[billc5]

Hello All,

Does anyone knowe the height, from center of headlight cutout, For the F & S windsheild for a 2003 Mean Streak? Ii is not on their web site. I called Kawi customer service and they didn't know either. At 6 foot, i am definitley in the look ocver camp and ride with a full face helmet. I have installed the F & S lightbar so I'm also trying to determine any issues with aftermarket shields. I did qet a quoute form Clearview but they don't make the brakcets but though the Memphis Shades brackets might work.
Thanks in advance for any information.

 

[hot_shoe_cv]

Are you sure you want a w/s that you can look thru as opposed to a shorter one which will deflect wind, bugs, etc? Some riders have discoveered that a full sized w/s can cause a visibility problem in rain, especially combined with a full face helmet. The distortion from the rain is double.

 

[billc5]

I definitely want the shorter version as I prefer to be able to lookover the windshield. At least for me, full size shields that I would have to look through are not wanted. I have fount the mounting systems make a difference on where the top of the shield is. On my previous 750, i went from a National Cycle to a shorter Rifle but because of the different mountings, the Rifle still wasn't quite low enough but in that annoying, for me, I wish this thing was 1 and 1/2 inches lower. I'm prety sure I'm goping to have to add lowers also.

 

[zero260]

Since you've brought up the subject of windshields, I'd like to report my experience with the Memphis Shades Pop Top model I installed on my Mean Streak. In a word--lousey.
I installed the shield almost immediately after purchasing the bike and noticed an extremely high noise level in my helmet--even with stock pipes. At first I blamed the noise on my new helmet--a cheap Vega full face model. It was so bad my ears were almost ringing after a 30 minute ride. I finally resorted to ear plugs. While wearing the ear plugs, even though I couldn't hear the engine exhaust or wind noise, I could still hear an irregular low frequency thuding noise. I could tell it definately was not the engine exhaust. Since I absolutely couldn't stand riding with the ear plugs, I decided to try an experiment and remove the w/s. WALL-AH!. Severe noise gone. I could comfortably ride without ear plugs. Yes, there was wind noise in the helmet but very tolerable. I finally decided the source of the noise was the turbulence off the w/s buffeting my helmet.
The Pop Top model is the smallest of the shields offered by Memphis Shades and really looked good on the bike. I don't know if one of their other shields would alleviate the problem, but I'm afraid to take the chance. Now I know why they call it the "Pop Top". It'll pop your top all right! I enjoy riding the bike so much more without it than with it, I may never use another shield again. The bike even seems to handle better without it.
Another thing I've noticed about this bike is that the wind just doesn't seem to bother me as bad on this bike as the others I rode years ago. I can't figure out why. So I guess it's over for the w/s.
BTW, since I knocked the Vega helmet as cheap, I guess I should say I like it very much and have found it to be a VERY comfortable helmet even though according to their sizing charts I should have taken a medium, but found that a large fit me perfectly.
I'd be interested to know if anyone else has had a similar experience with a windshield.

 

[Trailryder42]

I'm running the Memphis Big Shot on my MS. I'm 5'10.5" tall. When I first installed it I set it so the gap between the headlight and the cutout in the sheild was only 1/4". Rode it like that for quite awhile. The head buffeting was quite noticable. While riding I held my hand in front of my face and could tell where the airstream was hitting me, just above the brow. I then raised the sheild 1/2" and the difference made with that small adjustment was amazing and I can still see over the top of it.

 

[billc5]

Thanks for the information. If you don't mind, what's the windshield height ( from center of headlight cutout to top) of your Big Shot.? JUst curious, did you consider lowers? How was the installation? TIA.

 

[Trailryder42]

Bill, that measurement is 20".

I have considered lowers. Haven't done enough research on what's available for the MS. I would want them easily removable like the windsheild tho. I don't run the sheild all the time. Only on road trips, so it would be the same with lowers if I had them.

The Memphis mounting brackets are pretty simple. I went one further with them and put a thin piece of rubber strip between fork tube and Memphis clamp. Didn't want metal against metal contact to mar my fork tubes. It also allows the dovetail joint method that the 2 piece clamps use to interlock/align more securely with each other IMO. I'm sure Memphis designed the clamps to fit the widest possible range of make/model forks. The MS fork tube diameter tapers smaller towards the top of the tube, so the top sheild mount clamp is required, "I think", to clamp around a diameter smaller than it was designed to, ideally, or, maybe I'm just picky about how mechanical things fit together. Shimming with the rubber strips increased the clamping diameter closer to ideal, and I was gonna do it anyway, so no big deal.

After the clamps are installed and you have the height adjusted for the sheild where you want it, it's a simple 30 second job to mount/take-off the shield itself. I haven't seen a simpler system.

A few pics of the shield and clamp system:

 

[jukief]

Hmmm. I've been noticing a lot of buffeting and noise since I bought my 1500 Classic. It has a Kawasaki adjustable double-pane windscreen. I wonder whether raising the lower pane a bit and creating more space between the panel and the headlamp would alleviate some of the buffeting I'm experiencing. I hadn't thought of that. I think I'll give it a try. Thanks, Trailryder!

I learn so much from this forum!

 

[Trailryder42]

I think the reason it decreased my buffeting is because the top of the sheild was higher in relation to me and so made the airstream deflection higher, which clears the top of my helmet.

 

[billc5]

Thanks, Trailryder. I think that is a great idea for the tubes. I foung an old Kawi accessory catalog for 2002. I t lists the MS windshield as 15 inches tall by 19 inches wide. I think I'll make a few cardboard templates and with some SO assistance ; to gel a closer idea of the sizing I want. I'm just picky about shields and they aren't exactly inexpensive.