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More bling for the '84 Voyager/sidecar rig 8 years 2 weeks ago #11409

  • trikebldr
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On my '83 Voyager (first pic) I made up a clear cover from 1/8" Lexan for the headlight recess, and dark smoked covers over each front turn signal. I simply mounted the turn signals to the backside of the fairing rather than on the outside, then added the covers in place of the turn signals to make them fit flush with the fairing surface. I liked how it got rid of those ugly yellow/orange signal lenses, mostly. The clear cover over the headlight also kept all the bugs from packing into the crevices around the headlight itself, making them hard to clean out.

I made up templates first from some scrap plastic paneling. It took a while to get the templates to fit the bike nicely. After tracing around the templates on the sheets of plastic I rough-cut the blanks on my bandsaw, then finished each piece to the lines on a small belt sander with a 120 grit belt.

I will be using black nylon screws to hold the covers on and to help prevent any tendencies to crack around the screw holes. I used stainless screws on my old '83, but had no cracking, so this is just added insurance against that. I think the black screws will also look better.

The dark lenses might not be legal in a lot of states, but I rode that rig over 112,000 miles and only pulled over twice and simply warned about it. Here in Missouri I see a lot of cars and trucks running blacked-out taillight lenses and not being pulled over. Also, there are a lot of heavily tinted windows right up to the windshield, so it would seem that the local cops, at least, don't seem to be too concerned about such items.

Now I have two more of these bikes and have made up the same covers for both of them, plus a set of spares and one set of clear turn signal covers just in case I'm told to get rid of the darker ones. The '84 with the new sidecar (the bike on the right in the second pic) also has the gold trim just below the windshield blacked out with a satin black paint. I think that looks much better, too. I think the dark covers with the blacked out trim will help the front of the '84 a lot.

My Terraplane sidecar also had just one side window when I got it, and that one was broken, so I taped it back together to use as a pattern and made up new windows for it, too, while I was at it. Most of these sidecars don't have the side windows anymore. So, I have the template to make up new replacements for anybody who may have a Vetter Terraplane sidecar with broken or missing side windows.

These covers aren't hard to make at all if you have a drill press, bandsaw and a belt sander. If any of you Voyager owners want a full set, PM me. You're on yer own with the cops, though!





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