Pix and Reviews of Memphis Shades 21" Windshield and V&H Big Shots Exhaust

Constrictor · 07-03-2005

I promised someone pictures of the Memphis Shades 21" windshield on my bike a while back and just didnt have the time to get it unpacked, installed, and some pictures, but yesterday my BigShots exhaust came in from pipecity, I decided to make it "bike day" and do some installation.

So heres the result of my labor and my initial thoughts. First the pix:

Constrictor · 07-03-2005

Memphis Shades 21" Windshield:

Installation:

Installation was pretty straightforward. In order to install this windshield on a Mean Streak (or Marauder 1600/Boulevard C95), you need a specific Mean Streak installation kit available from Memphis Shades. This puts the total cost of the kit and windshield to right about $240. One nice thing about it though is that since the installation kit is designed for our specific bike, the instructions are for our bike and not just a generic install kit where you have to figure most of it out on your own.

The brackets clamp to the top part of your forks using some type of soft metal (probably aluminum) that doesnt seem to scratch the forks. They are adjustable but since I dont think Mean Streak fork size has ever changed, I doubt anyone will ever need any of the other positions.

The clamps themselves aren't hard to get on, but to get them correctly spaced and straight is a bit tricky. This kit is called a "quick disconnect kit" and although I would agree with that, I would say that you'll want to leave the brackets on the bike while the windshield is not in use, because its rather tedious getting these brackets lined up each and every time.

The windshield mounts to these brackets using another aluminum bracket which is bolted directly to the acrylic windshield. These brackets have notches in them that slide into two shafts on the fork brackets, and are tightened down by an allen head bolt which is on the fork brackets. Memphis Shades gives you two allen keys, a long and a short one that you can throw into your bike's tool kit for removal on the road.

Once the windshield is mounted to the bracket, and you're sure everything is straight, you can tighten everything down. Removal of the windshield off the brackets is extremely simple. Just a twist of each of the 4 allen bolts, and the windshield comes off. I would highly recommend having someone holding the front of the windshield, while youre loosening the allen bolts, otherwise it could fall off the front of the bike. I guess you could do this yourself if you are confident in your strength and coordination.

Appearance and Riding Impressions:

The windshield and install brackets look well made. I guess its good they used aluminum (I think) installation hardware so that its softer, but you can definitely tell its not chrome. If you are a chrome nut, these might not look too good to you, but I have no complaints.

The windshield I got was the one with the 7" headlight cutout and it fits perfectly around the headlight. On top of the headlight there is maybe 3/4" clearance, and on the sides maybe 1/2". I didnt actually measure this, but it looks about right. The gaps on each side of the headlight are even, so it has a nice look to it.

I think that the Mean Streak looks better without any windshield, but the reason I bought this one was for long trips. I do have a helmet already, but I wanted a shield to lessen wind fatigue on my body.

Heres the bad news. I am 5'10" and when riding the bike, the top of the windshield is in DIRECT view of the road ahead of me. Its not a huge deal, but as I go over bumps, my vision goes from the very top of the windshield to barely over it, and back and forth. If I duck my head down an inch or two, I look straight through it, if I stick it up higher, I look over it.

This produces a very annoying effect of going in and out of the windshield, which shifts light, making things like theyre bouncing around because of the angle of light is different when going through the acrylic. If you look at the pictures above, the third picture is me sitting on the bike with it upright and me holding the camera approximately where my head would be while riding. The top of the ladder is about where my eyes would be looking if I was on the road.

Another thing I noticed is that since my head is even with the top of the windshield, my helmet is in the "buffeting zone". Its not noticeable at speeds below 50 mph, but at highway speeds, my head is basically vibrating from the wind. I havent done an A/B comparison, but I rode this bike for almost 2 months without a windshield and I dont remember this effect. I will post back with more info later, but honestly, the buffeting gave me a headache on a 1 hour ride last night.

I would guess that shorter riders like 5'8" and under wouldnt have this problem.

