The famous 'stiff ride' question...

[T-Test]

Look into the new mattress you can sit on raw eggs without breaking. I think they have pillows too. Also Aircraft Spruce Specialties has real thin cushions for pilot seats that may help. Check into some fiberglass form fitting seats with thin cushion. Lawn mower seats? Seats like Povtinguy used? The solution is out there!

He would have to cut out the seat section that is molded into the body, I think.

 

[rbsWELDER]

Mike,

What size tubes are you running in those seats?

 

[Kurt64]

Try going to a plastic supply and purchasing Lexan (I think). Mine is 19 inches high x 3/4 inch thick
and only cost about $80 for them to cut, radius the edges and polish them.

View attachment 15258

A buddy did that with a dune buggy...2 tickets and a failed inspection later he opted for new glass. Hotrods may be more lenient some places but here in PA, lexan and/or polycarbonate are a no-no. I am a CNC machinist so that would be an excellent option if I could get away with it.

 

[lincolnuT]

Mark they are 8 inch wheelbarrow tube

 

[Kurt64]

Try going to a plastic supply and purchasing Lexan (I think). Mine is 19 inches high x 3/4 inch thick
and only cost about $80 for them to cut, radius the edges and polish them.

View attachment 15258

Does anyone have any thoughts on this idea? I can't seem to get a good answer from my buddies that inspect vehicles...

 

[Island Girl]

I think you'll find that most states spell out that all vehicle windows must be laminated glass.

If you stress polycarbonate or other clear plastics enough to break, they often do so, rather explosively, with lots of razor sharp, tiny, impossible to find when covered with blood, shards.

Standing up to bullet impact is a lot different than standing up to a wreck.

I wouldn't use a plastic windshield, finding a shop to do laminated glass shouldn't be that hard if you're in the states, especially if it doesn't have to have curves cut, like over the cowl.

 

[PotvinGuy]

Here's the seats I use: Very comfy. Leave off the arms and base, and bolt them to a wood box with the desired tilt.

I changed to a Lexan windshield a few years ago: Big redo of the old bucket Mine is 1/4", but I have a full frame around it. Without the frame you'd want thicker so it won't bend so much.

 

[choppedtop]

Just about all, if not all motorcycle windshields are made of Lexan. They do have a hard coat surface so to help protect them from scratching so easily. Lexan will bend 180 degrees each way several times before breaking. It does need a frame around it unless thick. I know of quite a few custom cars around here with Lexan windshields. Legal, I don't have a clue.

 

[2old2fast]

Most all states require safety glass for windshields , aside from the legality is the insurance thing , AFA the motorcycle deal , my guess is lawmakers view motorcycle riders as organ donors , not worth saving....

 

[Kurt64]

....my guess is lawmakers view motorcycle riders as organ donors , not worth saving....

Hey now, I resemble that remark. Lol
Been riding motorcycles all my life...

 

[Island Girl]

Hey now, I resemble that remark. Lol
Been riding motorcycles all my life...

Organ Donor here too . . . . .

 

[Kurt64]

Organ Donor here too . . . . .

View attachment 15261

I realize these aren't buckets but....

 

[Kurt64]

After reading all the comments I could find about windshields, and looking at the seat ideas posted, I'm going to go with a taller lexan windshield and add some padding under the upholstery.....best of all worlds. Thanks to everyone for their input!

 

[Indycars]

I'm going to go with a taller lexan windshield

Kurt64, you probably realize this, but drilling Lexan is different that metal. As you get deeper into
the Lexan it will grab the drill bit more and more until it breaks. This is a problem with the smaller
bits like 1/8 inch that would be used for the pilot holes. I would suggest starting with a 3/16 inch bit
and pull out often to remove any material from the drill bit.

 

[Kurt64]

Kurt64, you probably realize this, but drilling Lexan is different that metal. As you get deeper into
the Lexan it will grab the drill bit more and more until it breaks. This is a problem with the smaller
bits like 1/8 inch that would be used for the pilot holes. I would suggest starting with a 3/16 inch bit
and pull out often to remove any material from the drill bit.

Been a machinist for 30+ years...I know all the "tricks". Dawn dish soap works very well for drilling and tapping lexan and acrylic. Tapping fluids usually cause micro fractures which lead to early failure.

 

[Island Girl]

Been a machinist for 30+ years...I know all the "tricks". Dawn dish soap works very well for drilling and tapping lexan and acrylic. Tapping fluids usually cause micro fractures which lead to early failure.

Bingo on the water and dish soap.

There are also specially designed drills for plastics, getting the size(s) you need might be a good investment, if you're spending a considerable amount of $$$ for a Lexan/polycarbonate windshield . . .

I bought mine from McMaster, but most plastics places have them as well.

 

[Gerry]

Use lexan for the screen in my Altered.... impact proof, bendable and does NOT shatter like perspex (acrylic). Passes scrutineers every time, so must have some advantages.
JMHO. But hey,who knows?

 

[Kurt64]

Use lexan for the screen in my Altered.... impact proof, bendable and does NOT shatter like perspex (acrylic). Passes scrutineers every time, so must have some advantages.
JMHO. But hey,who knows?

This question gets a little off track but are inspection stickers allowed to be posted on the vehicle other than on the windshield (like motorcycle inspection plates)? I would think that removing an old sticker would damage the lexan.

 

[Indycars]

Dawn dish soap works very well for drilling and tapping lexan and acrylic.

Hey great, thanks for the tip!!!

 

[fletcherson]

That's the issue...the height. Right now my sight line is just under the windshield frame (which is very annoying). If I add thickness to the cushion, my head will be over the the windshield. I've looked into replacing the glass and frame with something taller but yikes...the cost is much more $$$ than I'd hoped for.

Mine has a short wind screen below my line of sight... I like the look. It may be a future mod, but not a priority at all. I don’t think of it as a windshield, more like a bug screen... my bike has a shield and it’s below my line of sight too, but does a good job of deflecting and redirecting bugs, rain, etc... In the process of re building mine, moving the pedals, changing the steering, designing and building a seat, shifter, controls, etc to make it somewhat comfortable for me, I learned that to sit low, requires more length than a standard tub allows... I had to compromise seat height to allow enough room to drive it and use the controls, clutch, brakes, etc... my seat riser ended up being 6” give or take... everything is a trade off in these things, it seems.