Windscreens for VFRs

Discussion in '8th Generation 2014-Present' started by SammichTheStout, Jul 31, 2014.

  1. SammichTheStout

    SammichTheStout New Member

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    Does Anybody have a preference of Make + Model for a more touring oriented windscreen to replace the stock unit? What have you used in the past and what did you think of it?
     
  2. mlap5150

    mlap5150 New Member

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    I have a Zero Gravity double bubble. It was a bitch to install, and the fit and finish isn't very good in my opinion, but functionally it's good. I'm 5' 9" and it keeps the wind off my chest and all except the tops of my shoulders. Just did a good bit of touring with it in northern MI and wasn't knocked around by the wind much at all.

    On a completely unrelated note, how do you like your XR400? How is it on the trails and on the highway? I ask because I'm starting to look at a mid-size dual sport as my next bike, hopefully in time for next summer. Being up north the past few years without my old Yamaha XT225 is making me miss trail riding bad.
     
  3. SammichTheStout

    SammichTheStout New Member

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    I had a ZG double bubble on my RC51 which showed similar improvement .

    Well, I got my XR400 because it was simple... Air cooled, kick-started, simple carb and so forth. I kept it because it turned out to be one of the toughest, most reliable and most durable bikes I've ever heard of. The list of horrible I things I've done to this motorcycle is absurd. I've drowned it twice, sent it tumbling down a mountainside, gone hurtling into large rocks, crashed into several trees and fell off it more times than I care to count. Before, during and after all that, it never failed to start right up, first or second kick every time. Not like my dad's old KTM 450 EXC, whose top end disintegrated after one season.

    As an all around trail bike capable of a little bit of highway. It worked great. Trying to do more than a little highway requires a few mods. Here is what I had done to mine...
    High-flow air filter, exhaust and a pumper carb (I went with the pumper carb) or just re-jetting the existing carb are musts. Consider a 440cc kit as well (Easier than it sounded). The 3.8 gallon tank pushed range to about 130 miles per tank. I bought it in 03 from a guy in Vermont who had it titled and registered, so transferring it to PA was no problem. So I put in a huge stator coil and a tiny 12v mc battery. Lights, signals, mirrors, speedo, odo and tail lights. Keep in mind that all of this was strictly necessary...
     
  4. mlap5150

    mlap5150 New Member

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    Awesome! Thanks a ton for the info. I figured a bit of modding would be required. Did you do anything to the gearing?

    I researched the KTM you mentioned (old and newer models) and even though it's a beast, the maintenance seemed ridiculous. I also looked into the Yamaha WR450 but it isn't even street legal out of the box and also requires some mods. I originally had my heart set on the new Husqvarna FE 350 S (or maybe 500) coming out next year but again, maintenance and reliability are concerning (not to mention the 9-10k price tag). Hopefully I can find a XR400 for cheap around here and turn it into a little project.

    Anyway, back on topic, good luck with the windscreen. Look into Puig as well. My brother has one on his FZ6 and it's great.
     
  5. hallford

    hallford New Member

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    Had a Puig DB on a 954rr and although the fitment wasn't the best, it was pretty good at moving the airflow to a better spot.
     
  6. SammichTheStout

    SammichTheStout New Member

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    I'm thinking Zero Gravity Sport Touring model will fit me best because I'm tall and tend to take longer rides. So ZG ST windscreen + Sargent Solo Seat + Honda Bar Risers should = Hours of Sport Touring goodness... Whenever all of these things finally hit the market for the 2014.

    The KTM suffered an interesting catastrophic top end failure. It didn't blow up, it just seized up completely. We were on a Pine Barrens Ride and had hit Lucille's (Can't remember how that's spelled...) for lunch. we came back outside and tried to kick the pig. Alas, no mas rotacion de motor... What had happened was the Cam bearings had completely disintegrated and seized up the rest of the engine. So, I threw a leg over the trusty XR400, (Started right up, first kick as usual) went back, put the bike in the truck alone (Never doing that again... I had to find a long ass 2x10 and ride into the truck bed while hoping the sonofabitch didn't break), and come back for my dad and the KTM. After that experience with the Honda and the KTM, my dad and I finally had to admit that the gurus on ADVRider forums were right; KTM stands for Kant Take Mexico.

    Thing is though, all of the KTMs that he's had have been really, really (and I mean reallly-really) superb handling bikes with the best chassis and suspension for dirt that I've ever ridden, including some of the Ohlins and race-tech equipped dirt machines that I've had the pleasure to sample. They're that good. So you can imagine how upsetting that was... After I rebuilt that 450 motor, my dad connected up on a street titled 300 EXC (Two Stroke), which, once it had a better Mikuni carb installed, never suffered from any such issues. We did have to install an hour counter so we could change wheel bearings and a few other sacrificial KTM parts every 50 or 100 hours depending on the part. Other than that, that little 300 EXC has been really good and runs like a raped ape.

    Oh, should I apologize to myself for hi-jacking my own thread??
     
  7. mlap5150

    mlap5150 New Member

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    Sounds like you have a good plan for a solid touring setup. I'm sure many of the others on here will agree.

    I don't doubt the KTMs performance at all, but you sure pay for it. I'm just starting to think I'd rather pick up an XR400 or similar for 2-3k used, drop a grand on mods and have a solid, lower maintenance bike for dual-sporting (also would be a nice project for the garage in my new house).

    Yeah you can take credit for the thread hijack haha.
     