Other than that, its a nice unit, but if this thing is going to cause visibility problems and give me a headache while riding, I am going to sell it.

Vance & Hines Big Shots Exhaust:

Installation:

This exhaust was on backorder for a couple weeks so I didnt know when it was going to arrive, but thankfully it came yesterday, so I eagerly went out to install.

Like the windshield, this exhaust is made specifically for our bike, so the instructions were made with pictures of our bike so there was little guesswork on the installation, but they didnt cover removal so some parts took a little bit of guesswork on what to remove.

The pictures are all black and white and are very pixelated, so in a couple of them, it was hard to tell what they were trying to show you. There was one part of the instructions when mounting the rear mounting plate that weren't obvious. They tell you to remove the black rubber vibration dampeners when removing the old exhaust, but they never mention reusing them. Since its impossible to mount anything back there with them missing, I just put them back in. I know that probably sounds obvious to some, but why would they tell you to remove something that you need? It was little things like this that I think V&H could improve upon with their instructions.

As a whole, the instructions were good, but if V&H would have spent maybe an extra 10 minutes getting better pictures and being a little more thorough with their descriptions, these could have been excellent.

Anyway, the installation was pretty smooth and straightforward. The hardest part was mounting the heatshields to the pipes. You need to secure them with bandclamps like the stock exhaust, but I noticed that in a couple spots, especially the front cylinder head pipe, the heat shields didnt perfectly line up with the pipe underneath. I needed to use some muscle to force it to fit and that made getting the forward most band clamp installed. After taking a break and drinking a beer, I was able to get it though.

My bike has barely over 1000 miles on them, so the exhaust gaskets looked to be in excellent shape. Keeping them in the exhaust ports was a bit tricky, so I just got some gear oil and dabbed a little oil on the cylinder head side of the gaskets with my finger. This was enough to get the gaskets to stick to the inside of the cylinder heads so they wouldnt fall out while trying to wiggle the head pipes in the hole.

Most everything reuses the stock nuts and bolts, so getting the exhaust on wasn't too hard. I did this all by myself with no extra pairs of hands. I had a blanket on the ground under the bike, so that if something fell, it wouldnt get scratched.

Appearance and Riding Impressions:

Fit and finish is pretty good, but not perfect. Based on the some of the bad reviews Ive read on other exhaust systems, I would say these are probably very good, but there still was room for improvement. Like I said earlier, the front head pipe heat shield didn't perfectly fit over the head pipe itself, so it took a bit of muscle to get it lined up correctly. Also, the rear tailpipes line up correctly, but they're angled differently. Its hard to describe, and you can't really see it in the pictures, but its like the metal on the rear heatshields was formed at a slightly different angle from the other one. I would consider this a nitpick cause you really need to get down there to see it, but if you were a perfectionist, it might peeve you a bit.

When I first fired the bike up I was a bit surprised. Honestly, I've never heard another Mean Streak or even a Vulcan with pipes before. All I am familiar with is Harleys and I didnt want that obnoxious sound of straight pipes that a lot of guys like. I realize these have interchangeable baffles, so for some of you who dont want a loud exhaust, beware.

I wouldnt call it overly loud, but there is a bit of raspy "tcha-tcha-tcha" when cracking on the throttle. I like it, but just be warned that this is not a quiet exhaust.

I do not have any type of computer alterations like a PCIII or a Techlusion programmer, and I would say the bike rides pretty good for stock tuning. There is an occasional backfire if I crack on the throttle and then suddenly let off. I will definitely want to block off my reed valves because it burbles quite a bit when decelerating. It actually doesnt sound too bad, but the backfiring has got to go.

The Big Shots are a 2:2 pipe, but they have a cross over tube which supposedly gives them a power advantage similar to a 2:1 exhaust. I'll be honest, I have a Trans Am that is making around 500 HP, so nothing really feels fast to me anymore (not even the T/A), and Ive always have a poorly calibrated butt-meter, so Im not sure if I feel a power increase on the bike.

