ElectricMotorcycleForum.com
Makes And Models => Zero Motorcycles Forum | 2013+ => Topic started by: NEW2elec on April 23, 2016, 09:02:08 PM
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To everyone who wanted a larger windscreen for touring here you go.
http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_2&products_id=230 (http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_2&products_id=230)
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You might b right about zero :-)
For me I won't be parting with what they're asking,not when MRA, PUIG ,and GIVI are doing similar for a fraction of the cost........
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Prior Zero-provided windscreens were branded MRA kits. This is an MRA design that is not available on the MRA website or other vendors, so they have customized it around the Zero, but we don't have a user review yet confirming success of their claims.
Last year, I applied an MRA X-creen spoiler to Zero's commuter windscreen and got a nice effect but with some sensitivity to wind oscillations at highway speeds (a wobble if it wasn't mounted with more than two points) so presumably they've accounted for this by testing and refinement.
I previously commented quickly about this on another windscreen thread: http://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=4673.msg41968#msg41968 (http://electricmotorcycleforum.com/boards/index.php?topic=4673.msg41968#msg41968)
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The Zero-brand windshields for the 2012 model year were Slipstreamer Spit Fire windshields, with appropriate handlebar brackets. I have the MRA Zero windshield on my 2014 S and like it. I also liked the Spit Fire that was on my 2012 S. They both kept/keep the wind off of my chest while letting the breeze hit my helmet, which I like.
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Good to see a bigger windshield available.
Price is not bargain basement but doesn't seem
outrageous.
But not very serious protection.
http://www.craigvetter.com/pages/vetter_fairings/Alcan-Fairing/Alcan-Fairing-P2.html (http://www.craigvetter.com/pages/vetter_fairings/Alcan-Fairing/Alcan-Fairing-P2.html)
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I bought this $50 windscreen from Hong Kong and it works great for $50. My life on the SR at freeway speeds is so much nicer. No more getting air blasted in the chest and the ride has less wind noise. Brackets work, which was a risk.
The shape could be a little more optimized. There is a gap that lets some air in over the headlight and the bottom corners are close to the turn signals.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-19-x17-Large-Clear-Windshield-in-All-7-8-1-Handlebars-Universal-/171771823361?hash=item27fe660501:g:P-oAAOSwGvhT5Iiy&vxp=mtr (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-19-x17-Large-Clear-Windshield-in-All-7-8-1-Handlebars-Universal-/171771823361?hash=item27fe660501:g:P-oAAOSwGvhT5Iiy&vxp=mtr)
Its clear, so it is a little hard to see in the pictures
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That looks decent! How tall are you? Do you get an increased buffeting for your helmet? If you tuck forward, can your head behind the screen or is it too close?
I might buy one. Today was my first longer highway ride. Up to 65mph the wind isn't terrible for short distances, but I did try a few sections at up to 85mph and it was blasting me in the chest...
Doe the wider bottom/sides do anything useful? The Zero screen is narrow on the bottom and wide on the top. This one you got is the opposite...
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I'm 5'6" and not all, but a lot of air is going over my head. Ride is a lot quieter and if I have the visor cracked, then I'm not getting blasted on the freeway. No buffeting.
For me, it was very uncomfortable to ride over 70 before.
Love it.
The Zero screens are not cheap and the design of the big one is busy.
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For $60 I'll take a shot at it, just ordered one.
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I also just ordered one. I'm 6'4" so unless I put a huge windscreen I am unlikely to be as well-covered as I'd like, but I hope it will adjust to a position where it protects at least some of me without creating undue turbulence for my helmet.
There seem to be several sellers selling this particular screen, with the lowest total price of $53.49 being this one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Large-19-x17-Clear-Windshield-For-Motorcycle-Yamaha-Cruiser-7-8-1-Handlebars/231923751389?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D36499%26meid%3D6200d684277b49ff842ebebd0bafa7cf%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D171771823361 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Large-19-x17-Clear-Windshield-For-Motorcycle-Yamaha-Cruiser-7-8-1-Handlebars/231923751389?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D36499%26meid%3D6200d684277b49ff842ebebd0bafa7cf%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D171771823361)
The descriptions and photos the three sellers I looked at are identical, two of them even have ebay IDs that are almost the same, so I won't be surprised if they are the same seller with different storefronts...
