Hey,
So I finally got my F-18 windshield in today. I went right to work installing it and went for a ride. FIRST ATTEMPT... Well I had it raked back about as slanted as it could get and it gave no help at all. Well from mid chest to my waist, which is no help in my book. Came home and adjusted it to be more straight up and conventional. Just about as far up as possible while still functional. SECOND ATTEMPT... Now I have turbulence from the wind beating the hell out of my helmet. The wind blowing off is beating up my head. GRRR :x I know it's installed correctly. Maybe my 6ft stature is too high? Only way i get protection is if i lay down on the tank, I got a windshield to help w/ long distances. Laying down kills my back. What do other people think of this thing? I might be better off w/ a big grandpaw Goldwing windshield. Just use it for long trips. Eaither way for 70 bux this thing seems damn worthless. :guns: F-18
-ash
should have gotten an F15 tourning..
though i was thinking of the F16 or F18 aroudn christmas.
now u tell me :roll:
save yur cash stay away from f-18/16
I almost went for an F-18 simply for the looks - very cool. Eventually, though, I decided on something slightly taller (M&P Gazelle). I too am starting to think I've wasted my money.
When I bought it I was still running the engine in and never got above 55/60 mph. Finally got my first 600 miles in last week, took the bike in for its first sevice and thought "playtime"!
First thing I did was head for the motorway for my first 100 mph. Granted, the weather wasn't perfect but when I got up to 85/90 the front end started squirming around all over the place. Enough to scare me a little so I backed off.
Could this be the screen? Could it be the fact that I am still on stock springs?
If there is a calm, still day over the weekend I'm going to try a stretch of motorway with AND without the screen to see if I can feel any difference.
Hey ash, I have to admit i've had my eye on an F-18 recently. I only need enough of a fairing to make a difference *when* i'm lying near my tank, so this should work well. You got the dark tint one right? As far as i know that's the only one available. Anyway, if you're not happy with it, i'd be willing to take it off your hands man. Email or PM me, maybe we can work something out.
:cheers:
Does the Targa fairing provide good wind protection?
This may not be what you're looking for, but since you mentioned long distances....
Have you considered the National Cycle Plexistar II (http://www.bbburma.net/Plexistar2.htm)?
It provides wind protection for your hands as well as the rest of you. That's important when you're riding through cold and/or wet, especially for extended periods of time.
Many folks find its looks too bulky, and not sporty enough. Oh well.
The quick-release hardware makes it fairly easy to mount and remove, so you can have your cake and eat it too.
I'm 5' 10". I haven't really tried out different angles, but so far the airstream catches my helmet from my ears up. Any taller and I'd be looking THROUGH the shield, which I can't stand. As it is, I can just lower my head an inch or two for welcome SILENCE once in a while.
This shield ELIMINATES "chest blast". In fact, my jacket "poofs out" in front of me now. (?) It took a while to get used to the bit of extra weight on my arms and wrists.
I did a 3,800-mile trip without any shield at all (it didn't arrive in time) and since then I've done two 3,000-mile trips with it (plus assorted 300- to 800-mile in-state trips). Makes all the difference in the world....
National Cycle part # is N8372.
EDIT: Changed link from sisna.com to bbburma.net
Well with the F-18 its fine if you want to lay down but I'm sure you don't always ride that way. The wind blowing off the shield rattles the hell out of your head and is the most annoying thing ever. Its like your constantly passing 18 wheelers. Oh, and i'm not talking leaning forward in an aggressive posture. I'm talking you have to be SO far down your helmet is touching the tank and unless your eyes are on your forhead you can't really see infront of you. Anyway I think Kerry is right. As it is with safety gear, it might not look the coolest but it works. How hard is it to remove that windshield Kerry? Do you have any brackets sticking up when its off?
-ash
Quote from: ashmanHow hard is it to remove that windshield Kerry? Do you have any brackets sticking up when its off?
-ash
Looking at the
What the rider sees picture:
Spin off the round knobs, and everything but the small "handlebar wrappers" comes off together.
BTW: To adjust the angle, loosen the nuts where the shafts from the shield enter the black tubes. Also loosen the round knobs so the angle of the tubes can change. Move the shafts in or out, and retighten.
Looking at the
How the bottom mounts attach to the fork picture:
Spin off the two-ended tightener thingie, and everything comes off together - except for the black plastic piece that's attached to the forks with the hose clamp.
