Can i trim down my Cee Bailey screen to make it less wide?

[Oldironken]

I recently bought a used pair of mirrors from a K 1200 RS to mount on my '04 RT.

 

Imagine how excited i was when i slipped the right side mirror into the proper spot only to discover that my Cee Baily screen is wider than stock so that the mirror would hit it before the bars hit the stops. Arrrgh!

 

It looks like trimming away a bit of the screen width would do the trick.

 

- Is trimming the screen width a bad idea?

- Is this something that's easily tackled with some guidance?

- Is it something a glass shop, or auto body shop would be equipped to do?

 

I still have the original screen and can use it to determine how much needs to be removed.

 

As much as i want to see better behind me, going back to the original screen is not something i want to do.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Ken

 

 

 

 

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Yes, you can trim it, but I don't know what it will do to the overall performance of the screen.

 

Put masking tape on both sides of the screen, draw your deisred shape on the tape and use a fine-tooth hacksaw to cut it. Some people use a dremmel, but be careful of heat buildup which can melt the shield.

 

After you cut it you can use some fine grit sand paper to smooth out the edges.

 

I was able to adjust my GS mirrors on my RT to contact the shield right at the locking points and still be able to see behind me.

[NickInSac]

Here is a guy doing it to a windscreen on his R100RT.

IIRC - As he mentions, the acetone melts the endge semi clear.

 

 

I will do this to my Cee-Bailey eventually too. Mine is too tall. I think I will take off one inch all around from the top.

[eddd]

 

I've cut a few. The jig saw with a fine blade is good. Don't panic if parts fuse back together behind the cut. It will snap off at the point of the cut. Keeping it free while you cut takes a little extra effort and attention so be careful not to get distracted and get off the cut line.

[na1g]

If you just need to cut off a little (1/4" or so) maybe a file would be safer. Get a nice big mill-bastard (that's what they are called!) half-round file and go for it. For removing more, a band saw is the best bet, followed by filing-sanding-sanding and polishing. No band saw? Try the "jig saw", also known as a saber saw, with a fine-tooth blade, followed by filing-sanding-sanding-polishing. Also on the list of potential tools are the Dremel, disk sander and drum sander. It's not easy to get a nice smooth curve without a lot of filing but it is possible with some patience. Protect the plastic all over with painters tape and kraft paper/newspaper and work on an old towel to prevent scratching. It's a good rainy day project. Good luck!

[Oldironken]

Thanks for the input. I will probably go into a state of "paralysis thru analysis" for a while to decide on my course of action.

[GreatDaysAhead]

I just did my VStream shield for the same reason. I used a belt sander clamped into a vise and controlled the windshield by hand. Worked awesome and you can take a bit off at a time. Use the roller ends if you need to do contours. Then hand sand the edge smooth.

[algover]

If you don't want to do it yourself, instead of a glass or auto-body shop, look for a plastics place. Locally, I've used Tap Plastics www.tapplastics.com but they are a west coast (mainly northern California) company, so it wouldn't do you much good. You likely have something similar in your area.

[Selden]

Scott's advice about using masking tape is spot on. Acrylic is relatively soft, so it's pretty easy to cut and polish. After cutting, file or wet sand using a coarse grit to get a smooth edge. Then wet sand using progressively finer grits (up to 1500), and finally plastic polishing compound, and you can get a mirror finish that is indistinguishable from (or even better than) the original.

 

I'm leery of using acetone to melt the edge. It may be perfectly safe, but I have screwed up too many pieces of plastic with solvents. Wet sanding is slower and more labor intensive, but it gets the job done.

 

Keep in mind that you can always take off more, but once cut, you can't put it back on.