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I'm pretty tall as well. Any update? Does it work well for you?
I also just ordered one. I'm 6'4" so unless I put a huge windscreen I am unlikely to be as well-covered as I'd like, but I hope it will adjust to a position where it protects at least some of me without creating undue turbulence for my helmet.
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Hasn't arrived yet. It was supposed to be here by now, but a couple of days ago the seller contacted me to tell me the mail service returned it to them. Confirmed my address (he did send it to the right one) and he is re-sending. I'll post here once I get it.
I'm pretty tall as well. Any update? Does it work well for you?
I also just ordered one. I'm 6'4" so unless I put a huge windscreen I am unlikely to be as well-covered as I'd like, but I hope it will adjust to a position where it protects at least some of me without creating undue turbulence for my helmet.
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Mine arrived yesterday ;D Let's see how it fits on the DS.
Doesn't look out of proportion to me:
(http://i.imgur.com/TxeQDPq.jpg)
Now to figure out how to mount the darn thing...
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Nice! That convinced me. I ordered one too for my '15 DS.
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Did a quick and dirty installation:
(http://i.imgur.com/Avl7Nuo.jpg?1)
(http://i.imgur.com/cZKKprO.jpg?1)
Killroy thank you for the photos, it made the mounting a whole lot easier.
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Took it for a test ride but I'm afraid I'm a little too tall for it, I get battered with wind while riding :(
Here's a quick and dirty fluid dynamic: http://imgur.com/YnYWYgQ (http://imgur.com/YnYWYgQ)
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Is your helmet getting hit? If it works anything like the screens on my Vectrix, it can actually be worse in terms of wind than without a screen! On the Vectrix I had 3 screen sizes. The "regular" and the "winter" protected my body fine, but they were both unbearable on my head. The smallest "sport" screen was much better - my shoulders and helmet were not protected, but it was not creating bad turbulence for my helmet either, and my chest was protected.
I could only ride the tall winter screen with a 5" extension, and it was very good then, but looked ridiculously high and flopped about in the wind too much.
When my screen arrives for the Zero, if it is creating helmet turbulence if I can't extend it up enough, I might chop off the top to shorten it to become a "sport" screen size...
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Can you duck down behind it to get full protection for your head? Or is it too close?
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I can duck down but that is a good position on longer rides, I don't mind the wind without the screen but the buffering is just too much for me.
I did get a better Wh/km but the tradeoff is to high for me, looks like I'm back on the hunt for a full tour fairing again.
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Took it for a test ride but I'm afraid I'm a little too tall for it, I get battered with wind while riding :(
Here's a quick and dirty fluid dynamic: http://imgur.com/YnYWYgQ (http://imgur.com/YnYWYgQ)
Too bad it's not quite working for you. The short distance forward and down from the rider's helmet makes good windscreen design constrained.
How did you produce the animation?
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Mine came today a d I just installed it. Haven't ridden it yet. If the clamps are reversed and the little tubes swapped from left to right too, I think there is an option to mount it further forward by a couple of inches and higher too. But it would require removing the cable ties and possibly swiveling the front brake line just a little bit forward to make room for mounting the clamps 180 degrees from how you (and I) have them right now.
It seems I did mount mine in front of the turn signals, yours seems to be above/behind them. There is quite a bit of adjustability with this screen, but requires a lot of fiddling with 6 bolts simultaneously while someone is holding the screen for you :(
Will take it out tomorrow if the weather is good.
One more observation, the plastic is fairly thin on this screen. Don't think it will be an issue for it, but I don't think it is sturdy enough to install an extension on the top.
Edit: you have a DS(R) and I have an SR - maybe this is why yours is higher over the turn signals - I think the handlebars on the DS(R) are taller than on the S(R)
I can duck down but that is a good position on longer rides, I don't mind the wind without the screen but the buffering is just too much for me.
