[Pops]

I was out tinkering with my Bonnie today and am noticing that my clear Deflector Shield is not so clear anymore. It has been doing a very good job of deflecting all kinds of debris but is looking the worse for wear with a few large scratches and many smaller ones. I only put it on the bike about 2000 miles ago so I am thinking another few thousand and it will be looking really shabby. I think most of the hits have come on the interstate. I have it pitched back a little further than it shows in the picture below so I don't really look through it as much as over it. The pitch is more like the screen on a crotch rocket. Even though I have never been overjoyed by the appearance of this screen, I only paid about $50 for it and it does the job. Some day I would like to change it for a flyscreen but I am forced to wait for available funds.

Being as this forum is made up of the worlds most renowned Bonneville experts I wanted to see if I could get some expert opinion. Would painting a Clear Shield be / look stupid? I saw a rattle can of silver that looked like it would match the color of the bike but I am not sure how it would look.

Pops

 

[Anchorbend]

Paint

I painted my Dart black but I painted the rear side since I didn't want it to keep getting scratced and chipped. Looks OK and I have no plans to change it.

 

[Pops]

Painting the inside

That is a good idea. I hadn't thought of that. I know I can hear mine taking a beating going down the interstate. I rode some without it and had more hitting me then. I may run without it during the heat of the summer though to get more air flow. I just bought a mesh jacket and can really tell where the air is blocked off now and the extra cooling might be worth it during the really hot months.

Pops

 

[road dog]

Pops - I had my flysceen painted black. Flat black on the back, gloss black (with several coats of clear coat) on the front. I've had it on for close to 15K miles with no signs of wear and tear. I don't do much Interstate riding, but some of the bugs around here do have really hard heads. This is an old pic, but it still looks good.

 

[biker7]

Pops...will give you another option. Painting the dart screen is viable because it is relatively small. You have a bit bigger screen. If I were you...I would purchase some plastic polish and polish it. You can do it on the bike if you have a random orbital polisher which is a common tool if you are into detailing. Never wipe the screen with paper towel or a dry towel. Best way to maintain it is...use a damp microfiber with some automotive car wash detergent which is clear coat safe with carnuba in it. Keep a coat of wax on the screen for easy cleanings. With proper maintenance, the screens shouldn't scratch that easy. Scratches are generally created with cleaning bugs off in an invasive manner. Any scratches can generally be polished out with a good plastic polish cleaner and random orbital polisher like a porter cable.
Hope that helps. I personally would not paint a screen like you have. I do like the dart screens painted however.
Best,
George
PS: Road dog...your bike looks great.

 

[Pops]

Big long, wide, deep scratches

Scratches are generally created with cleaning bugs off in an invasive manner. Any scratches can generally be polished out with a good plastic polish cleaner and random orbital polisher like a porter cable.

Biker,

I would agree on the minor scratches but I have some large deep scratches caused by rocks and road debris on the interstate. We have I-65, I-40, and I-24 that all merge together within a 1 mile stretch so we get tons of truck traffic kicking up everything on the road. I got blasted with sand a couple of weeks ago by a dump truck before I could get around him. Broken windshields, broken headlights, and chipped paint and dents are just par for the course. I avoid the big slab as much as possible on the bike but sometimes it is a necessity. I think that the fly screens look great painted but I was not sure about this one since it is larger. I don't know if it would look better painted or not. I do prefer the stuff hitting it rather than me though. Flying rocks hurt at 80mph. Not that I would exceed the posted speed limit or anything like that.

Pops

 

[biker7]

Biker,

I would agree on the minor scratches but I have some large deep scratches caused by rocks and road debris on the interstate. We have I-65, I-40, and I-24 that all merge together within a 1 mile stretch so we get tons of truck traffic kicking up everything on the road. I got blasted with sand a couple of weeks ago by a dump truck before I could get around him. Broken windshields, broken headlights, and chipped paint and dents are just par for the course. I avoid the big slab as much as possible on the bike but sometimes it is a necessity. I think that the fly screens look great painted but I was not sure about this one since it is larger. I don't know if it would look better painted or not. I do prefer the stuff hitting it rather than me though. Flying rocks hurt at 80mph. Not that I would exceed the posted speed limit or anything like that.

Pops

Flying rocks and getting sand blasted? I try to keep my Bonnie away from that stuff....lol.
Maybe you should install a really big screen for protection. If you ride roads like that Pops, would say...not much you can do.
Good Luck,
George

 

[Derby Boy]

I think that screen is too big to paint, and may stand out like a sore thumb. You can go to your local Walmart and pick up some lense restoration. You may have to start with some 400 wet/dry sandpaper to get the deep scratches out. I have built a couple of screens from old goldwing shields and they can be repaired. Also pick up a can of "Plexus" windshield cleaner. That stuff works good and hides small scratches. Also only clean the shield with mild soap and water (no glass cleaner) and always clean up and down or left to right. Circles put swirls in it.

 

[BonnieBlack07]

Pops - $50 bucks for a screen doesn't seem too unreasonable. If you really like the size of the screen and don't want to switch to something smaller, why not just buy another nice new one? A really nice paint job would be cheaper, but as others have said, it might really stand out. You can always polish it, but depending on your financial situation, it might be worth just buying a fresh new one.

 

[scramble stash]

Screen and protection

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/...pplicators/Home/Products/PaintProtectionFilm/

I would recommend the Triumph quality screen with a clear coat of Scotchgard tape. You can not really see the film and this one has almost 24K mostly interstate. Regardless of your choice, use the 3M film. Easily replaceable. I cut a circle around the gas cap as well.

 

[B02S4]

Pops, I would paint that sucker gloss/clearcoat out & flat in, & enjoy it. If you decide that's not the right look for you, someone else will buy it for the right price. What do you have to lose?

 

[wonderdog]

I'm familiar with the interstate area you're riding. If I had to ride on that I would definitely have a windshield. That's one thing I liked about mine was the huge bugs, rocks etc that it caught instead of me catching them. Occasionally I got hit on the hands with a rock or big ol hard headed bug and that hurt enough to make me buy armored gloves.

How do people ride in these areas with just sunglasses? Tougher than me!

 

[Pops]

I have an idea

Well I have pretty much decided that I am still undecided. I do have an idea to help me decide though. Since the bike is silver, I am going to put silver duct tape on the screen to see how it looks. That will at least tell me how it would look painted and all I will have to do is clean off the glue left behind. If I can live with the look then I paint. If it looks like a big silver wing on the front of the bike I won't. I really don't want to spend too much time and effort polishing the scratches out if it is going to continue taking a beating. I usually only hit the interstate when I am working nights which I should (may) not be doing any time soon or when I need to cross Nashville quickly. It goes on and off pretty easily now that I know the angle to set so I could just put it on when I need it and either go without or get a nice fly screen for the other times. I really like hearing your opinions and solutions.

Thanks,
Pops