I wanted some temporary wind deflectors for my 3600Mile ride to Key West and back to New England in chilly October.  So here’s a brief write up of how I saved money by making my own using a shoestring budget and elbow grease.

Stopped at Lowes and picked up about 10 dollars in supplies.

• Plexiglas
• Industrial double sided sticky foam
• Cheap plain ceramic tiles.

Plus tools I already own.

• Dremel
• Leatherman
• Cardboard
• Sharpie

First you make the part out of cardboard before any cutting is done.

Then trace your cardboard design on the piece.

Score the Plexiglas and break it to the desired size.

Now you can use the dremel tool to carve the shape out of the plexiglass.

Plexiglass is fragile, careful you do not bend too far, or you will have to restart like I did.

Once the piece is cut out, you can bend it to the right angle.

I bought 2 cheap pieces of plain tile and placed them a inch apart on top of a burner.  A wider gap makes a rounder bend.  Turn the burner to just past medium and hold the plexiglass close till it becomes pliable over the gap.  Then gently bend to just past the desired angle, it will relax to the angle you want as it cools.  WARNING: use safety protection, ceramic tiles may explode if they have a bubble hidden in them.

Tip: Cool pieces in fridge before removing protective plastic film, it will come off a lot easier.
Tip: Remember to bend the left and the right side in opposite directions.

Now affix the double sided sticky foam to the piece.

Install and enjoy.

Note the pieces installed over the mirrors to deflect the wind that would otherwise beat down on my fingers.  The pieces easily slip between the mirror and the mirror cover.  They are too thin to be permanent, a curious passerby could snap them off with little effort.  I also threw on a couple simple shin guards.