I did get a better Wh/km but the tradeoff is to high for me, looks like I'm back on the hunt for a full tour fairing again.
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Did you have to remove the cable ties to put the clamps so close to the mirrors? I think I will do it that way too tomorrow (right now I've got it mounted lower, below the bend on the handlebars). That would position it further forward and higher than it is right now. I also wonder if the holders for the rods can be swapped from the left side to right to even further extend the reach of the screen forward a little more?
I'm 5'6" and not all, but a lot of air is going over my head. Ride is a lot quieter and if I have the visor cracked, then I'm not getting blasted on the freeway. No buffeting.
For me, it was very uncomfortable to ride over 70 before.
Love it.
The Zero screens are not cheap and the design of the big one is busy.
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Mine came today a d I just installed it. Haven't ridden it yet. If the clamps are reversed and the little tubes swapped from left to right too, I think there is an option to mount it further forward by a couple of inches and higher too. But it would require removing the cable ties and possibly swiveling the front brake line just a little bit forward to make room for mounting the clamps 180 degrees from how you (and I) have them right now.
It seems I did mount mine in front of the turn signals, yours seems to be above/behind them. There is quite a bit of adjustability with this screen, but requires a lot of fiddling with 6 bolts simultaneously while someone is holding the screen for you :(
Will take it out tomorrow if the weather is good.
One more observation, the plastic is fairly thin on this screen. Don't think it will be an issue for it, but I don't think it is sturdy enough to install an extension on the top.
Edit: you have a DS(R) and I have an SR - maybe this is why yours is higher over the turn signals - I think the handlebars on the DS(R) are taller than on the S(R)
I can duck down but that is a good position on longer rides, I don't mind the wind without the screen but the buffering is just too much for me.
I did get a better Wh/km but the tradeoff is to high for me, looks like I'm back on the hunt for a full tour fairing again.
I did indeed replace the cable ties when mounting the screen, do you have a photo of your setup?
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Here is mine. I'm not quite happy where the brackets are on the handlebars, as they are over a transition point. Will likely move them and redo the cable ties.
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Side view
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I did ride it today on the highway. It definitely offers protection for my torso up to my collarbones or so. It does increase wind to my helmet only a little bit and there is no buffeting like I had with my Vectrix screens. But I still need to duck behind it if I want protection for my head, and while I can do it, the position is not really comfortable for more than a couple of miles at a time. For reference, again, I'm 6'4". I think this screen will work well for short riders and it certainly works well as a "sports screen" for tall ones - just don't expect head and shoulder protection in an upright position if you are tall.
There is no protection for the arms and hands. It does protect the instrument panel and other items you may have mounted on the handlebars.
Looks like light will be reflected off it from the headlight, so not sure if it is good for night riding - haven't tried it yet at night.
I still need to play with alternative placements and angles to see if I can improve things some. But the screen is hard to adjust, so it will take some time to settle on the best position.
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Thanks for the posts guys, I've just ordered one myself! :)
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I mounts it differently today. Higher and more upright. It is terrible this way! Lots of buffeting on my head. A short person might be able to completely hide behind it comfortably in this position, but for me it is much worse than my first attempt. Will re-install it like it was before.
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View from rear
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I think you have it mounted like I did in my last attempt. Indeed, pretty bad this way for us tall guys. Try mounting it lower, more forward, and at a slight angle - like I did it the first time. See what you think. The head is completely out of the windscreen flow that way, but there is no buffeting and most of the torso is still protected...
Anyway, I dropped the bike at the dealership for a warranty repair, so I won't be experimenting in the next few days any more.
Took it for a test ride but I'm afraid I'm a little too tall for it, I get battered with wind while riding :(
Here's a quick and dirty fluid dynamic: http://imgur.com/YnYWYgQ (http://imgur.com/YnYWYgQ)
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My screen arrived the other day and thanks to all your photos, I managed to fit it.