I did crack on it a couple times, and the bike took off pretty good, and I think I feel more power, but I'm not sure if its just a placebo effect. I will say this though, theres definitely no loss of power!

I am happy I went with this particular exhaust. Installation took maybe 2.5 hours, with about 1 hour of that time spent just getting the bandclamps installed. Had they been installed right out of the box, it would have been a 1.5 hour install and I've never installed pipes on a bike before.

1400pilot · 07-03-2005

good job!!! looking good,

azchick · 07-03-2005

hey Cool!
I bought the little windshield that Kawa makes (?) and had it installed the day of pick up so I will keep it that way... It's cool to see a Mean Streak up close and personal like that. Very nice of you to share that with us. Keep us posted on the pipes...
I like the mirrors and grips. Do you have forward controls? Those look like the saddleman large (?) slant bags... do you have support brackets with those? Will you be getting a new seat and sissy bar?
phone's ringing...gotta go

RayB · 07-03-2005

Hey, Constrictor. I just put this same windshield on my meanie. I experienced the same buffeting you describe using a full face helmet. I tried my shorty, and found it to be quite nice actually. No buffeting at all.
I had previously tried a Memphis Shades Bigshot Sportshield, and the buffeting was incredible. I tried the Kawi shield, and it's cute and all, but not much of a shield - dumps all that air right in your face.
I was starting to get a bit paranoid about the whole windshield business. I'm like you, I really only wanted one for long trips, cuz 65+ for an extended period really wears you out running naked. And while I would much prefer to wear my full face helmet, I guess I can live with the shorty. Unless someone out there has a better idea?

Sledder · 07-03-2005

good looking pipes. I prefer my MS without a shield for looks,but have gotten used to my memphis pop top shield. The pop top is the smaller one of the memphis sport shields. from what I'm gathering it was a good choice,as I have very little buffeting (but do get a little now and then)after adjusting it a little. It seems on these bikes some of the smaller ones,although they let more air hit you,maybe have enough air hitting your helmet not to buffet?...I surely am no expert. Many on here also give good claims from the alley cat(the mid sized sport shield).

..hey,at least they come off easy right? I still like to take mine off when burning around town,but honestly miss it if out on the road at speed.

Constrictor · 07-03-2005

Thanks everyone for the kind words. I will give an update after a week or two of having everything for some followup comments.

Quote:

Originally Posted by azchick

hey Cool!
I bought the little windshield that Kawa makes (?) and had it installed the day of pick up so I will keep it that way... It's cool to see a Mean Streak up close and personal like that. Very nice of you to share that with us. Keep us posted on the pipes...
I like the mirrors and grips. Do you have forward controls? Those look like the saddleman large (?) slant bags... do you have support brackets with those? Will you be getting a new seat and sissy bar?
phone's ringing...gotta go

To answer your questions, azchick, no, I do not have forward controls. For my body size (I am 5'10 ~210 lbs), the position of the Mean Streak handlebars and controls is perfect for me. I dont think I will need forward controls.

My mirrors are the Kuryakyn Magnum Long Stem Convex mirrors. The grips are Kuryakyn ISO grips.

Yes, you are correct, those are the Saddleman large slant bags...you have a good eye!

And yes, I have the Cobra support brackets behind there. They get the job done!

I am not sure if I plan on getting a different seat. I am currently single, and dont know if I will have anyone to ride in the near future, and I am in the minority that doesnt find the stock seat uncomfortable. I've done some 4+ hour riding days and my butt has never gotten sore. Thats not to say that one day in the future I might get something, but for now, the stock seat will do.

azchick · 07-03-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Constrictor

Thanks everyone for the kind words. I will give an update after a week or two of having everything for some followup comments.

To answer your questions, azchick, no, I do not have forward controls. For my body size (I am 5'10 ~210 lbs), the position of the Mean Streak handlebars and controls is perfect for me. I dont think I will need forward controls.