  8. Voided76

    Voided76 New Member

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    I've had awesome luck from german based MRA. their non-two piece windscreens ABSOLUTELY have the fit and finish of OEM down pat, with much better wind profiles to offer.

    I'm not entirely sure if they're still doing screens, but I love mine.
    Just don't get the ones with the spoilers or the other offbeat windscreens lol. they're hideous looking.

    but I bet they work.
     
  9. FJ12rydertoo

    FJ12rydertoo Member

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    Do these aftermarket windscreens move the airflow over your heads? Am I the only one who feels like the wind helps take the weight off? At 75-80 mph the wind does lift a bit of weight off your wrists/arms. I wear earplugs so the noise isn't a factor, and a full face helmet so wind in my face isn't an issue, so what's the value of the high rise windscreens? I can see it on a bike where you are sitting bolt upright and fighting the wind, but the VFR puts you leaning forward.

    Not saying if anyone is right or wrong, just wondering about this.
     
  10. jjarama

    jjarama New Member

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    I'm 6'2" and the ZG ST screen directs the air just right for me around my head.

    It also looks good on the bike.

    The combination of a Corbin seat, HeliBar 2" risers, and a Shuberth C3 Pro quiet helmet on a great bike makes a very comfortable ride. I still use ear plugs for rides longer than 1 hour.

    10VFR1200F screen smll.jpg 10VFR1200F screen sml.jpg
     
  11. VFR777

    VFR777 New Member

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    No, on the hiway I am fine, in town I hate it! Getting a taller windshield makes it worse...
     
  12. Voided76

    Voided76 New Member

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    jjarama I'm not sure that you're on the correct VFR for the discussion in question. different riding position for the most part, and definately, different screens.

    my screen is great at what I generally call half-touring, basically. In a standard ish position out on the highway, it breaks very cleanly at about the chin-bar of my helm. No real buffeting or turbulence to speak of either. For bad weather, dust, pebbles from an asshole in a dumptruck, ect, I can lower myself into about a 1/3 of a tuck, and it breaks at the top of my head, I can -hear- the wind sort of snapping about and cresting the top of the helm, and I know with a lift of the visor and no spray in my face, that I'm generally safe from said weather. in a full tuck, at say the drag strip, or on a top speed hoon session, it gets -VERY- quiet while I'm hugging my gauges with a peak's view of the outside world. so I'm guessing, I'm fully out of the wind in that case. I would trust my MRA as a race shield, and as a touring shield, because it doesn't even really fatigue me if I need to huddle out in behind of it for a few hours at a time.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    as always, YMMV
     
  13. NZCam

    NZCam New Member

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    PowerBronze do great double-bubble, stock, and pop-up touring screens. I had the double-bubble version fitted to my Gen-6 for many years and loved it. They do iridium finishes in a range of colours (including chrome/mirror). I just checked their website today, and whilst the 2014 model isn't yet listed, I'm sure it's not far away.

    385259_167109100049729_460413187_n.jpg
     
  14. ictghost

    ictghost New Member

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    I also have a Zero Gravity Double-Bubble. I didn't think it was really that hard to install, but it was one of the first mods I did while the bike was new and I guess the windshield bolts were not set as tight. I like the looks of shield and it does it's job keeping the wind above my shoulders. My dealer gave me 20% off on all the accessories I bought for the first 30 days so it was also a bargain.

    [​IMG]
     
  15. Dead Eye Dick AKA Carpy

    Dead Eye Dick AKA Carpy New Member

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    I use the MRA VarioTouring screen on my 07. I have fitted Helibars so the weight on my wrists isn't a problem because I am sitting more upright. I lve my screen, ok it does look a little unconventional but all I am really concerned about is its functionality, the aesthetic quality is a poor second placed concern.

    IMG_0290.jpg

    Heres a link to the MRA site where you can see a mock up of the wind tunnel airflow results for the different screens they produce

    https://www.mrashop.de/erp/catalog/navigationPath//1.Sortiment/0.html?mral=1&type=%28755%2C19%2C0%29&form=%28176%2C20%2C0%29&spr=D

    happy hunting

    Carpy
     
  16. Voided76

    Voided76 New Member

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    Theyre positively homely though.... I cant hack it
    Lol. The db racer from mra was an obvious choice.
     
  17. NZCam

    NZCam New Member

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    Reply from PowerBronze:

    Hi Cam

    The airflow screen is currently being developed, and the hugger has been put on the potential new products for the new year list

    Kind Regards
    Steven Roberts
     
  18. NZCam

    NZCam New Member

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    Powerbronze's website is now listing the Gen-8 VFR for it's Airflow (double-bubble) screens, which come in a range of colours and finishes. The only real decision for me with the new bike now is whether to go iridium silver, or dark tint...

    Powerbronze USA: http://www.powerbronzeusa.com/
    Powerbronze UK: http://www.powerbronze.com
    Powerbronze Australia: http://www.powerbronzeaustralia.com...?maketext=HONDA&modeltext=VFR800F&yeartext=15
     
  19. SammichTheStout

    SammichTheStout New Member

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    Just ordered the powerbronze in cool blue iridium. I don't know if it will deflect the wind enough. But I'm hoping that it will push the wind line up to the tops of my shoulders.
     
  20. NZCam

    NZCam New Member

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    Did you go with the airflow or standard shape? I've got the airflow on my Gen-8, and I find that at 90-110kph, the air is focused just above my visor (6'1" rider, no bar risers). I'm very impressed with the fitment, it's an improvement over the quality of Powerbronze's Gen-6 screens.
     
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