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160606/f672b58d74b4572df0645be2071af706.jpg)
Here are a few points I've found:
I had trouble attaching the clamps to the handlebars. When using the rubber spacers, I couldn't get the clamp together enough. It meant that the screw presented to the thread at an angle and cross threaded. I therefore had to take the spacers out but bare metal on bare metal meant there wasn't enough grip. The clamps moved at speed and the screen tilted back.
I wasn't keen on the clamps going over the cables running from the throttle and controls, especially when the clamps weren't gripping enough. I don't fancy any of those cables breaking.
The plastic is quite thin and flexed at speed.
I found the top of the screen to be a bit intrusive on my view and a bit distracting. It felt a bit too close to my face too.
The screen prevents my mirrors from folding up. I should have thought about that. Unfortunately I need to fold them every day to get my bike through a narrow alley into my garden. I could still fold them forward and just make it through, but it was awkward.
I put a cover over my bike at night. I didn't try it with this tall screen, but I imagine it would lift the bottom of the cover off the ground.
The biggest problem by far was the wind noise. It starts as a dull roar just over 20 mph and just gets louder. It was starting to give me a headache on my way home from work and that's with earplugs.
If I give this screen another go, I'll have to chop a fair bit off the top. Hopefully that'll help with the rigidity too.
As you've probably guessed, the screen only got one outing and I've taken it off already. It was cheap, so I'm not surprised really.
I'm sure it'll work for some but I felt I should list those potential issues. The screen on my Fazer worked well. It wasn't big but it kept enough wind off my chest to stop me getting cold during winter.
With my Zero, I'm not doing routes that keep me at high speeds for any great length of time. That's simply due to range and the nature of my commute.
It's probably worth taking a closer look at Zero's offering if a screen is really important to you. Hopefully someone will post a review of it at some stage.
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My screen came with two sets of rubbery spacers: the "thin" set worked perfectly if I install the brackets on the wider portion of the handlebars (near the center), and the "thick" spacer worked perfectly for the narrower portion of the handlebars (near the grips). Did yours come with those too? Also, you got to position the brackets on the sections of the handlebars that are straight, not at the bends.
If you look at my first photos and my last photos, you can see two different ways to mount the screen. The first way, more forward, and more angled back, was not bad at all. No turbulence for my head, so no increased noise at my helmet. But it was low for me, only protecting my lower chest and torso. Much better than without it, but no protection for my head and shoulders. But no buffeting either. The second try had the screen more upright, and higher. That is unbearable, tons of noise since the wind is more broken-up and hits my helmet in a bad spot.
So positioning the screen in terms of height, angle, and fore-aft position is very important. From your description, you are not as tall as I am, so probably the wind is hitting you in the wrong spot. Try to mount it lower, more forward, and more angled towards you. If that does not help, cutting a few inches off the top might help (but won't protect your head and shoulders.
Bu the way, my screen's brackets are very secure once mounted - no movement at all. And the screen being a bit on the thin side did not seem to create issues either (except I'd be hesitant to use an extension clipped on top of it).
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Thanks Kocho. It sounds like I should give it another try.
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I wasn't keen on the clamps going over the cables running from the throttle and controls, especially when the clamps weren't gripping enough. I don't fancy any of those cables breaking.
Don't put the clamps over the cables, cut the zip ties and redo them afterwards.
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That's right, don't clamp over anything!
I wasn't keen on the clamps going over the cables running from the throttle and controls, especially when the clamps weren't gripping enough. I don't fancy any of those cables breaking.
Don't put the clamps over the cables, cut the zip ties and redo them afterwards.
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Thanks Kocho. It sounds like I should give it another try.
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Double posted somehow. Thanks Kocho and Erasmo.
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Here is a quick and dirty picture of my situation atm:
(http://i.imgur.com/EKuJGGf.jpg)
If I decide to keep the screen I will get a black zip tie of course.
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Aha! Very helpful, thanks. :)
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By the sound of this thread, Zero has been watching, but the Asia import special has them beat.
