Posted by George on September 29, 1999 at 06:20:22:
Maybe it's my age, but highway riding was making my neck and shoulders sore from resisting the wind. I decided to get a windscreen. Because I keep my Savage locked in a place with a low ceiling, I knew that I needed a windshield that could be quickly removed and re-installed. After doing some research on the Web, I found such a shield. It is called the Deflector Screen Deluxe (DX), and it is made by National Cycle. The screen uses what National Cycle calls "Quickset" hardware, which allows you to remove and re-attach the shield quickly, and it also features "Rake Adjust" knobs that allow you to change the shield's rake, or angle, without using tools.
The National Cycle Website didn't show prices, so I called them. The list price of the shield was $139 US; much more than I planned to pay. "But here's the number of a dealer who discounts it," said the person at National Cycle. He gave me the telephone number of Competition Accessories (800-543-3535), and I called them. Their price was $79. I ordered the shield from Competition Accessories on August 26. I had a part number from the National Cycle Web site: N2594. The salesman thought I might really need N2584A, but he looked up the Savage and said that N2594 would be correct. He told me that the shield would get to me in about a week. I waited.
On September 9, the package arrived. When I opened it and read the papers, I was concerned: the paper said that the mounting brackets would fit the Suzuki Savage 600. Not a good sign. Opening the bag with the handlebar clamps and straps, I tried a clamp: it was too small, designed for 7/8" handlebars. I packed everything up and went to the post office, where I insured the package, asked for delivery confirmation, and returned the shield with a note asking for N2594A. I waited again. Competition Accessories received that package on 9/11, but the replacement didn't arrive at my house until 9/24. They did credit me a few dollars, which paid for my shipping costs.
So finally, almost a month after placing my order, I installed the windshield. The shield is 15 and 1/2" inches high and 15" wide. It has a universal headlight cutout which is edged in black rubber to protect the headlight shell. The instruction sheet advises you to install the shield so that it is against the headlight, but that causes it to scuff the shell. The mounting hardware fits reasonably well on the Savage's handlebars, but I'm thinking of re-angling my brake line just a bit because the windshield's clamp is pushing on it. Tools are included, but you'll probably need a hair dryer to soften the plastic balls that "pop" into sockets on the shield itself; that "No-Hole Ball Socket(TM)" arrangement is how the shield attaches to the braces that hold it. The tools include two hex wrenches, one of which fits the Savage's oil filter cover (and probably the SuperTrapp, too), so I dropped them into my bike's toolkit after the installation. Installation took about 45 minutes, and then I was ready to tighten things up and take a test ride. As I tightened the handlebar clamp a bit (being careful not to overtighten -- having been warned by the instructions), its plastic strap cracked. Damn! I called National Cycle's customer service line, where a friendly fellow said, "Those things crack all the time, even when you don't tighten them down." He mailed a new one to me; that arrived two days later, on a rainy day. The next day, there was a break in the rain for a while, so I attached the new strap, put the shield on, and rode. After a few miles of riding with it, here are my impressions.
For city riding, I prefer to ride without the windshield; I want to feel the wind, and the shield is a bit of a distraction as well. On the highway, however, the shield is a great help. Although it does create some turbulence that hits me in the face, it deflects the wind pressure that was straining my neck and shoulders, and I can see over it nicely -- that seems safer than looking through it. (This shield comes in clear or smoke, by the way; mine is clear.) And if the turbulence bothers me, I can lean down a bit so that my face is behind the shield. So being able to remove the windshield is a welcome benefit for riding as well as for bike storage. Removing the shield takes about 20 seconds: you just remove two knurled knobs from your handlebars and the shield is off. You then replace the knobs, which remain on the handlebars. Putting it back on takes longer, because you need to line up the shield to get it in the position you prefer. The instructions suggest marking some settings on the hardware with tape. Still, re-installation takes only a minute or two.
On the whole, a good addition to the bike -- so far, anyway.