SuzukiSavage.com - without a shield

sunny

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without a shield
10/28/04 at 13:32:06

have any of you tried riding sans windshield?

so, the story:
i took a spill in the rain at an intersection on some trolley tracks last friday evening. the windshield is reparable with j-b-weld, but i am not sure i want to go through all the effort. the bracket (not the one i fixed last time) busted.
i wear a full face helmet while riding and of course i see lots of riders without shields as well as many with.

is this just a personal preference as to where you want your dead bugs?

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flatblack rat - 97

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Savage_Rob

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Re: without a shield
Reply #1 - 10/28/04 at 13:56:31

I never rode with one until I got my Savage a few months ago and never knew the difference until then. I notice two main advantages. First is on wet roads - you get less crap all over you. Second is on longer rides - you get less stress from the wind. For those two reasons, I leave mine on. Otherwise, I think the bike always looks better without it.

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Susan

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Re: without a shield
Reply #2 - 10/28/04 at 14:21:38

sunny wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:10:

have any of you tried riding sans windshield?

I do both depending on the trip and my mood. I find that the windshield makes longer trips and trips on the freeway more enjoyable. I get less tired and the bike feels more stable at high speeds with the windshield on. I think the bike looks sleeker without it though.

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Susan
Eastern PA
2004 Purple Savage

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sluggo Serious Thumper ModSquad Offline big singles lead, twins follow the pack Posts: 4744 moses lake washington Gender:	Re: without a shield Reply #3 - 10/28/04 at 15:17:55 never had one never will...... i like the chopper look bare bones tough lookin riding machine.. in all my years i've done over 150,000 miles on several machines. my neck is up to the task. crud well it washes off. i split my time between a open face and full face. just depends on my mood and riding conditions.
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Paladin. Serious Thumper Offline Hamster Posts: 4929 Sunny Southern California Gender:	Re: without a shield Reply #4 - 10/28/04 at 17:41:34 As a compromise I got a flyscreen http://savage.andruschak.net/Flyscreen1.jpg -- absolute minimum shielding, but it does stop the full force of the wind trying to push you off the bike.
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Savage_Greg

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Re: without a shield
Reply #5 - 10/29/04 at 04:35:51

sunny wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:10:

have any of you tried riding sans windshield?

so, the story:
i took a spill in the rain at an intersection on some trolley tracks last friday evening. the windshield is reparable with j-b-weld, but i am not sure i want to go through all the effort. the bracket (not the one i fixed last time) busted.
i wear a full face helmet while riding and of course i see lots of riders without shields as well as many with.

is this just a personal preference as to where you want your dead bugs?

Love that question....

Yes, it is personal preference. I have ridden both ways, but I prefer bugs, small rocks, and cows peeing out of the back of a trailer (yep, been there) to hit a windshield and not my face.

Besides, it does reduce stress on the arms, neck and back and gives you a little wet protection.

Another real stress reliever is not falling down. Since you weren't physically hurt (seems like), you must not have been going very fast. If you like the benefits of a windshield, the real solution is keeping the "rubber side down". But you know that. Glad that you weren't hurt.

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Tony Full Member 2004 No Login Offline Posts: 102 Saugerties, NY Gender:	Re: without a shield Reply #6 - 10/29/04 at 04:38:00 I like with the looks without the big screens but the wind does do a number on you in colder weather. I like the looks of your fly screen. I think this is the answer. What make and model is that?
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Daemon

Ex Member

Re: without a shield
Reply #7 - 10/29/04 at 05:42:17

Huge difference in riding with & without shields. Personal preference but I prefer having one when taking freeway trips to reduce fatigue. I ride open-faced and like having the shield there to deflect the wind, rocks, bugs, and everything else that I don't like getting smacked with.

Full-faced takes care of that, but doesn't help with the stress points in freeway riding like a shield does.

Around town, I like to ride without one...