My mirrors are the Kuryakyn Magnum Long Stem Convex mirrors. The grips are Kuryakyn ISO grips.

Yes, you are correct, those are the Saddleman large slant bags...you have a good eye!

And yes, I have the Cobra support brackets behind there. They get the job done!

I am not sure if I plan on getting a different seat. I am currently single, and dont know if I will have anyone to ride in the near future, and I am in the minority that doesnt find the stock seat uncomfortable. I've done some 4+ hour riding days and my butt has never gotten sore. Thats not to say that one day in the future I might get something, but for now, the stock seat will do.

That 210 lbs is good for padding! I lost a lot of weight so my butt gets uncomfortable...
I am only 5'6 but I feel like I would like the forward controls... or maybe just a floorboard in front... i get antsy need to move around... I'll probably get those bags and the support... do they all fit well together or will i need to "manufacture" my own blahdy blah blah... ha
I just want simple and sweet...
yours is looking good!

what is the tank bag?

RampRat · 07-03-2005

Sweet looking ride!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Constrictor

My mirrors are the Kuryakyn Magnum Long Stem Convex mirrors.

What do you think of the mirrors???? Been thinking about getting a pair, but did not know how bad they viberated or distorted the immages.

ppark · 07-03-2005

Looks sharp. The windshield really looks nice on the bike.

**2WheelFun** · 07-03-2005

Very Nice job abd report Constrictor! Thank you!

As for the buffeting...you'll want to consider adding some lowers to your forks as they will stop the buffeting.

Odious · 07-04-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Constrictor

Memphis Shades 21" Windshield:

Heres the bad news. I am 5'10" and when riding the bike, the top of the windshield is in DIRECT view of the road ahead of me. Its not a huge deal, but as I go over bumps, my vision goes from the very top of the windshield to barely over it, and back and forth. If I duck my head down an inch or two, I look straight through it, if I stick it up higher, I look over it.

This produces a very annoying effect of going in and out of the windshield, which shifts light, making things like theyre bouncing around because of the angle of light is different when going through the acrylic. If you look at the pictures above, the third picture is me sitting on the bike with it upright and me holding the camera approximately where my head would be while riding. The top of the ladder is about where my eyes would be looking if I was on the road.

Another thing I noticed is that since my head is even with the top of the windshield, my helmet is in the "buffeting zone". Its not noticeable at speeds below 50 mph, but at highway speeds, my head is basically vibrating from the wind. I havent done an A/B comparison, but I rode this bike for almost 2 months without a windshield and I dont remember this effect. I will post back with more info later, but honestly, the buffeting gave me a headache on a 1 hour ride last night.

Looks Great...I'm also 5'10" so I may go with the 19" fats...(don't wanna look Through the Windshield) I really just want to decrease the Wind noise...(yeah I Could wear Earplugs..but I don't wanna) Thanks for the insight and the Pics

BamaBob · 07-04-2005

Nice job - lookin' good!!! I really like those windshields.

bobvc · 07-04-2005

I was reading your great post and my 20 year old son came by and was looking over my shoulder. He was more interested in your car stats than the bike. Wanted to know what kinds of mods you have on the big V-8.

Constrictor · 07-04-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by azchick

what is the tank bag?

You are a very perceptive lady!

Its a Daytona Gear magnetic tank bag. Heres a link to the product with pictures:

http://www.cruisercustomizing.com/de...oduct_ID=13793

Its good for carrying around your cell phone, wallet, change, and some papers, and thats it. The magnet is very strong, so it stays on the bike at speed. I also have a GPS that I can throw in there on long trips.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RampRat

What do you think of the mirrors???? Been thinking about getting a pair, but did not know how bad they viberated or distorted the immages.

