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Problems with Powerbronze windshield

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MetrickMetal

MetrickMetal

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Joined
Nov 7, 2007
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Location
Antelope Valley CA
First Name
Scott
Last Name
Brown
After installing the Powerbronze flip screen that I purchased from Superbike Store LLC on eBay, I must say I was totally disappointed buy the fit of it against the fairing as there was a little over a 5/16" gap between the lower edge of the windshield and the edge of the cowling on the left side and almost the same amount of gap on the right side.

I called David up at the Superbike store and he told me to send it back to them. Well its been almost a month now since I sent it back and I just called David and he said he has no ETA on the replacement screens from Powerbronze.

Of the 3 windshields that I have had on my bike so far which are the stock windshield, the Givi and the Suzuki DB which is now back on my bike all fit nicely against the top edge of the cowling with no gap like the Powerbronze has.

The cuts on the Powerbronze windshield are also very crappy looking and are not even the same on each side and look like they were cut on a band saw and they left a very sharp corner which is most likely going to be a potential source for a stress crack to develope there.

Has anyone else had a problem like this with a Powerbronze windshield.

Heres a picture of the gap on the left side of the Powerbronze windshield.
PowerBronzeWindshield002.jpg


Heres the gap on the right side of the windshield.
PowerBronzeWindshield001.jpg


Heres a picture showing how much higher the Powerbronze windshield is cut compared to the Suzuki DB.
PowerBronzeWindshield003.jpg
 
I had no problems installing my PB windshield. Everything matched up good. Maybe I lucked out????
But it really doesn't put the air flow where I want it. I'd like it a few more inches higher to hit the top of the helmet at least and not mid faceshield.
Is the Givi any taller?
I don't want any of those double screen type add on shields, just one solid shield.
 
I also purchased the Powerbronze shield and have the same problem. I called David and he sent me another screen which was the same as the 1st.
I put the Givi screen back on the bike and haven't tried the new Powerbronze yet.
I plan on using it soon. I'll let you know how sturdy it is.
Brent
North Fork, CA
 
Is that a big problem?? I never noticed anything on mine. It was a **** to install, but so was the stocker. It's a poor design IMO
 
BMahar said:
I put the Givi screen back on the bike and haven't tried the new Powerbronze yet.
Click to expand...

Does the Givi stick up higher or has a kick up lip more than the PB? I was maybe looking at Givi to put the air higher on the helmet rather than mid face shield. I assume your PB is the +4" over stock.
 
A box arrived at my door yesterday from the Superbike Store. In it was the Powerbronze touring screen with "flip".
Looks nice in the box but there isn't a flip as they describe. No matter, it's taller at least.
Fitment could not be any worse, as El Bandito mentioned the edge looks like it was cut on a band saw and just "eyeballed" for depth. Down through the "U" section where the screen meets the fairing is a terrible gap. Even the mounting holes don't line up properly. There are words for this that I cannot use in civilized company.
 
Brass said:
A box arrived at my door yesterday from the Superbike Store. In it was the Powerbronze touring screen with "flip".
Looks nice in the box but there isn't a flip as they describe. No matter, it's taller at least.
Fitment could not be any worse, as El Bandito mentioned the edge looks like it was cut on a band saw and just "eyeballed" for depth. Down through the "U" section where the screen meets the fairing is a terrible gap. Even the mounting holes don't line up properly. There are words for this that I cannot use in civilized company.
Click to expand...

Mine also did not fit the contours of the along the inside edges where it meets the cowling and as far as I am concerned the quality of the Powerbronze screen sucks.

I am going to call David tomorrow at the Superbike Store and tell him do not ship me another windshield if it is no better than the *** I sent him back and if they can't fix the terrible workmanship, than to either give me a refund or a store credit.

There is absolutely no excuse for them cutting the screen like they do, and they obviously have no quality control in place at Powerbronze or they just don't give a ****.
 
I sent David an email this morning outlining my dissastifaction with the screen. I would sent it back and ask for a refund but the cost of shipping is $25 added to the $25 I've already paid to have it shipped here in the first place. Add in my time and effort and it works out that it just wouldn't be worth it.
Make no mistake, I was very happy with the service from the Superbike store and David also. It's the product they're selling I'm not happy with.

If you do end up calling him, don't be shy to drop my name as being another unhappy customer and that we are active on a major international forum.
That sort of thing gets attention when the same complaint comes from 2 individuals in 2 different countries.

Marcel
 
Well, devil's advocate here! I've been riding with a PB touring screen all week and I'm happy as heck with it. The air flow, for my height, is perfect. It's like riding a completely different bike.

Could the cut have been better? Sure.

Does that small issue outweigh the benefit I get from this screen? Nope.

Is there another screen out there that does a better job of wind management on the Bandit? Not that I've read about.

For what this screen costs, especially compared to the Vario, I think it's a great purchase. I'd never go back to the stock screen.
 
KenB said:
Well, devil's advocate here! I've been riding with a PB touring screen all week and I'm happy as heck with it. The air flow, for my height, is perfect. It's like riding a completely different bike.