Here's a blurb for this shield from the
National Cycle site:
QUICKSET HARDWARE This patented hardware is designed for durability, ease of installation and hassle-free removal. Permits 10-second windshield removal, and fairing removal in under 1 minute.PS:
Never pay retail! National Cycle's direct price is $139.95, but
MAW has it for $99.95 (part #00445). It may be cheaper elsewhere. Shop around....
EDIT: Changed links from sisna.com to bbburma.net
I have the F-18 installed as well. You're correct. It does absolutly nothing. Looks pretty cool though!
I have had the F-18 installed since early May and I am pretty happy with it. It doesn't totally eliminate the wind on the freeway but its better than just a headlight. I've never ridden a bike with fairings so I don't know what real fairings are supposed to be like. I'm 5'8" so maybe that's why it works ok for me?
Quote from: KerryHave you considered the National Cycle Plexistar II?
It provides wind protection for your hands as well as the rest of you. That's important when you're riding through cold and/or wet, especially for extended periods of time.
I have the Suzuki factory 1/4 fairing; it does nothing useful most of the time, but it makes a big difference in the rain: if I lay on the tank, then the water hits my helmet and rolls off (no water pooling on my chest or groin).
But there are a couple of problems: I can only lay on the tank on the expressway; it's impossible on city streets, so I get very wet riding on streets in the rain. And I can't look in mirrors or around me very much while I'm laying down either. What I need is to be able to look around me even in the rain.
Another problem is that rain runs across my visor (sideways) making it hard to see, especially at night. The bike handles the water fine; I just feel blind. Kerry, any word on where the PlexII directs the water? Is it at your helmet? Above your helmet? (I'm 5'10.5", probably about the same seated height). I've heard that some people adjust their windscreens to protect the chest, but leave the helmet out in the airstream to provide ventilation and less buffeting; others adjust the windscreen to protect the helmet too, but then you get hot, foggy, and the air flows kinda funny around the helmet... or so I've heard. I'm not sure which way I'd like mine.
Too bad you can't get demo windscreens, so you can see how they operate before buying. Even a cheap mock-up made of opaque plastic would help.
Quote from: Rema1000Kerry, any word on where the PlexII directs the water? Is it at your helmet? Above your helmet? (I'm 5'10.5", probably about the same seated height).
Good question! I've never really noticed the shield "directing water". But in a drenching rain or a moist snowstorm my faceshield gets plenty wet. I always assumed it was because of "direct hits". I don't remember it being any worse than before I had the Plexistar II, but I guess it's
possible that the shield routes a little extra water "up and over" with the airstream.
The nice thing is that I can duck out of the rain/snow pretty easily. And there's always a "clear zone" just above the edge of the shield that I can see through.
Almost all of the rain that hits the shield slides down the front. A very small amount gets pushed to the top, where it beads up and then runs down the back of the shield. My chest and hands stay dry (unless I'm sitting still or going very slowly) which I have REALLY appreciated.
The bad thing with sticky snow is that it loads up the windshield and I have to "scrape" it by hand once in a while. It's easier to "scrape" my faceshield than the windshield ... but how often does one ride through sticky snow, anyway? I've only done it about 3 times, and I vastly prefer doing it WITH the shield than WITHOUT. In snow, the headlight seems to create more of a problem than the shield as far as visibility goes. I mean, you can have a clean screen (or NO screen) but with the headlight illuminating all of those flakes you can't see where you're going anyway!
I've been rambling, haven't I? Hope I answered your question to some degree....
Quote from: Woz... when I got up to 85/90 the front end started squirming around all over the place. Enough to scare me a little so I backed off.
Could this be the screen? Could it be the fact that I am still on stock springs?.
Most likely due to a combination of your being on stock tires and stock springs. The tires more likely make yoru front end squirm-bias ply tires will do that. Also check your air pressure.
I have just ordered a "Slipstreamer-Turbo" (Page 14 MandP, part number 523857) it looks very similar to Kerry's but the four points are slightly different being headlamp bolts and bars as opposed to forks and bars. Previous experience with a "big" shield is that it chucks the water over me 'ed but I am only five seven. I'll let you know how it works out once fitted.
Cal is talking about this screen:
(http://www.slipstreamer.com/Product/Touring/newS05.gif)
Their full line is at
http://www.slipstreamer.com/Product/Touring/touring.html .
The original slip-streamer looks like a Plex II, except taller, wider, etc.
You could park a Barcalounger behind that thing :) .
Actually, I kinda like the look of Cal's turbo (compared to the Plexistar2).