I did not like the design of the Zero wind shields. The small one is too small, the big one is does not look well integrated and has that extra deflector which I dont like the looks of. Both are expensive. The Asia special is a good price and its low enough to be OK if it does not work out.
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By the sound of this thread, Zero has been watching, but the Asia import special has them beat.
Or not. Looks like the non-Zero ones are tricky to fit properly and offer mixed results?
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By the sound of this thread, Zero has been watching, but the Asia import special has them beat.
Or not. Looks like the non-Zero ones are tricky to fit properly and offer mixed results?
You can't just slap any old windscreen on and expect good results, but MRA has different mount options and screen designs worth trying. I found it worth taking time on to get a much better result.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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My HK special is not perfect, but my experience is much better than MostlyBonkers.
Its easy to install and works great. The wind is not a huge issue anymore. I'm 5'6". Shape could fit the zero better and the brackets could be better, but its a good value.
It was rock solid until it moved the other day.
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Brian's screen is well worth checking out. I'll have another go with my one towards the winter. Having the airflow is nice when it's warm. I only get really soaked about half a dozen times a year, so I'm not that bothered. My blubber helps me with the cold. There's nothing like a bad diet to keep you warm... ;-)
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This screen is wider on the bottom and narrower on top. This offers limited protection for the torso and none for the arms. The bottom still is not wide enough to protect my hands or knees. So it occurred to me to try and mount it upside-down. This way it looks more like the MRA/Zero screens, which are wider on top.
I think it actually looks good upside down with the wide section on top, and I think it offers better protection than when mounted narrow-side up. Plus it does not get so close to the turn signals.
Photos attached.
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View from rear.
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One more.
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That's an interesting idea! Have you already ridden it with this position?
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I took it out for a spin before I took the photos above. Better torso protection. But it was a bit too upright and tall, creating just a bit more turbulence to my head than ideal. So I lowered it a little and angled it slightly more. This is how the photos show it above. I haven't ridden it I this position yet. I'm too tall to get head protection with it, so I want T keep my helmet entirely above it. I think a smaller person might be very happy with the screen upside down and get almost complete head and torso protection.
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Those mounting stalks look too short for full protection given the Zero's lack of space between the seat and the instrument cluster. One possibility to get another inch or so of effective length is to see whether you can flip the orientation of the handlebar mounts so that the stalk joins it above the handlebar instead of below it. The Zero doesn't offer a lot of space for this but if you can manage it, I think it's worth a try.
In general, this feels like an inadequate compromise to save money. Sure, this will buy you a little range, but fatigue is a real concern that you're devaluing by deciding that money in your pocket is more important.
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Yup. For average to tall folks this is not great at high speeds. I'll probably go to a large screen like in that other thread to get full head and shoulders protection. But this small one is better than without it for sure. I don't have long highway commute, so it is fine. If I had more than 10 miles, I would like it.
As for rotating the mounts up, I'd have to move the brake line slightly out of the way, which requires loosening it at the reservoir temporarily. For mw it won't be high enough even like that, so I haven't done it. I may try longer stalks to move it more forward so I can lower my helmet behind it...
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I would think that a top heavy windscreen would not be optimal.
Your widest at your hands, 2nd widest below your shoulders and you head is the narrowest.
Some objective testing would be nice.
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For what it's worth, my Parabellum MRA mounts, which are the longest they sell, have the bar mount bases rotated downwards because of the brake reservoir, and the additional inch would allow me to probably avoid the spoiler. The Zero's cockpit dimensions are simply constraining for forming a comfortable and aerodynamic environment around the rider.
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Your logic is correct for large screens, which actually cover the hands/arms. This one is too narrow even at its widest section to do that. Plus, I feel the wind blasting above the navel more than below (due to the headlight and instrument panel and the gas tank blocking it down low). For most people who are of average weight for their height, the shoulders are wider than their waist. So I guess, with a small screen like this it's always a compromise - better upper or lower protection...
I'll ride the bike to work tomorrow, so I'll report back here after that on how it feels in this latest position.
