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Home made lowers, another interpretation.

16K views 18 replies 18 participants last post by  Oldbear42 
#1 · (Edited)
After all the reading on this forum about the virtues of lowers and getting tired of my glasses and helmet rattling around on my head at speed, I decided it was time to do something about it. Being one who likes to make things (and being too frugal to pay full price) I thought I'd give making a set a go. Much thanks to the members of this forum for the ideas and especially kcroz for the info.
Picked up some 1/8" lexan cheap from a glass supplier and some aluminium bar (1" flat and angle) and went to town. Mounted it directly to the windscreen mount bolts and have no problems with vibration or flexing. All and all I have about $50.00 into them with most of the cost being split between the stainless fasteners from Lowes and the aluminium.

A little picture heavy but I'm quite pleased with the results and the significant reduction in the buffeting.

Cheers.


-1/8 lexan i picked up cheap as a scrap from a local glass supplier. It started as a 32X5.25" piece.


-I figured 4.25" width would line up nicely with the windscreen and mapped the radius using a margarine container (high tech eh?).


-Each piece is 16" since that is what I had left when I cut the initial piece in half.


-Had a scrap piece of 1/8 hardboard that I cut to the same shape as the lexan. Used this for fitting and drilling before I went any farther with the lexan.


-Used masking tape around the hole and cut as necessary to finish the template before transferring to the lexan (thanks kcroz).


-1" aluminium flat and angle bar. 16" flat to clamp lexan to the angle, 17" angle to attach to the bracket that fastens to the windscreen mount.


-Clamping the lexan between the aluminium pieces provide a suprising mount of structural rigidity.


-2.25X7.5 flat aluminium (cut from a piece of old diamond plate I had laying around) provided the bracket used to mound the assembly to the windshield mounts. The holes to mount on the windscreen are drilled 5.5" apart for my application. Not sure if I have a factory windscreen since I'm the second owner.




-Replaced the bolts with longer ones so I could mount the bracked from the inside. It's tight but I was able to make it work. The top of the bracket does come close to the tank at full lock (3/8") but I figure that if the steering is forces past full lock, I have other things to worry about :( .




-Edges were smoothed out with a file followed by a foam sanding block.








-Took a while because I worked on it in bits and pieces when I was able to find the time but I'm really happy with the results.
 
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#10 ·
very nice indeed now how much to make me a set =) only mod I have left I want to do to my c50 but I have not the tools nore the ablity to cut a straight line lol would love a set of them with out the holes no lightbar hehe any way very nice I would have thought you had bought them from one of the big companys looks great keep it up =)
 
#11 · (Edited)
Thanks for the kind words everyone. I've updated the initial post with some text since I've had some requests for details. The most difficult part is cutting the holes for the light bar. Fit. Trim. Fit. Trim. Repeat as necessary. With a little patience, almost anyone can do it.

Cheers.
 
#15 ·
I know this is an old post, but is there any way we can have Norm re-upload those initial pics, since Photobucket screwed its users? I'll beg, plead, cry, whine, moan...whatever it takes...Lol. I've seen quite a few stickies on here with outdated photos that can't be seen because of the PB fiasco...and I'd really like to see Norm's handywork.... :nerd:
 
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#16 ·
Need pics

i know this is an old post, but is there any way we can have norm re-upload those initial pics, since photobucket screwed its users? I'll beg, plead, cry, whine, moan...whatever it takes...lol. I've seen quite a few stickies on here with outdated photos that can't be seen because of the pb fiasco...and i'd really like to see norm's handywork.... :nerd:
me 2
 
#17 ·
They say it was this Schkreli guy that bought PB.
^^^That was the guy who bought the patents on some reasonably priced, life saving drugs, and raised the prices many thousands of percent, putting these pills at an astronomical price.
Other places I read said that it was facephuck.

Schkreli and Zuckerberg. Let's just hang them both and be done with it.
 
#19 ·
I've looked at this and other posts to build my own lowers to combat the helmet buffeting. I'm now on Oldbear's Lowers Mark III.

The first set was great at blocking the wind but was like riding with a sheet of plywood attached to the front of my bike. And it hit the crash bars. So I removed them and narrowed everything - they still worked but also still hit the crash bars - just not as much now. So I removed them again - after marking where the bars hit. I made cut outs, shaped the pieces to mirror each other and flame polished my edges. I also took the opportunity to replace the standard hardware with some nice chrome caps.

I used 2" aluminum angle for the bracket off the windscreen mount and 1" aluminum angle for the longer pieces that hold and brace the 1/4" Lexan sheet.

I was going to head out and roadtest these but we had a hail/rain storm roll in.
 

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