XL700 Windscreen mount - anyone tried one of these?

[Tony M]

Hi, all (and a belated Happy New Year).

Been lurking for a long while - bike hasn't turned a wheel for about three months (did something to my back - managed the same trick last year, too!).

Anyway, I'm hoping to be back on the road shortly, and, casting around for things to improve the beast (spending the Xmas prezzies!), I came across this variable screen mount:

Honda Transalp XL700V Windshield / Screen Adapter on eBay (end time 13-Jan-10 19:58:46 GMT)

which, after a bit more digging, seems to be the same as this:

Honda 700 Transalp

Looks like a good idea to me - and I noted mention of something similar on the Varadero pages - but I'd like to know whether anyone's tried one and, if so, what they thought.

Any views?

Cheers,

[Tony M]

Hmmm - not enough patience (back to work tomorrow).

Decided to go for it on the basis of the website pics - it looks well-made from the close-up here: http://palmerproducts.auto.officeliv...s/transalp.bmp

( Yes, I know - Downright bad manners to ask for views and not wait for them! Not the first time, probably not the last . . . Terrible fellow!)

I'll let you know how it goes.

Cheers,

[StumpyFingers]

I have not tried one, I do not have a 700.
It looks very much like the screen mounts used on the Dullville.

[MandoBear]

Tony,
Looks like a good modification - and one I'd be sorely tempted by, were it not for the fact that I already have the Honda touring screen which came with my bike. I hope it suits your needs very well. Please report back on how you get on with it.

PS. Sorry to hear about your back. Can be absolute agony, as I know from personal experience!

[Tony M]

Thanks for the thoughts.

Quite a few bikes come with adjustable screens - especially the tourers - not sure why the Alp didn't warrant one. All down to cost, I suppose.

I wondered about investing in a taller screen, but they're not cheap and past experience suggests that it's pot luck - could make things better or worse. I ended up "hacking" a fairly expensive after-market screen I put on a BMW K100 some years ago, and never really got the result I wanted. The idea of having different positions available seemed like a better bet - and, in the end, if I don't like the result, I can take the thing off and sell it!

Apparently the screen mount is now in the post - I'll let you know how I get on.

As to my back, I think it was my own fault the first time - too much enthusiasm and not enough suppleness when I changed the back tyre in 2008. Don't know what I did this time, but had the painkillers in the house and it's mostly gone (although I still have a slightly numb left foot).

Just want a nice warm, dry day! (Ho, Ho!)

Take care,

[T ALP]

Hi
That screen brkt. looks the bees knees, wish they made one for the 650 I would try one straight away. Be sure to let us all know what its like on the 700. ------ Chris

[Tony M]

Well, parcel arrived today - which is pretty good, given that I only ordered it Sunday tea-time!

It looks every bit as good in my paws as it does on the website, and seems to come with everything you need to fit it - including two nice-looking chrome combination spanners and two allen keys. Well finished stainless, not a raggy edge in sight - real professional job.

I haven't tried fitting it yet - it's fluffy freezing out there, so it can wait a while! I'll do some piccies as I fit it.

Watch this space!

[Tony M]

Well, it took a while to get round to it, but it's now fitted.

Here's the pics, as promised:

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First impressions, out of the box, are good. Well finished stainless kit, supplied with all the fasteners, the two spanners and two Allen keys you need to fit the kit, and a selection of spare washers and so-on.

Starting from standard:

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Take the screen off (cross-head screwdriver):

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Fit the brackets: These fitted perfectly - no fighting to get the screws in, and the provision of two extra holes solely to allow you to get the Allen key into the two front mounting screws shows a bit of thought for the practicalities of fitting!

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Then refit the original screen - again, no problems. The instructions contain dire warnings about not over-tightening the screen bolts!

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And that's it done! Took about ten minutes, could be done in less (but I wanted to take my time, and was taking the photos).

The range of adjustment seems considerable - the next two pics show the extreme low and high positions (there are nine possible positions altogether):

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From the rider's viewpoint (more or less):

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So, there you have it.

I settled for a "middle-ish" position to start with (had hoped for the weather to improve enough to tempt me out to try it, but it hasn't happened!).

The kit came well packaged and very promptly (he deals on eBay as well as directly, I gather - 'cos mine came via eBay). The kit, in my view, is pretty good - I can't think of anything that would have improved it.

It remains to be seen how it performs on the road, but I can't see why there would be any problems with it. Get's my vote!

All the best,

[Grey alp]

Hi Tony,
I've been longer interested in this type of adjustable screen but wait until someone actually can tell his experience.
So far I have the Honda high screen and have no complaints except when its very warm,then it would be nice to have a shorter screen.
Can you tell me how high this screen is in the highest position?.
My screen is now a few centimetrers below the top of the mirrors.
I saw at your pictures that the higher you set the screen the farther it moves away.
How will that affect the air flow between the screen and the dashboard?. Because if that creates another annoying airflow behind the screen ,i don't know.... ?.

Enjoy

[Tony M]

Hi, Grey alp.

Not sure what it'll be like yet.

The adjustment effectively gives three height positions (by choosing the relevant slots for the front mounting bolts) and three available angles in each of those positions (by choosing the slots for the rear mounting bolts).

The pictures above show the thing in the lowest and most "laid-back" position, and the highest and most "tipped forward" position (the bars were at full lock, I think, when I took them). There's quite a lot of scope for experimentation with position.

At the moment, it's set in the middle position both ways, and the top of the screen is maybe just below the top of the mirrors. By shifting the bottom mounting, it could move up or down by about an inch or so, so it might go to an inch above the mirror tops - probably not as high as your Honda screen. Shifting the top mounting will rock the top back or forwards by an inch or two.

There is, as you note, now quite a gap between the screen and the front of the fairing, which will allow some airflow (and let me clean the back of the screen). This might actually reduce turbulence - although the same firm does a baffle plate to reduce the gap (for a price, of course!).

I can't see it being very different in that respect from a conventional handlebar screen on an unfaired bike, where the thing is entirely open at the bottom. I've had a few of those over the years, and they've generally not been bad, once suitably adjusted.

I'll need to wait and see, I suppose.

Fingers crossed!