I like them a lot. I got them with the hopes that they would be farther out than the stockers, but theyre not. These things have the same exact length as the stock arms. The mirrors themselves are convex and are slightly tinted so they eliminate some head light glare. I like the look of them, they fit well, and they do not vibrate any more than the stockers did. Just dont expect them to improve your vision over the stock ones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobvc

I was reading your great post and my 20 year old son came by and was looking over my shoulder. He was more interested in your car stats than the bike. Wanted to know what kinds of mods you have on the big V-8.

If he wants to read more on my car, visit my website at www.constrictorls1.com and read my mod pages. I have a couple walkthroughs on some of the projects, and a nice day to day journal of my heads/cam swap. If he has any other questions, I can elaborate further!

Constrictor · 08-19-2005

OKay, I have typed this three times, and each time my computer freezes, so heres the really short of it.

Since writing this review, I relocated the windshield brackets to the top of the fork, up against the triple tree, and that rasied the windshield about an inch and a half. This allowed me to see through the windshield, instead of over it, and it elimiated a lot of the buffeting. On my 580 mile trip to Pigeon Forge, I did not get a headache.

I still think the Mean Streak looks better without a shield, I will definitely use it again on a long trip!

SleekStreak · 08-19-2005

Nice work, great look. When are you coming over to do mine?

Xlr8n · 08-19-2005

Constrictor, I'm new to the site, so I didn't see this thread the first time around. Very nicely done review! I agree, the stock seat feels as good as any I've ridden. I just unbolted the strap on mine for a sleeker look.

07-03-2005	#1 (permalink)
Constrictor Way Too Much Free Time BTK Expert Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Steger, IL Posts: 1,009	Pix and Reviews of Memphis Shades 21" Windshield and V&H Big Shots Exhaust I promised someone pictures of the Memphis Shades 21" windshield on my bike a while back and just didnt have the time to get it unpacked, installed, and some pictures, but yesterday my BigShots exhaust came in from pipecity, I decided to make it "bike day" and do some installation. So heres the result of my labor and my initial thoughts. First the pix: __________________ 2005 Magma Red Kawasaki Mean Streak 1600 1998 Bright Red Pontiac Trans Am 405.5 RWHP 385.1 RWTQ 2004 Nighthawk Black Honda Accord EX 6-speed

