Headlight protection from debris?

[steveatpa]

I'm looking for some kind of protection material for a 2021 TE300 front headlight plastic.  Stick on?

I've seen TE's with colored headlight plastic but dont know if its protective material or just colored plastic.

I had a DS bike with a glass headlight that cracked from flying rocks...  Expensive fix.

[PhilthyX]

You could get some chicken wire or thin mesh metal or even plastic screen and fab up a guard depending on how big the rocks are vs effect of the head light output if you really need the light.

Literally 100s of cheap options.

Edited November 26, 2020 by PhilthyX

[William1]

I have stainless 1/4" box mesh over my DS light.

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productselection.asp?Product=3642&msclkid=effeb0a964001d467303ef179f69e165&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping&utm_term=1100404266839&utm_content=Ad group %231

[Diverdown]

2 hours ago, steveatpa said:

I'm looking for some kind of protection material for a 2021 TE300 front headlight plastic.  Stick on?

I've seen TE's with colored headlight plastic but dont know if its protective material or just colored plastic.

I had a DS bike with a glass headlight that cracked from flying rocks...  Expensive fix.

Yeah happened to my DRZ, $100 dollar headlight lense! Have you checked out Procycle? I think they might have a clear protector. They did for my EXC atleast, worth a look.

[steveatpa]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I found this company and might give it a try.  lamin-x.com 

Still allows visual transparency but should give some cushioning...maybe.

 

[BSAVictor]

Years ago for my dualsport bikes I'd get purpose-built, rimmed metal screens (some designed to clip on but I didn't use them that way) for off-road-use trucks/Jeeps, split some neoprene smaller fuel hose to pad between the screen and headlight at the screen's outer rim, drilled 4 zip-tie-sized holes at headlight housing corners and zip-tied the padded screen to the headlight housing.  Never had a headlight lens crack after that---but honestly never had one crack before that, and haven't had any crack on the 5+ un-screened dualsport bikes I've had since then.  Guess alot of it depends on the places you ride/group(s) you ride with?

Edited November 26, 2020 by BSAVictor
more detail

[nots0much]

You can get clear film like they use on cars for rock chip protection. 3M makes some good stuff.

[Dmouse]

3 hours ago, BSAVictor said:

Never had a headlight lens crack after that---but honestly never had one crack before that

You must like the way it looks then?

[BSAVictor]

7 hours ago, Dmouse said:

You must like the way it looks then?

If you mean I "liked how a cracked headlight looks", I guess I should have written more clearly---I've never had a cracked headlight on a motorcycle, just was trying to protect against a cracked headlight on a motorcycle.

If you mean how the finished screened headlights that I had on my bikes looked at that time, yes they looked good to me, not cobby.

Edited November 26, 2020 by BSAVictor

[Dmouse]

3 minutes ago, BSAVictor said:

not cobby.

 Never heard of this, is that a new, west coast term?

[kdxyardsale]

https://www.xpel.com/shop/headlight-protection-film

[BSAVictor]

2 hours ago, Dmouse said:

 Never heard of this, is that a new, west coast term?

Cobby---Actually a term that came to be en vogue in this context in America some 40+ years ago---meaning unrefined, crude---subject word was sometimes used in, e.g., motorcycle enthusiast magazines when evaluating customizations, mods, etc.  Contrast "cobby" here with "sano".

I would say that the etymology of the term "cobby" stems from a cob-ination of the New Zealand place name of Roto Rua, sewer cleaning service Roto Rooter, and the rural American anus-cleaning devices in common use up to about the mid 20th Century. I personally preferred Sears catalog pages.  Today if I was using an outhouse I'd pick most any rag that dares to call itself a newspaper for wiping.

Edited November 26, 2020 by BSAVictor
cleaning up

[MXOldtimer]

I use to cut a piece of plexiglass the shape of the headlight, then a few drops from a hot glue gun around the edges to secure to the headlight. 

Don't press tight, leave a gap between plexi and glass.

[Rolls7]

2 hours ago, BSAVictor said:

Cobby---Actually a term that came to be en vogue in this context in America some 40+ years ago---meaning unrefined, crude---subject word was sometimes used in, e.g., motorcycle enthusiast magazines when evaluating customizations, mods, etc.  Contrast "cobby" here with "sano".

I would say that the etymology of the term "cobby" stems from a cob-ination of the New Zealand place name of Roto Rua, sewer cleaning service Roto Rooter, and the rural American anus-cleaning devices in common use up to about the mid 20th Century. I personally preferred Sears catalog pages.  Today if I was using an outhouse I'd pick most any rag that dares to call itself a newspaper for wiping.

It’s a good word. Even though I’ve never heard it before, I knew exactly what you were saying. I assumed it came from “cobbled”, as in something was cobbled together. You make a good case for the beloved corn cob, though.😅

[bg10459]

Xpel by 3m worked very well for me. Stopped most roost damage. 

[BSAVictor]

1 hour ago, Rolls7 said:

It’s a good word. Even though I’ve never heard it before, I knew exactly what you were saying. I assumed it came from “cobbled”, as in something was cobbled together. You make a good case for the beloved corn cob, though.😅

You know, your assumption about the "cobbled" derivation probably is more on the money!  I was partially a-practicifying on my story-tellin'.

Edited November 26, 2020 by BSAVictor

[BSAVictor]

Here's an ebay ad for rectangular, screen/mesh-type headlight guards that can be made to stand off a bit from the headlight kinda like I adapted mine to do (if the chrome later rusted/pitted and you didn't like that, etch/clean  them and prime/paint them):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Chrome-STONE-GUARD-Headlight-Covers-6-X7-Rectangular-1-set-Car-Truck-Jeep/274105317107?hash=item3fd1f336f3:g:7rYAAOSwqIld2iad

Looks like there are a lot more of round screen mesh ones available than rectangular ones.  Somehow I'd be skeptical of film-type or panel-type guards---seems like they'd be prone to loosening, clouding, etc.?

Edited November 27, 2020 by BSAVictor