fix for broken windshield bracket tabs

[54chevybelair]

This is how I fixed my broken windshield bracket tabs on my 2004 RSV. I used a wire tie around the speaker boss and wrapped it around the windshield bracket. i cut a piece of rubber off the windshield bracket so the wire tie would be flush.

[Kregerdoodle]

so is it the metal bracket that is broke? if so, is there any way to spot weld it?? just not sure how long that Zip Tie will last..

 

 

 

This is how I fixed my broken windshield bracket tabs on my 2004 RSV. I used a wire tie around the speaker boss and wrapped it around the windshield bracket. i cut a piece of rubber off the windshield bracket so the wire tie would be flush.

[54chevybelair]

It's the platic tab that the metal bracket mounts to, that's broke. It's very thin and from what I have read on this site, most of them break easy. The plastic tie is not replacing metal.

[Kregerdoodle]

oh, ok...I wasn`t sure what part had been breaking...hope your fix holds up for you, so far I have been lucky.

 

K

 

 

 

It's the platic tab that the metal bracket mounts to, that's broke. It's very thin and from what I have read on this site, most of them break easy. The plastic tie is not replacing metal.

[allwx]

mine were broken by the time I first split the faring, which was no more than a month after I bought the bike new in 2007. Heck, they might've been broken at the factory. Somebody wrote an article about a reinforcement using common hardware strapping and using one of the speaker attachment nuts to hold it in place.

 

This repair I did, like I say, about a month after I got the bike, couldn't have had more than a couple thousand miles on it. It has held very well and keeps the faring pretty solid.

 

I like the idea of the plastic ties, though. They'll probably get the job done perfectly without all the installation foofaraw, and if they're big enough will hold a long time.

[Carbon_One]

I too had broken tabs early on so what I did was use a piece of 1/8" welding rod with a flat washer welded on the ends. One end attaches to the spot where the fairing bracket is and the other end goes to the speaker mounting screw.

 

On another note I found recently that the outer fairing was starting to develope some cracks around where a couple of the washers held the fairing to the metal bracket.

My fix for that was to use some thin brass stock between the fairing and washered screws. The brass was easyly bent to conform to the fairings curve. Doing this will spread out the load from the screws over a larger area, preventing more damage being done. Also used some expoxy to repair the cracks.

Larry

Edited December 19, 2011 by Carbon_One

[aharbi]

I ordered a Clearview windshield. When I went to install it I found what many on this forum had found - broken windshield bracket plastic tabs. I hit this forum for a fix and found several. I opted for the one posted by 54chevybelair on 12/18/2011. I used a larger wire tie. It feels quite strong - stronger than the original but time will only tell if it will last as long as the steel strap fix.

 

Right side (as sitting on the bike)

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/Motorcycle/IMG_1240.jpg

 

Left side (as sitting on the bike)

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/Motorcycle/IMG_1243.jpg

 

I also noticed signs of stress on the fairing windshield mounting holes from what appears tobe over torque by the PO.

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/Motorcycle/IMG_1245.jpg

 

not as fancy nor as pretty as the brass stock used by Cardon_One. I used fender washers to spread the load.

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/Motorcycle/IMG_1248.jpg

 

I like the Clearview shield as they use mounting holes not slots with great little black bolt inserts.

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/Motorcycle/IMG_1250.jpg

 

DONE with the windshield pouch mounted. (sorry for the glare)

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk100/aharbi/Motorcycle/IMG_1253.jpg

[djh3]

Well I have bought a pies of strapping to do the "strap fix" but am leaning towards the zip tie. I dont have near the amount of tab left you guys have in the pics. So I dont know if it would have enough support. But it"s worth a look see. As far as the windshield bolt holes, there seems to be a fair amount of paint build up around them. I think before installing load spreading washers I may knock that down a bit. But good ideas all around.

[djh3]

Well I doubled down. I made the support bracket that is mentioned in the tech section and I tie wraped it once I got it put together. Then I took a razor blade and trimmed the big gobs of paint that wre around the windshield screws and installed the larger fender type washers. The 2 closest to the center had to be notched to fit the area. I think about $5 worth of supplies from home depot. Hopefully while I was at it the rattle over bumps has disapeared too.

[ragtop69gs]

I did the L bracket fix and it should last for the life of the bike. The zip ties look like a good quick fix but probably wont last long, you'll be in there over & over changing broken ties.

[djh3]

My thought was if the bracket can keep it from flexing, maybe the zip tie will give it a little extra support. On the zip ties breaking. Hmm I dunno, depends on quality I think. I have had some I installed and something out in the sulight for years and they are OK. I hope either way to not have anymore dealings with this.

[allwx]

Did it take care of the rattle you are getting over bumps?

 

I've had something rattling in mine for a year or so now. At first I thought it was head bearing, but it wasn't. I've looked and looked. Can't find it. It only makes the noise occasionally, and only over slow bumps. Anything higher than around 45 mph and I can hit any kind of bump without any rattle. It sounds to me very similar to a loose head bearing, but the head is quite snug. Last year I disassembled the head, packed the bearings, and did a very careful torquing of the bearing nut. So I'm all but certain it isn't the bearing.

 

There is absolutely no effect on operation of the bike. It handles perfectly.

 

I'm starting to wonder if something isn't loose in the forks. Maybe it's a "normal" kind of sound that I shouldn't worry about.

[Kirby]

Sometimes the fork leg covers will rattle. They're located directly beneath the triple clamps. Also if you are missing the rubber bumpers behind the air deflectors just above the front fender, they may be vibrating against the fork tube covers. If the bumpers are still intact they should be just touching the covers.

[djh3]

I dont know. I have not had it out since I put it all together yesterday. I was missing a rubber bumper on the right lower but had a coupel of stick on bumpers like for cabinet doors and used them. It really sounds like something in the fairing area. I bought some billet pieces from Kirby to support the big rubber dampeners on the fairing after I added risers. Beats me, mostly over bigger bumps, pavment changes on cross streets, drivways and the like.