This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Interest in a dash protector?

K

kuksul08

Joined Jul 2014
1K Posts | 45+
California
Hey all,
First were the auxiliary lights. Now, comes the dash protector. :D

I don't know how many of you noticed but our dash sucks. The plastic is very prone to getting scratched and apparently it can get cloudy after enough sun exposure. It also looks super weird if you're wearing polarized sunglasses, but that's a separate issue.

Anyway, I made this little dash protector. It uses really nice clear acrylic that resists scratches and blocks most of the UV spectrum. There are two holders to snap onto the dash kind of like a phone case, and it's held together with stainless hardware. I'm still playing with the dimensions and whatnot, but I should have a final version in the next week.

The pros:
-prevents accidental touching and scratching of the dash
-blocks UV light
-easy 5-second install

The cons:
-dust and dirt can get under the protector and requires removal to clean
-can cause glare if the sun is at the right angle

Since I have extra material, is anyone interested in this? Also, do you have anything you'd like to see changed?

qpNm57l.jpg
 
Looks real good, could you put a bead or strip of rubber around the edge to stop dust from getting in as easily? How did you make the holder clip things?
 
I thought about making a simple version with just a gasket or silicone but I didn't for two reasons. First it would be really difficult to seal properly on the dash because it's a weird rubberized plastic material. If it wasn't 100% sealed you would end up with water in there and it would be even worse than a cracked dash! Second I wanted something reversible and not have to clean off glue or adhesive in the future.
I milled out the clips from plastic. This is a good candidate for 3d printing though since it doesn't need to be so strong and is a complex shape!

The way I look at it now is I can just pop it off whenever I wash the bike which is not that often. Only takes a few seconds. In the meantime yeah it will collect some dust but it's shouldn't be that bad. I'm going to be testing it out over the next couple weeks.
 
I just put a pice of protective film. On the screen. Bougt one for iPad and cut to fit. But your solution looks better and stronger. Do you still manufacture auxiliary lights?
 
Bilen said:
I just put a pice of protective film. On the screen. Bougt one for iPad and cut to fit. But your solution looks better and stronger. Do you still manufacture auxiliary lights?
Click to expand...

I thought about doing that. I have some clear protectors but I was afraid of using an adhesive on it because 1. what will happen after enough sun exposure, will the glue stick to the dash? and 2. those protectors are usually made for a smooth glass surface not a textured plastic one. I'd like to see pics though if you have one!

I stopped with the auxiliary lights for now because I haven't had a lot of time. I hope to make more eventually.



So I just went for a ride today and the thing worked great! I use polarized sunglasses, so I never saw any glare at all. It didn't budge and looks nice. Really happy with it.
 
I'd definitely be interested - I already have a nasty scratch on the dash so it would be great to stop any more! Do you think it would reduce glare much? I do a lot of night riding and have already vinyl wrapped my screen to try and cut down the glare; if this were to cut it down more that would be amazing!!
 
Jokeshopbeard said:
I'd definitely be interested - I already have a nasty scratch on the dash so it would be great to stop any more! Do you think it would reduce glare much? I do a lot of night riding and have already vinyl wrapped my screen to try and cut down the glare; if this were to cut it down more that would be amazing!!
Click to expand...

I haven't noticed any glare issues so far, but if anything it would increase glare since its another piece of shiny clear plastic. It does seem to take the glare away from the dash surface oddly enough, or maybe it's just different.
 
I think we're talking different kinds of glare here kuks? I'm talking about the glare produced by the dash backlight, rather than glare from the sun...
 
Jokeshopbeard said:
I think we're talking different kinds of glare here kuks? I'm talking about the glare produced by the dash backlight, rather than glare from the sun...
Click to expand...

Ohhh I see. I can't say backlight glare has been an issue for me. One of the first things I did was go into settings and put the backlight brightness on low.
 
Yeah, me too. It's the reflection on the screen that bugs me. A minor niggle of course, but a niggle none the less. Hopefully your dash protector will diffuse the light a little better!
 
I have had a few bikes where the glare from the sun on the instruments can literally be blinding. My HD Road Glide is one. The Strada is not too bad, but our little Duke 390 is very bad that way. What I'm looking for is a truly anti-reflective film to put on its dash and I would just leave it on there forever.

I ordered a piece meant for a small tablet from some guy in Germany, but even though it was described as anti-reflective it does not help much at all. Plus it arrived with a dent in it and came Registered Mail - had to go 20 miles to the PO to retrieve it. For a $13 part!

So if anyone has a recommendation, I'd appreciate it.
 
zippy49 said:
I have had a few bikes where the glare from the sun on the instruments can literally be blinding. My HD Road Glide is one. The Strada is not too bad, but our little Duke 390 is very bad that way. What I'm looking for is a truly anti-reflective film to put on its dash and I would just leave it on there forever.

I ordered a piece meant for a small tablet from some guy in Germany, but even though it was described as anti-reflective it does not help much at all. Plus it arrived with a dent in it and came Registered Mail - had to go 20 miles to the PO to retrieve it. For a $13 part!

So if anyone has a recommendation, I'd appreciate it.
Click to expand...

You might want to look at Plastikolite anti-glare acrylic. They offer varying levels of anti-glare. The "light matte" is similar to the hyper dash. The "heavy matte" is more like a computer screen. It's made to go right up against the surface which is why I didn't use it on this project - too much spacing and it gets blurry. Maybe you could cut some out and glue it on the perimeter?
 
kuksul08 said:
You might want to look at Plastikolite anti-glare acrylic. They offer varying levels of anti-glare. The "light matte" is similar to the hyper dash. The "heavy matte" is more like a computer screen. It's made to go right up against the surface which is why I didn't use it on this project - too much spacing and it gets blurry. Maybe you could cut some out and glue it on the perimeter?
Click to expand...

This is a hard, non-flexible material? I'd rather have a film that I could apply and remove.
 
Here are some updated pics and details of the protector.

Uses UV blocking and scratch resistant (front side) clear plastic.
Snaps on and off with no tools, just careful lining up.
Black stainless screws.
Yes, this is how I spend my free time.

Going to get 3 of them out for feedback before offering them to the hyper community!

0QVFQxs.jpg


DRLkCUm.jpg


08hCG3E.jpg


h5gJbOz.jpg
 
These!
Look!
Stunning!

Don't know about others around here, but I would really consider buying one of these when I finally get hold of the HS. Never heard of the glare issue before, but it's god to know it might be a problem.
Do you think it's possible to have something engraved at the bottom?
 
Marcopolo15 said:
Are you by chance selling these yet? and if so how much?
Click to expand...

I have sent out 2 for review locally and received positive feedback (ducati.ms forum). I have made all the clear covers and need to make the black brackets still. Got delayed last week with some other things.

I should have more time this week to hopefully get them done, and ship out next week. Thinking $40 +shipping or $45 shipped in the US.

HyperMikeNL said:
These!
Look!
Stunning!

Don't know about others around here, but I would really consider buying one of these when I finally get hold of the HS. Never heard of the glare issue before, but it's god to know it might be a problem.
Do you think it's possible to have something engraved at the bottom?
Click to expand...

The issue is a delicate dash that can't be touched without damage :(

I could engrave something with the proper file, it might just be distracting though!
 

Similar threads

K
For Sale Ducati Hypermotard & Hyperstrada Instrument Panel Protector
Replies
16
Views
4K
kuksul08
K
K
For Sale Dash/Instrument Cluster Protector
Replies
18
Views
4K
kuksul08
K