Laminar Screen Flex Mod

Back in May I purchased a Laminar Speed Screen (PN SS-961-S, S for Smoke) for my 2016 Suzuki DR650. I really did not need a highway screen; rather, all I needed was something that would deflect highway travel winds between trails a little better. The Laminar Screen was definitely the ticket.

However, the Laminar Screen mounts directly to the headlight shroud and that is one flimsy piece of plastic. So flimsy, in fact, that at any speeds over 45 mph the screen forces the shroud to flex back into the gauge area and rub on the speedometer. It's actually wearing.

I thought about various mod approaches and decided to shore up the shroud a little better in the area that it flexes. The mod I chose was to rivet a couple strips of steel plate inside the shroud such that it wouldn't allow the bend/flex..or at least as much of it.

It's a one inch strip of steel that's 6.5 mm thick. Wind is not going to bend this stuff.

I cut a couple six inch lengths and then bent the angles I needed in my vice.

I pre-drilled five 1/8" holes on each plate for the 1/8" rivets...

...and then put a good coat of black paint on them.

Then I installed them in the shroud. These will both keep the shroud from flexing at the mid-point and keep the top of the shroud forward.

Looks a little Franken-Plastic at the moment. I touched each of the rivet heads with some black paint so as not to be too obvious....not that I really cared, more to keep the rivets from rusting.

A quick trip out to he highway and back and this mod is holding up pretty good.