• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

Group buy - Zero Gravity windscreens for Bandit 1250

Guys,

Many thanks for the suggestions on installation. I'll give it a go this weekend and try to deal with it patiently (sometimes difficult with a type A personality).
 
Learning to deal with things patiently has done wonders to tone down my type A personality. Oddly enough, it wasn't until I took up competitve handgun shooting, photography, make by own beer, and working on my own motorcycles that I discovered I could slow down and think independently of poorly written instructions.

Go for it, it's easier than you think!
 
t wasn't until the SECOND time I performed the operation that I realized the dealership or assembly plant put it all together incorrectly. It made NO SENSE where the little rubber mounting hardware was located! After I studied it, it became obvious to me that it was all wrong.

Yes, I had forgot about that. The bottom was installed backwards. Corrected that on my first windshield swap. I'm on my 6th shield now. ;-) Kinda have the changing of shields down pat now. :lol2:
 
I'm 6' with genmar risers and love the screen. Yes there's some wind on my face but its not the strong gust or buffeting type. It's a whole lot more calm than on my cruiser. Besides, I need some wind or else I would be too hot in the summer to ride. Some water gets on my shield when it rains but I don't feel like I'm riding in a monsoon, I stay quite dry overall.

I think people just need to have proper expectations. If you want zero wind whatsoever you need to be riding a GW or full fairing cruiser. A smaller framed ST bike won't get that for you, the shield would need to be a foot wider to have 100% protection.
 
Day late and a dollar short - 1st I've heard of this. Been busy riding - it's summer people, ya should've called.
 
Am I the only one that hasn't received a windshield yet?

I wasn't part of the group buy but I ordered my windshield via an Aussie distributor nearly 2 months ago. I was getting a bit frustrated with the excuses I was receiving so I emailed Zero Gravity direct and they explained there had been delays and where shipping a batch (to Oz) in the next day or so.

Sounds like there have been some supply issues!
 
It seems that I am the only one not entirely happy with the ZG sport touring windshield.

I just installed the windshield yesterday, it was extremelly easy, probably less than 30 minutes (thanks to Greg H and others on this site). I tried the windshield around the block first. I noticed less wind and noise on very low speed, but as soon as I got to 40mph, the noise was way more than the stock one. Than I went for a short ride on the highway, where my first impression was that it was noisier than the stock, but less wind and not much buffeting, so not bad overall, probably a keeper. Today I took the bike for a short ride to work (6 miles on the hwy) and I am SO disspointed, I am seriously considerring changing back to the stock one.

To sumarrize, the ride between 40 and 65, where the stock windshield was OK become a lot noisier, with more buffeting. The ride on the highway, above 70mph, seems to be getting less wind than stock, but the marginal turbullence in my shoulder and neck area, plus the noise, make me think that this windshield will be more tiring then the stock one.

So, my first impression was OK, my second impression is bad as my ears are still hurting despite the earplugs after only 6 miles and I got lots of buffeting on my shoulders. I will try it some more in the afternoon, but I am really dissipointed so far, and I consider seriously changing back to stock. In that event please let me know if anybody is interetsed in a ZG used for one day or two (I am located in Canada).

I am 5.8, stock seat (lower seat position, and further lowered 1/2 inch), 230 lbs, wide shoulders.
 
too much,
I would think at your height the shield would work better. I can duck down and the noise is minimal like behind the cruiser I had with the big windshield. I did get buffeting when I had the stock screen, but when I added the tank bag it minimized the wind turbulence - I still use the tank bag. I use an Arai and a Hjc modular helmet and both are < noisier than with the stock or givi screen.
Good Luck on getting something to work ... I know when I had the stock screen I was thinking why did I buy this bike, but now doing a couple long trips and with ZG screen I can hear the music playing through the speakers in the helmet @ highway speeds before I could not.
 
It seems that I am the only one not entirely happy with the ZG sport touring windshield.