07-03-2005	#2 (permalink)
Constrictor Way Too Much Free Time BTK Expert Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Steger, IL Posts: 1,009	Memphis Shades 21" Windshield: Installation: Installation was pretty straightforward. In order to install this windshield on a Mean Streak (or Marauder 1600/Boulevard C95), you need a specific Mean Streak installation kit available from Memphis Shades. This puts the total cost of the kit and windshield to right about $240. One nice thing about it though is that since the installation kit is designed for our specific bike, the instructions are for our bike and not just a generic install kit where you have to figure most of it out on your own. The brackets clamp to the top part of your forks using some type of soft metal (probably aluminum) that doesnt seem to scratch the forks. They are adjustable but since I dont think Mean Streak fork size has ever changed, I doubt anyone will ever need any of the other positions. The clamps themselves aren't hard to get on, but to get them correctly spaced and straight is a bit tricky. This kit is called a "quick disconnect kit" and although I would agree with that, I would say that you'll want to leave the brackets on the bike while the windshield is not in use, because its rather tedious getting these brackets lined up each and every time. The windshield mounts to these brackets using another aluminum bracket which is bolted directly to the acrylic windshield. These brackets have notches in them that slide into two shafts on the fork brackets, and are tightened down by an allen head bolt which is on the fork brackets. Memphis Shades gives you two allen keys, a long and a short one that you can throw into your bike's tool kit for removal on the road. Once the windshield is mounted to the bracket, and you're sure everything is straight, you can tighten everything down. Removal of the windshield off the brackets is extremely simple. Just a twist of each of the 4 allen bolts, and the windshield comes off. I would highly recommend having someone holding the front of the windshield, while youre loosening the allen bolts, otherwise it could fall off the front of the bike. I guess you could do this yourself if you are confident in your strength and coordination. Appearance and Riding Impressions: The windshield and install brackets look well made. I guess its good they used aluminum (I think) installation hardware so that its softer, but you can definitely tell its not chrome. If you are a chrome nut, these might not look too good to you, but I have no complaints. The windshield I got was the one with the 7" headlight cutout and it fits perfectly around the headlight. On top of the headlight there is maybe 3/4" clearance, and on the sides maybe 1/2". I didnt actually measure this, but it looks about right. The gaps on each side of the headlight are even, so it has a nice look to it. I think that the Mean Streak looks better without any windshield, but the reason I bought this one was for long trips. I do have a helmet already, but I wanted a shield to lessen wind fatigue on my body. Heres the bad news. I am 5'10" and when riding the bike, the top of the windshield is in DIRECT view of the road ahead of me. Its not a huge deal, but as I go over bumps, my vision goes from the very top of the windshield to barely over it, and back and forth. If I duck my head down an inch or two, I look straight through it, if I stick it up higher, I look over it. This produces a very annoying effect of going in and out of the windshield, which shifts light, making things like theyre bouncing around because of the angle of light is different when going through the acrylic. If you look at the pictures above, the third picture is me sitting on the bike with it upright and me holding the camera approximately where my head would be while riding. The top of the ladder is about where my eyes would be looking if I was on the road. Another thing I noticed is that since my head is even with the top of the windshield, my helmet is in the "buffeting zone". Its not noticeable at speeds below 50 mph, but at highway speeds, my head is basically vibrating from the wind. I havent done an A/B comparison, but I rode this bike for almost 2 months without a windshield and I dont remember this effect. I will post back with more info later, but honestly, the buffeting gave me a headache on a 1 hour ride last night. I would guess that shorter riders like 5'8" and under wouldnt have this problem. Other than that, its a nice unit, but if this thing is going to cause visibility problems and give me a headache while riding, I am going to sell it. Vance & Hines Big Shots Exhaust: Installation: This exhaust was on backorder for a couple weeks so I didnt know when it was going to arrive, but thankfully it came yesterday, so I eagerly went out to install. Like the windshield, this exhaust is made specifically for our bike, so the instructions were made with pictures of our bike so there was little guesswork on the installation, but they didnt cover removal so some parts took a little bit of guesswork on what to remove. The pictures are all black and white and are very pixelated, so in a couple of them, it was hard to tell what they were trying to show you. There was one part of the instructions when mounting the rear mounting plate that weren't obvious. They tell you to remove the black rubber vibration dampeners when removing the old exhaust, but they never mention reusing them. Since its impossible to mount anything back there with them missing, I just put them back in. I know that probably sounds obvious to some, but why would they tell you to remove something that you need? It was little things like this that I think V&H could improve upon with their instructions. As a whole, the instructions were good, but if V&H would have spent maybe an extra 10 minutes getting better pictures and being a little more thorough with their descriptions, these could have been excellent. Anyway, the installation was pretty smooth and straightforward. The hardest part was mounting the heatshields to the pipes. You need to secure them with bandclamps like the stock exhaust, but I noticed that in a couple spots, especially the front cylinder head pipe, the heat shields didnt perfectly line up with the pipe underneath. I needed to use some muscle to force it to fit and that made getting the forward most band clamp installed. After taking a break and drinking a beer, I was able to get it though. My bike has barely over 1000 miles on them, so the exhaust gaskets looked to be in excellent shape. Keeping them in the exhaust ports was a bit tricky, so I just got some gear oil and dabbed a little oil on the cylinder head side of the gaskets with my finger. This was enough to get the gaskets to stick to the inside of the cylinder heads so they wouldnt fall out while trying to wiggle the head pipes in the hole. Most everything reuses the stock nuts and bolts, so getting the exhaust on wasn't too hard. I did this all by myself with no extra pairs of hands. I had a blanket on the ground under the bike, so that if something fell, it wouldnt get scratched. Appearance and Riding Impressions: Fit and finish is pretty good, but not perfect. Based on the some of the bad reviews Ive read on other exhaust systems, I would say these are probably very good, but there still was room for improvement. Like I said earlier, the front head pipe heat shield didn't perfectly fit over the head pipe itself, so it took a bit of muscle to get it lined up correctly. Also, the rear tailpipes line up correctly, but they're angled differently. Its hard to describe, and you can't really see it in the pictures, but its like the metal on the rear heatshields was formed at a slightly different angle from the other one. I would consider this a nitpick cause you really need to get down there to see it, but if you were a perfectionist, it might peeve you a bit. When I first fired the bike up I was a bit surprised. Honestly, I've never heard another Mean Streak or even a Vulcan with pipes before. All I am familiar with is Harleys and I didnt want that obnoxious sound of straight pipes that a lot of guys like. I realize these have interchangeable baffles, so for some of you who dont want a loud exhaust, beware. I wouldnt call it overly loud, but there is a bit of raspy "tcha-tcha-tcha" when cracking on the throttle. I like it, but just be warned that this is not a quiet exhaust. I do not have any type of computer alterations like a PCIII or a Techlusion programmer, and I would say the bike rides pretty good for stock tuning. There is an occasional backfire if I crack on the throttle and then suddenly let off. I will definitely want to block off my reed valves because it burbles quite a bit when decelerating. It actually doesnt sound too bad, but the backfiring has got to go. The Big Shots are a 2:2 pipe, but they have a cross over tube which supposedly gives them a power advantage similar to a 2:1 exhaust. I'll be honest, I have a Trans Am that is making around 500 HP, so nothing really feels fast to me anymore (not even the T/A), and Ive always have a poorly calibrated butt-meter, so Im not sure if I feel a power increase on the bike. I did crack on it a couple times, and the bike took off pretty good, and I think I feel more power, but I'm not sure if its just a placebo effect. I will say this though, theres definitely no loss of power! I am happy I went with this particular exhaust. Installation took maybe 2.5 hours, with about 1 hour of that time spent just getting the bandclamps installed. Had they been installed right out of the box, it would have been a 1.5 hour install and I've never installed pipes on a bike before. __________________ 2005 Magma Red Kawasaki Mean Streak 1600 1998 Bright Red Pontiac Trans Am 405.5 RWHP 385.1 RWTQ 2004 Nighthawk Black Honda Accord EX 6-speed Last edited by Constrictor : 07-03-2005 at 07:50 PM.

