Here's my further attempt to extend the riding season in Minnesota. Unfortunately some late November precip put too much ice on the roads and I'm probably done for the year. It starts with some cheap PowerMadd handguards from Amazon. They've gone up a few bucks since late summer 2012, but are still a bargain.
I picked up a 36" piece of 1/8" by 1/2" aluminum and some longer bolts for the stock bar ends and went to it. I put 3 3/8" flat washers inside the bar end to fill the void, preventing the aluminum bar from being bent up when the bolt is tightened. I also added a couple layers of foam tape to the back of the guard where it contacts the brake and clutch levers. This prevents scuffing and rattling on rides.
The only problem I ran into was that the left side bracket interferes with the stock clutch lever when pulled back. I intend to pick up some replacement levers before spring to resolve this. The way the stock bar ends mount isn't the prettiest, but I don't much care. Maybe a better idea will come along for that down the road.
The results? Dramatically less wind blast on my hands at speed. I went for a test ride without gloves and could clearly feel where and how large the protected zone was. There's no doubt that this will go a long way to keeping my smaller, outboard fingers warm at 70 mph in 25-degree temps.
Update
I've installed some replacement levers over the winter, and they clear the aluminum bars just fine. I've also upgraded my windscreen to a Puig. Here are some updated photos.
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