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sunny

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Re: without a shield
Reply #8 - 10/29/04 at 09:32:44

the full tale: at the intersection of pearl and mckinney there are trolley tracks down the center of mckinney. one set in the left hand lane going one way and the other set in the left hand lane going the other way.

i was on mckinney, stopped in the middle of the intersection to make a left hand turn onto pearl.
it is always slicker there than other intersections. the concrete itself is just plain slick in dry weather. my boots slip sometimes... and it was raining. i was trying to get out into the country before the major storm approaching hit.
well, went from a full stop to just enough to try to get me over the tracks and whoosh, the rear end decided to spin around to my right.
landed me and the bike on our left side facing the way we had just been coming from.
to the city rush hour folks credit, no one honked or even tried to move through what must have been two light changes as i and the guy in the car that had been behind me righted my bike(it was so slick i could hardly stand, zero traction) and moved me out of the road.

i called my boss who told me to come back to the office and he and some other guys from the office put my bike in the back of his truck for a ride home.

just two big bruises and lumps on my left leg, one on the knee and one on the shin. hurt pride, of course. slightly bent clutch lever and the windsheild popped off on the right side.

the moral of this story?
trolley tracks+rain = VERY VERY BAD JUJU.

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flatblack rat - 97

sun_rat

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Savage_Rob Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Mechanically Inclined Amateur Posts: 6972 Texas (Dallas area) Gender:	Re: without a shield Reply #9 - 10/29/04 at 09:51:48 Glad you're okay. Yeah, I personally hate those inlaid brick crosswalks that seem to have become popular recently (and older brick streets to). They are really slick in wet weather too.
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Savage_Greg

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Re: without a shield
Reply #10 - 10/29/04 at 09:54:12

sunny wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:10:

the full tale: at the intersection of pearl and mckinney there are trolley tracks down the center of mckinney. one set in the left hand lane going one way and the other set in the left hand lane going the other way.

i was on mckinney, stopped in the middle of the intersection to make a left hand turn onto pearl.
it is always slicker there than other intersections. the concrete itself is just plain slick in dry weather. my boots slip sometimes... and it was raining. i was trying to get out into the country before the major storm approaching hit.
well, went from a full stop to just enough to try to get me over the tracks and whoosh, the rear end decided to spin around to my right.
landed me and the bike on our left side facing the way we had just been coming from.
to the city rush hour folks credit, no one honked or even tried to move through what must have been two light changes as i and the guy in the car that had been behind me righted my bike(it was so slick i could hardly stand, zero traction) and moved me out of the road.

i called my boss who told me to come back to the office and he and some other guys from the office put my bike in the back of his truck for a ride home.

just two big bruises and lumps on my left leg, one on the knee and one on the shin. hurt pride, of course. slightly bent clutch lever and the windsheild popped off on the right side.

the moral of this story?
trolley tracks+rain = VERY VERY BAD JUJU.

Sounds like some road work needed there. Are the tracks still in use?

I was just going on with you. Glad that you weren't hurt more than bruises to yourself and pride with just minor damage to to the bike. Be careful when straightening that lever....they can break easily.

After all, I am the only one that I know that could be teaching someone else how to ride, and when going for a real demo in the art of leaning and passing, suddenly take a spill in a bunch of leaves right in front of them. Just ask my spouse Shocked

Now, what I did after that was to go straight to a bar, have a cold one, and then go home. So get back on that horse and ride....and buy a new shield, too.

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Paladin.

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Re: without a shield
Reply #11 - 10/29/04 at 13:45:10

Tony wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:10:

I like with the looks without the big screens but the wind does do a number on you in colder weather. I like the looks of your fly screen. I think this is the answer. What make and model is that?

Got it off eBay, the seller claimed it was USED "NATIONAL CYCLE" FLYSCREEN LS MFG. # N-2530. It has "National Cycle" in the chrome. Arrived in a plain blown box, padded with newspaper, no instructions, but with all the pieces. Fork clamps a tad oversized, fixed with a 1"x2" piece of bicycle innertube.

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sluggo Serious Thumper ModSquad Offline big singles lead, twins follow the pack Posts: 4744 moses lake washington Gender:	Re: without a shield Reply #12 - 10/29/04 at 15:53:26 how can you tell if a savage rider is happy? COUNT THE BUGS IN HIS/HER TEETH.
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sunny Senior Member 2004 No Login Offline rock this town Posts: 293 d/fw texas Gender:	Re: without a shield Reply #13 - 11/05/04 at 08:26:30 well, i rode into work today without the shield. it was chillier, but the wind was a more constant force instead of intermittant. there wasn't any vibration at all, which was strange. and the bike seemed smaller. i think if i replace the shield it won't be a handlebar mounted one and i think i'll choose one a bit bigger.
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Sgt_Mike Ex Member	Re: without a shield Reply #14 - 11/05/04 at 10:45:58 The FlyScreen w/shield is available at at National Cycle. www.nationalcycle.com Alot of neat stuff on there. PS. The FlyScreen is on sale for $29.00 Clic on the yellow bar to see it.
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