07-03-2005	#3 (permalink)
1400pilot UBER CLUB MEMBER #2 Forum Supporter Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Holdrege, Nebraska Posts: 13,780	good job!!! looking good, __________________ Click for a map of the states I've ridden in 08 ZG1400 Concours 06 KDX200 04KX65

07-03-2005	#4 (permalink)
azchick aka: queen of mean Forum Supporter Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: AZ Posts: 2,411	hey Cool! I bought the little windshield that Kawa makes (?) and had it installed the day of pick up so I will keep it that way... It's cool to see a Mean Streak up close and personal like that. Very nice of you to share that with us. Keep us posted on the pipes... I like the mirrors and grips. Do you have forward controls? Those look like the saddleman large (?) slant bags... do you have support brackets with those? Will you be getting a new seat and sissy bar? phone's ringing...gotta go __________________ 2005, 1600 Red Mean Streak

07-03-2005	#5 (permalink)
RayB Newbie Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Durham, NC Posts: 8	Hey, Constrictor. I just put this same windshield on my meanie. I experienced the same buffeting you describe using a full face helmet. I tried my shorty, and found it to be quite nice actually. No buffeting at all. I had previously tried a Memphis Shades Bigshot Sportshield, and the buffeting was incredible. I tried the Kawi shield, and it's cute and all, but not much of a shield - dumps all that air right in your face. I was starting to get a bit paranoid about the whole windshield business. I'm like you, I really only wanted one for long trips, cuz 65+ for an extended period really wears you out running naked. And while I would much prefer to wear my full face helmet, I guess I can live with the shorty. Unless someone out there has a better idea? __________________ '04 Mean Streak (black) TGBTG

