Bandit Alley
GENERAL MOTORCYCLE FORUMS => PRODUCT REVIEWS => Topic started by: H2RICK on August 24, 2006, 11:57:19 AM
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Well, the stock screen on my 06 B12S just does NOT make the grade, since I'm 6 feet tall. I was getting ready for my annual trip to the interior of British Columbia and realized I needed something/anything to eliminate a lot of the windblast at highway speeds....or I'd be worn out after the first day. Sooooo, a buddy of mine suggested the Lip since Givi doesn't have a touring screen available for the 06 models yet......and Zero Gravity and LP probably never will offer one since the the 06 B12S is not sold in the good old USA.
I contacted Laminar and ordered one up and it arrived promptly even via snail mail parcel post. Great service and great price.
Unfortunately, I'm TOO TALL to get the full benefits from the screen. If I was 5'8" or shorter it'd be just great. However it DOES deflect about (subjectively) half the wind so is not a total loss.
I think with a Givi touring screen AND the Lip mounted on top of that, I'll have as good a setup as I can get, given that the Bandit was not really designed as a long distance bike, which I knew going in. More on this later after I get my mitts on a Givi screen....if they decide to make one.
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I was going to get a taller windscreen until I purchased a tank bag. I discovered quite unexpectadly that if I laid my chest on the bag and looked over the stock screen I was very comfortable. I'm 6'2".
I ride 50 miles a day to work and back and go on 200 miles rides and don't feel the need for the taller screen anymore.
You might want to try it.
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Lucas:
Thanks for the suggestion but I've already tried that out. Two things cause problems with this idea: the stock bars are too high for comfort in that position and I carry my digicam and a bunch of other can't-be-crushed items in my tank bag. Admittedly my tank bag is smaller/lower ("single story" non-expandable) than a lot of bags out there but it does the job for me.
Clipons and removal of the non-crushable items from my tank bag will be a "last resort" thing if I can't get the Givi screen. I looked at MRA's screens but they don't look to be tall enough.....and the postage from Europe is incredibly expensive because the screen is light but bulky....the very things postal services love to bend you over for.
The search continues....
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huh, guess I never really thought of a lip on the ws. I'm 6'3 and to avoid fatigue I just scoot my ass back a tad and put more pressure on the handlebars to counteract the wind. doesn't work with a passenger though.
Is it possible to provide a pic of it mounted on your bike? :thanks:
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Try SECDEM at dynamohumm.com
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H2RICK: Have you heard about clarysports.com in quebec? They have a touring windshield for the 2006's for $170 plus tax.
(http://www.secdem.fr/CATALOGUE/sommaire_SUZUKI/650_BANDIT/650_BANDIT_haute_protection/W650banditHP.jpg)
I've heard it's about 4 inches higher than standard so I'm not sure if that would make enough of a difference for tall guys like us or not. Good luck.
Jim
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Well, the stock screen on my 06 B12S just does NOT make the grade, since I'm 6 feet tall.
I am 6'1" with a naked Bandit. All I have is a small fly screen and it worked for my 2800 mile trip last year. I had more problems holding the throttle and my butt getting sore than dealing with the wind.
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I've got a laminar lip on my 2002 B12. I'm 6 ft tall, so it moved the wind from upper chest to just about the middle of my faceshield. The thing I liked best was easy install - 4 velcro tabs. I've had no problem with it ever coming off, and in the summer you can just pop it off to get more wind when its hot out.
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and in the summer you can just pop it off to get more wind when its hot out.
How hot does it get in Maine?
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In the peak of summer we can be in the 90s (fahrenheit ) and maybe a few 100 degree days. I think this summer we hit 103 once.
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WoW! Didn't know that it got that hot up there! :shock:
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It even gets that hot in Alaska & Yukon in the summer. Not every day, but they do get hot weather.
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Thanks for all the input guys.....especially jbrough7. I've not heard of those guys and the price is not too bad so may give it a try. I still haven't heard back from the Givi folks yet so that MAY be a solution too.
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Well, the stock screen on my 06 B12S just does NOT make the grade, since I'm 6 feet tall. I was getting ready for my annual trip to the interior of British Columbia and realized I needed something/anything to eliminate a lot of the windblast at highway speeds....or I'd be worn out after the first day. Sooooo, a buddy of mine suggested the Lip since Givi doesn't have a touring screen available for the 06 models yet......and Zero Gravity and LP probably never will offer one since the the 06 B12S is not sold in the good old USA.
I contacted Laminar and ordered one up and it arrived promptly even via snail mail parcel post. Great service and great price.
Unfortunately, I'm TOO TALL to get the full benefits from the screen. If I was 5'8" or shorter it'd be just great. However it DOES deflect about (subjectively) half the wind so is not a total loss.
I think with a Givi touring screen AND the Lip mounted on top of that, I'll have as good a setup as I can get, given that the Bandit was not really designed as a long distance bike, which I knew going in. More on this later after I get my mitts on a Givi screen....if they decide to make one.
Feh! Quit suffering and get a Plexifairing. I'm over 6'-2" and had the same problem until I got one of these things. Mine is called the "Silhouette", is 26" tall over the headlight and mounts to the handlebars. I picked it up in a used-parts store, so it was prolly old when I bought it, unused, for $75 clams. It also has 'wings' that keep yer hands warm, and extends well downward to keep your upper legs warm too. J.C. Whitney has something similar for about $140, but I don't know if they have the 26" upward reach. It was perfectly stable at over 135 mph (and accelerating) as well.
Herb