Could the cut have been better? Sure.

Does that small issue outweigh the benefit I get from this screen? Nope.

Is there another screen out there that does a better job of wind management on the Bandit? Not that I've read about.

For what this screen costs, especially compared to the Vario, I think it's a great purchase. I'd never go back to the stock screen.
Click to expand...
X2
 
I had ordered a MRA double bubble from Twisted Throttle before I saw and bought the PB. If anyone is interested in it yell. Still in the shipping package.

Not on the PB shield but others from past bikes often I had to break out the drembel tool and make it fit more better. :trust: :sun: Most times they cost about 3 times with the PB costs.
 
I rode my bike for the first time today since installing the Powerbronze screen. While riding I noticed another issue with it that I hadn't spotted before.
I'm not sure how best to explain this so be patient with me here.

It appears that the screen's arch or curve is not in line with the fairing. By that I mean it starts at center at the base then goes off to the right as the reaches the top. Try to imagine it as having been turned clockwise slightly. It could probably be corrected by elongating all for mounting holes but that would open up gaps even more on one side and close them on the other. Making the other problems even worse. So it’ll be coming off and tossed into the corner of the garage.

To those that have been pleased with their Powerbronze screen, I’m glad to hear that you’re happy with it. Maybe El Bandito and I simply ended up with a few from a bad batch, and you got the regular good stock. I don’t know. All I can say is that the quality of the screen that I have is terrible. I would expect it if it was being sold as a universal fit screen. In that case you can expect a poor fit and to have to tweak some things. But I expect a direct fitment part to be a direct fit and not need to be cut up with a dremel.
I expect my replacement brake pads, headlight bulb and oil filter to fit, why should I not expect my screen to fit?
 
FWIW I am still happy with my Suzuki DB, cost $55 and it fit.:mrgreen:

BTW I have two 1700 mile trips on it commute everyday with it, could it be better, maybe but it sure looks good on the bike.:rider:
 
Roy said:
FWIW I am still happy with my Suzuki DB, cost $55 and it fit.:mrgreen:

BTW I have two 1700 mile trips on it commute everyday with it, could it be better, maybe but it sure looks good on the bike.:rider:
Click to expand...

Thats what I have on mine right now, and it working out pretty good for me also, and like you say, it fits very nicely and looks good and I have two 900+ mile trip on it, with another coming up here in the next couple of weeks and its not bad at all out on the highway. :rider:
 
I was thinking of ordering the Givi. What don't people like about that one?

I'm 6'2". (sorry, can't seem to find the big windshield thread)
 
Derwood said:
I was thinking of ordering the Givi. What don't people like about that one?

I'm 6'2". (sorry, can't seem to find the big windshield thread)
Click to expand...


I had that one 1st, it did not work for me at 5'9" tall. Too much turbulance at my helmet.
 
Brass said:
To those that have been pleased with their Powerbronze screen, I’m glad to hear that you’re happy with it. Maybe El Bandito and I simply ended up with a few from a bad batch, and you got the regular good stock.
Click to expand...

Well, I would not want my PB on a custom bike. The fit and finish, as you said, is terrible. I guess a standard of Englands quality? At least the bolt holes lined up.;-) But, it works so much better than the stocker and that's what's keeping it on for now. I did order a Givi Touring S so I can try it out and see which one my old head likes the best.
 
Good grief. It's just amazing to me how a small trim cut that has absolutely no effect on the shield's performance can get so many shorts in such a bunch. This shield is neither terrible nor indicative of QA in the UK. Amazing.
 
My Suzuki DB has bad optics down the right inside edge where it meet the fairing. It did not fit as good as the OEM had to wrestle with it to line the holes up behind the guage cluster. Of course it came with trim at the edging so it may looks rough behind the trim I dunno since I am not removing the trim anytime soon. Having said all that it works for me and looks good doing it:mrgreen:
 
One of these days Dale Walker is going to design his own touring screen and make it tall. If he puts the same attention to detail into that as he does his other products it should be a winner.
I believe Skidmarx said they'd fabricate it for him...
 
GregH said:
I believe Skidmarx said they'd fabricate it for him...
Click to expand...

Well that hardly gives any optimism in terms of quality given my experience with the Skidmarx screen I had for a while..... The Suzuki DB is infinintely better and unlike Roy's mine fitted as well as the stock one.

I wonder whether it's not the screen, but the way the rest of the bike (fairing, frame, clocks etc) was bolted together or cut out (and I'm thinking about the fairing liner here) at the factory that affects how well a screen fits? That might explain why some folk have trouble with a particular screen and others don't. "Production line tolerances", as they say..... I reckon the fairing liner is cut +/- a quarter inch.
 
Based on my experience working with OEM manufactures as a robotic programmer, typical OEM production tolerances are never more than 3mm (1/8") for any component that bolts to a major component such as a frame. Sub-components have increasingly tighter tolerances depending on function. A screen, being on a final install assembly would have 1mm (1/32”) tolerance as a max for the mounting holes location. You would never see 1/4” tolerance on anything smaller than a full size truck frame.
 
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