Ducati Carbon Fiber Fairing - Need some mounting suggestions

[cboling]

Hello All,

I picked up a carbon fighter ducati fairing off ebay for cheap. The seller was a shop that had ordered this for some reason or another and now it is an obsolete item. Apparently their supplier told them that the windscreen for this fairing is not available any longer and I expected that I might have to be patient and wait or fabricate my own by heating and molding some acrylic sheet. So I have a couple of questions.

1. Is there anyone here that has built their own windscreen by heating and bending / molding acrylic sheet?
2. Can anyone provide some ideas on mounting this piece? (It is thin and seems like it would need some bracing along the edges.)
3. Can the carbon fiber be cut easily and what would be the best tool to keep it from chipping or cracking?

Thanks for any suggestions or links to information and what not. Here are some pics of it sitting on the bike. It's much larger than I thought it would be.

[ineedanap]

I don't have any suggestions.  My ducati setup is so different than yours that any tips I'd offer wouldn't do you a bit of good.  Bike is coming along nicely, though.  I can't believe it's the same bike!

[dgyver]

I have bent & formed poly sheets before, but I had access to the correct equipment. I have done small pieces in an oven or it could be softened over a stove. A heat gun will work too.
You might be able to find a similar windscreen that could be modified.

Carbon fiber can be cut easily with a Dremel using a fiber disk. A small drum sander works as well.

Use some thin flat metal for the mounts. 1/8 x 3/4" (or 1") aluminum would work fine. Also, I recommend using grommets or similar material to lessen vibration at the mounting points on the fairing, otherwise cracks may appear.

[cboling]

Ineedanap: Thanks for the information you sent me the other day. It has helped give me some ideas on what I will need to look for. I also found a few more bits of information on it while searching last night and it looks like it is from a 97 monster. I found some pictures of some brackets and that has given me some ideas as well so hopefully I will be able to get it mounted.

[cboling]

Looks like I found the windscreen for this fairing. Now just to figure out some bracketry. 

[tt_four]

How does ducati just stop making windscreens for their own fairings? That's a scum move. I was gonna say your best bet might just be trying to find the right windscreen on ebay or a ducati forum, but you already took care of that.

I wanted a laminar lip for my old bike once, I found it much easier and cheaper to buy a clearance sportbike windscreen and cut it.

Does it just have that one bolt to mount it? You could also try looking around onilne to see how they're actually mounted on Ducatis, maybe you could find the correct bracket for cheap. I have a Buell flyscreen for mine, but it has 2 holes on it, one above the other, so all I had to do was get a short strip of aluminum to bolt to the 2 holes, and drill holes for the headlight mount bolts, but yours looks a bit more complicated.

[cboling]

Yeah, I had also found a Buell cyclone screen and really like the small size. I also like the way Ineedanap has the newer model Ducati screen mounted. Just too cool. Anyway, I found some pictures of the fairing online and some of the mounts as well. I also found a smoke windscreen for this one on Ebay but it's like $75 bucks so, I am going to give it some time and think it through before I fully decide.

I believe I can get some 3/4" aluminum and make the brackets. Just got to learn how to bend the aluminum without breaking it. I know heating it is the proper way, just don't know if I need a propane torch or something more.

[JB848]

I'm not sure if this will help you but I thought I would show how I made my brackets and where they are attached to give you ideas.



I noticed you don't have the Speedo tree any more but you have 2 holes you can use?




This is the top view where the bracket is attached to the bottom of the bolt holding the speedo. Good luck I know you'll figure something out. 

[cboling]

Ahhhh, Yes! That is what I needed. That should work perfectly. I may have to order the grommets back for the gauge mounts but no biggie there. You my friend, are da man! 

[ohgood]

First off, thats a really nice gs you have. I've molded 3 flyscreens that imitate the shape of the stock sv650 screen I use now. +1 for dgyver's info about heating. I used a turkey pot, or garbae can to mold mine after heating.

Make the template with posterboard, etc

Oh, you found one. Cool.

Any beauty shots ?

[tt_four]

Most aluminum can be bent once and still be fine. Atleast I didn't heat any of the brackets I had out of aluminum on mine. If you want to, I think you'd be fine with a bernz-o-matic from home depot. I have one of the ones that used the yellow tanks, I don't remember what kind of gas it is, but I would think that would be sufficient. Even one of the blue ones should be fine.

[cboling]

Thanks. I still am thinking about attempting to make my own. I think a red screen would tie it together better than a smoke one and I can get the acrylic for about $20-ish. Got any pictures of your screen that you did?

Here are some pics of the one I found and of what it should look like installed.

[tt_four]

The one I made instead of the Laminar lip? I'll see what I can find later tonight after work. I took pictures of it, but I'll have to see if I can't find any.

[cboling]

Yeah, that would be cool.

Ohgood: Do you have any pictures of your attempts at the acrylic?

Dgyver: How about you?

[JB848]

Ahhhh, Yes! That is what I needed. That should work perfectly. I may have to order the grommets back for the gauge mounts but no biggie there. You my friend, are da man! 

Just trying to help where I can. I know how frustrating it can be to come up with ideas on your own. It's real easy to get ideas from some one elses and modify it to your own personal needs and preferences. 

Also I didn't use heat to bend mine. I use 2 very large Cresent wrenches and bench grinder to clean them up. I didn't catch where you lived but I have a shaZam! load of the metal I used left over.

[Chanse]

you can always fab some mounts to come up from your headlight brackets. And the acrylic if your ballzy you can buy just flat acrylic sheets and make a mold double bubble if you like or what ever style, throw the acrylic in the over to start the warm up.... slowly bringing the heat up put the mold in and the acrylic on top let it droopdown to take the shape then slowly reverse the heat till it cools. any stretch marks or hazzing can be reglazzed witha torch.. with light passes till the haze goes away. We had a specialty oven to do it at a sign shop I worked at but Im sure you can do the same in a conventional oven. just have to be more careful, and keep a fire extinguisher handy... never know...

[Chanse]

from the looks of the fairing, kinda looks like it and the headlight need to be moved up so the handlebars line up with the notches in the fairing? sorry If Im wrong but just looks alittle out of place

[cboling]

Yep. I played around with it a little yesterday and from what I can tell, the handlebars were positioned more vertically. I lowered them back down (less motocross height) and that seems to have helped with getting the fairing in a position where it is better fitted. I haven't worked on any brackets yet so it's going to be  a little while before I have any pictures.

I think I have decided to stay away from doing my own with acrylic. i could probably do it, just don't really think I want to take the time to do it right now. Maybe down the road.

Thanks,
CB

[Trwhouse]

Hi there,
Here's the place to check with:

http://www.bikescreen.com/

Gustaffson Plastics, they make or can help you fab any kind of windscreeen.
I bought some stuff from them over the years.
A great place.

Gustafsson Plastics, Inc.
St. Augustine, Florida 32084-3567
Toll Free • 1-888-824-3443

Good luck,

Trwhouse