07-03-2005	#6 (permalink)
Sledder Forum Supporter Forum Supporter Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: NS Canada Posts: 1,199	good looking pipes. I prefer my MS without a shield for looks,but have gotten used to my memphis pop top shield. The pop top is the smaller one of the memphis sport shields. from what I'm gathering it was a good choice,as I have very little buffeting (but do get a little now and then)after adjusting it a little. It seems on these bikes some of the smaller ones,although they let more air hit you,maybe have enough air hitting your helmet not to buffet?...I surely am no expert. Many on here also give good claims from the alley cat(the mid sized sport shield). ..hey,at least they come off easy right? I still like to take mine off when burning around town,but honestly miss it if out on the road at speed. __________________ 04 MS 1640 Thunder 100 in kit/cams Race ported heads by "dynoray" Thunder air V&H Propipe PC3

07-03-2005	#10 (permalink)
ppark Way Too Much Free Time BTK Expert Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: California Posts: 1,158	Looks sharp. The windshield really looks nice on the bike. __________________ 1600 Mean Streak ZRX1200

07-03-2005	#11 (permalink)
2WheelFun the "fun old" guy Extreme Forum Supporter Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Albion, Washington "Pacific Northwest" Posts: 30,211	Very Nice job abd report Constrictor! Thank you! As for the buffeting...you'll want to consider adding some lowers to your forks as they will stop the buffeting. __________________ *KING KAHUNA* *2007 V2K LT* ****PICS** 2007 Brute Force 650i **PICS** I love the smell of SeaFoam in the morning**

07-04-2005	#13 (permalink)
BamaBob Midnight Venture Rider Forum Supporter Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Meridianville, Alabama Posts: 6,727	Nice job - lookin' good!!! I really like those windshields. __________________ BamaBob *BTK Womens Azz Size Study Rep, U.S. Dept. of Posterior*

07-04-2005	#14 (permalink)
bobvc Mgr. Mid Life Crisis Dept BTK Expert Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Olive Branch, MS Posts: 493	I was reading your great post and my 20 year old son came by and was looking over my shoulder. He was more interested in your car stats than the bike. Wanted to know what kinds of mods you have on the big V-8. __________________ Midnight Blue Vulcan Classic 1600 Yamaha YZ 2-Fiddy F Yamaha FJR 1300 Sport Tourer

08-19-2005	#16 (permalink)
Constrictor Way Too Much Free Time BTK Expert Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Steger, IL Posts: 1,009	OKay, I have typed this three times, and each time my computer freezes, so heres the really short of it. Since writing this review, I relocated the windshield brackets to the top of the fork, up against the triple tree, and that rasied the windshield about an inch and a half. This allowed me to see through the windshield, instead of over it, and it elimiated a lot of the buffeting. On my 580 mile trip to Pigeon Forge, I did not get a headache. I still think the Mean Streak looks better without a shield, I will definitely use it again on a long trip! __________________ 2005 Magma Red Kawasaki Mean Streak 1600 1998 Bright Red Pontiac Trans Am 405.5 RWHP 385.1 RWTQ 2004 Nighthawk Black Honda Accord EX 6-speed

08-19-2005	#17 (permalink)
SleekStreak Needs A Real Job BTK Expert Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 2,954	Nice work, great look. When are you coming over to do mine? __________________ 2002 Kawasaki Mean Streak 1500 http://bookmanstudios.com/bikediary

08-19-2005	#18 (permalink)
Xlr8n Living on the dark side Forum Supporter Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: midwest Posts: 2,541	Constrictor, I'm new to the site, so I didn't see this thread the first time around. Very nicely done review! I agree, the stock seat feels as good as any I've ridden. I just unbolted the strap on mine for a sleeker look.