly smaller as he suggested.

Jeff:

I'm waiting on your response after the ride you take on Friday. I to have a ECM shelf and wondering about the noise this can produce with these openings.

Have a safe trip.

Now this is a mod that appeals to my cheap-bastardness.

Anyone going to try this on the stocker?

I may cut up my stocker after I determine if the Cal Sci medium is my nominal shield... at the moment I like it, although I'm still getting used to it, and it has some peculiarities of it's own. If I decide I like it, the stocker is going under the knife, I'll chop it down and make some cutouts to improve the airflow.