Perhaps your are expecting too much out of a touring type shield. When Your whole helmet / head is in the main stream, it's going to be noiser due to windspeed across your head. With the stock shield, I was getting the main wind blast across my chest and not my head. When you put on a taller shield , it's going to pick up wind speed across the top of the air stream coming off the shield, unless you have a tall enough shield to push this air stream above the helmet a few inches. Hence, myself and others just lowering our head just a few inches results in a quite air flow. Or, standing on the pegs and getting yur head out of the main blast is quiter.
I've always worn ear plugs unless just running about town or poking about on gravel roads where my speed is under 45 mph generally.

When you spend time running across country day after day, the wind blast across your chest is just a very tiring thing muchless a lot less protection from the elements. IE , rain , bugs, pebbles, dust, etc.

At this time, now one is making a one piece windshield taller than the ZG touring. Givi and PB touring are about 2 inches shorter. Later or sooner, someone will produce a shield about 8 to 10 inches above stock for us Long Distance riders. Till then, The ZG touring is the best we have. :clap:
 
Maybe I expect too much out of it, but I have to see if I can actually live with it.

I had the stock windshield for 3 years now, and I was OK (coming from a naked bike), except at the end of a day long trip, returing home, on the hwy, 80+mph it got quite triring.

With the ZG windshield I can live with the noise, although a bit more intense than the stock (I wear earplugs allways). What I have to figure out is which one of the wind accross my chest versus the turbulence around my shoulders and neck area is more bearable on long term. I am planning to take a longer trip in the weekend with the ZG so I can figure out, because I am kind of concerned about the turbulence in hwy traffic, but maybe is just because I only get the marginal effect now versus the full balst with the stock one ...
 
I forget just how it was said by somebody else, but it was best suggested to just get yourself a Gold Wing if you're expecting the protection from the elements.... like that which you might get from a Gold Wing. Our "SPORT TOURING" bike is far, Far, FAR from being a bike built around a 'barn door' of a windshield.

You get one of four things behind a windshield:
1) "Clean air" resulting in absolutely minimal wind noise while your helmet is fully immersed in the oncoming air, but your chest is relieved of the onslaught of the wind.
2) The oncoming air hitting you somewhere mid-helmet resulting in:
a. annoying turbulence with with 'livable' wind-noise
--------- or -----------
b. annoying noise but with 'livable' turbulence
3) Either you're tucked down so low behind the shield, or you've got a hideous barn door of a windshield in front of you, that you feel NO TURBULENCE, but HEAR the mechanical noise of your (quiet/noisy) bike.

I accept getting the wind off my chest, allowing that the wind hits me mid-helmet, and I always, ALWAYS wear ear protection. (Keeping in mind that I'm enjoying the motorcycle experience, and NOT caging it on two wheels.
 
I have no turbulent air coming off my ZG. Just smooth air hitting me about the top of the face shield. My BMW GS's and DL1000 had the air hitting me right at the top of the helmet pushing bugs and rain over me for the most part. On turbulent windshields I had were the Windstorm I tried on my V-Storm and a Parabelleum on my BMW GS. Now talk about getting head shake. You can get good enough protection without resorting to some monster windshield if it's designed right. I was able to do it on my V Storm and it worked very well on a cross country trip to California and back, to Florida and back. I was also able to come up with a workable combo on my GS's for the tune of over 130,000 miles touring.

I guess chasing the protection I want on the bandit is like some trying to make their bandit a GSX1000 ;-). We all have our own goals.
 
I forget just how it was said by somebody else, but it was best suggested to just get yourself a Gold Wing if you're expecting the protection from the elements.... like that which you might get from a Gold Wing. Our "SPORT TOURING" bike is far, Far, FAR from being a bike built around a 'barn door' of a windshield.