The Zero OEM screen is inverted too (wider on top): http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=230 (http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=230)
This cheap screen (when inverted) looks a lot like the Zero screen, and seems a bit bigger than the Zero screen...
I would think that a top heavy windscreen would not be optimal.
Your widest at your hands, 2nd widest below your shoulders and you head is the narrowest.
Some objective testing would be nice.
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A quick follow-up on my inverted mounting for this cheap screen. The position I have now (in the above photos) works best from all positions that I have tried. At the height and angle I have right now, for my height, the air stream from above the screen is smooth and above my shoulders but below my ears. I get the most protection this way, without extra turbulence. There is actually less wind and turbulence on my arms too.
Rode 70 fast highway miles this way today, so good enough sample.
It works very well and I can duck in a position where my chin is below the screen, while the top of my helmet is above it. This is nice, but of course not a position I'd want to hold for too long.
A shorter/smaller person could use this as a touring screen and get protection riding upright (I can't, I'm too tall and have to duck for highway travel).
But, there is a problem. At speeds above 65mph, the screen begins to vibrate too much. I am afraid it will destroy the screen or loosen it. Too much vibration. 65mph and under it is fine. If there is a way to tie the bottom of the screen to the turn signals or the headlight, or to install support brackets for the bottom, it will work. Alternatively, it may be possible to trim the bottom (what used to be the top) a bit to better balance the screen (there is more screen below the mounts than above it when mounted this way).
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I just want to say that a good reason for wikis over forums is that 95% of the posts on this thread are from a hijack where someone started talking about a cheap Chinese windscreen of middling design. No one has provided a review of Zero's touring-oriented windscreen, and the forum title will never reflect this.
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Sorry, guilty as charged ;)
Hopefully someone will provide feedback on the Zero screen.
I just want to say that a good reason for wikis over forums is that 95% of the posts on this thread are from a hijack where someone started talking about a cheap Chinese windscreen of middling design. No one has provided a review of Zero's touring-oriented windscreen, and the forum title will never reflect this.
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Closing the loop - I've been riding with the inverted screen for some time now, and I think it works best this way of all positions I tried. With the addition of a 1"x1" foam piece wedged between the headlight and the bottom of the screen, the vibration at 65mph+ is completely eliminated. For the size, I think it works fine. But in the long term, I will probably look for a bigger screen, like the large Parabellum mentioned in another thread.
A quick follow-up on my inverted mounting for this cheap screen. The position I have now (in the above photos) works best from all positions that I have tried. At the height and angle I have right now, for my height, the air stream from above the screen is smooth and above my shoulders but below my ears. I get the most protection this way, without extra turbulence. There is actually less wind and turbulence on my arms too.
Rode 70 fast highway miles this way today, so good enough sample.
It works very well and I can duck in a position where my chin is below the screen, while the top of my helmet is above it. This is nice, but of course not a position I'd want to hold for too long.
A shorter/smaller person could use this as a touring screen and get protection riding upright (I can't, I'm too tall and have to duck for highway travel).
But, there is a problem. At speeds above 65mph, the screen begins to vibrate too much. I am afraid it will destroy the screen or loosen it. Too much vibration. 65mph and under it is fine. If there is a way to tie the bottom of the screen to the turn signals or the headlight, or to install support brackets for the bottom, it will work. Alternatively, it may be possible to trim the bottom (what used to be the top) a bit to better balance the screen (there is more screen below the mounts than above it when mounted this way).
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For what it's worth, my Parabellum MRA mounts, which are the longest they sell, have the bar mount bases rotated downwards because of the brake reservoir, and the additional inch would allow me to probably avoid the spoiler. The Zero's cockpit dimensions are simply constraining for forming a comfortable and aerodynamic environment around the rider.
After talking to terry about his vetter mounting and looking at Vic's, I've come to the conclusion that I have to mount headlight and windshield to frame rather than to pivoting member if I'm to install a big dustbin or vetter. I made some good progress with 3-D printing recently, so i may try that.