You get one of four things behind a windshield:
1) "Clean air" resulting in absolutely minimal wind noise while your helmet is fully immersed in the oncoming air, but your chest is relieved of the onslaught of the wind.
2) The oncoming air hitting you somewhere mid-helmet resulting in:
a. annoying turbulence with with 'livable' wind-noise
--------- or -----------
b. annoying noise but with 'livable' turbulence
3) Either you're tucked down so low behind the shield, or you've got a hideous barn door of a windshield in front of you, that you feel NO TURBULENCE, but HEAR the mechanical noise of your (quiet/noisy) bike.

I accept getting the wind off my chest, allowing that the wind hits me mid-helmet, and I always, ALWAYS wear ear protection. (Keeping in mind that I'm enjoying the motorcycle experience, and NOT caging it on two wheels.

Do not get me wrong, I wasn't looking for a cruiser like ride, I was looking just for a bit more protection than the stock windshield, I was allmost OK with that one as I said, only after 4-500Kms was getting tiring. My problems is that with the ZG I am not sure yet, but it feels worse, like 2a in your list, so I am contemplating getting the stock installed back.
 
Every 'body' is different,

a poorly designed or ill-fitting helmet will cause ALL SORTS of head shake,

don't discount a loose/flapping jacket or ill-fitting shoulders,

body/arm/wrist position can make or break sitting in the envelope of comfort,

naca technology, how high or far your helmet is from the top of the screen, will determine differences in air pressure and resulting turbulence,

- and -

everybody is different and has differing perceptions and priorities.

My double bubble design Suzuki touring screen works for me, I AM:
* wearing a Shoei, my cheaper helmets shake on my head,
* my tight fitting Joe Rocket leather is best for a smooth ride, my Cortech GSX Air must be tightened down at the arms for best results, my old school black leather biker jacket (used for layering in the winter) catches ALL SORTS OF AIR and can almost take me off the bike if I don't have layers under it,
* I ride in a slight leaning forward position and try to bend my arms.... which is difficult when you have T-Rex arms on a 5 foot body.....
* Suzuki's cut-out at the bottom of the screen is naca technology and works, but I tape mine over in the winter for additional protection from the chill
* I like to feel like I'm on a motorcycle, not in a Volkswagon with the windows up.
 
I currently have the stock screen on my 09 Bandit with an attached Laminar Lip. Even though I always wear ear plugs, I still get a significant amount of noise if I don't get the plugs positioned correctly. Besides that, there are parts of the screens that are difficult to clean because they are two separate pieces.

I have been going through a lot of different sites trying to find a group consensus on what is the quietest windscreen. Of course it always depends on one's physical dimensions. I am 6 ft with a 34 inch inseam. The bike has bar risers, so I am sitting upright.

Prior to purchasing the Bandit I rode a Honda CBF1000 with a GIVI touring screen. It was far noisier than stock. Prior to that I rode a 2000 Honda VFR, and often would swap back between stock and a Givi windscreen. The Givi worked best when cruising around 130 - 140 kph, but very noisy below that. Whenever I was going off on a long trip, I would put the stock screen back on. The stock screen provided smooth airflow, but I was hit by a lot more wind. Without a windscreen on my DR, the airflow and noise is smooth and quiet, but once a windscreen is introduced that all changes. The bottom line is it is always a compromise. No screen works for everyone.

I would be curious to know if anyone has tried the National Cycle VStream windscreen on their Bandit. I have only ever seen one around Victoria, and it was on a Honda VFR 1200, but I never had the opportunity to get any feedback from the owner.
 
Achesley, thanks for connecting me with this topic. Have you found the best compromise in a windscreen?
 
Well, before my crash last summer, I was running a Zero Gravity touring with a Laminar set up on little instrument rubbers. go here and you'll see what I had come up with that worked best for me.
Now you can get the hinged hardware and even do more stuff with it. Run a search on windshields and zero gravity and laminar and you'll get much on the subject.
http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72000&highlight=Laminar
 
Just throwing my hat into the ring...I have not tried the ZG touring but the 22" V stream is grand for cold weather and touring. I run a short MRA vario with laminar in the dead of summer unless the trip is more than a weekender.

492325_zpsd4fb7190.jpg
 
Back
Top