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Message started by saintlouissavage on 10/03/08 at 07:00:03

Title: National Flyshield reviews?
Post by saintlouissavage on 10/03/08 at 07:00:03

I'm interested in the National Flyshield for my '95 Savage. I like the low-profile look, but am curious about the function. Anyone got a detailed review they'd like to share? Please include your height so I can figure out where the wind will hit me and let me know how it works on the highway. Thanks!

Sam

Title: Re: National Flyshield reviews?
Post by verslagen1 on 10/03/08 at 07:27:01

Just got one. 6' wind hits me about 6" below the chin. Great at anything below 65, the workout begins at 70. ;D

Title: Re: National Flyshield reviews?
Post by thumperclone on 10/03/08 at 15:01:50

got mine with new bike in 06..ok round town, hwy and long trip have we wihin for more protection..im 5'10", have 1" set backs on bars and a drivers backrest cant get in the envelope w/o kiss the gas tank...
looks great, is in scale to the size of the savage..

Title: Re: National Flyshield reviews?
Post by Paladin. on 10/03/08 at 17:24:35

I'm 5'8" - 5'9", 5'10"+ in my boots.

My first purchase for my Savage was a National Cycle Flyscreen.

Wondered how Thumper and I would do on longer trips, so one Friday I get off work, go home, take a nap, get up, eat, hop on the Bike about 9 pm. Ride the 130+ miles to Joshua Tree, CA, hang around for a while in case anyone wanted to join me. Midnight, head south 60 miles across Joshua Tree National Park under the light of the Full Moon, back on I-10 west to find gas and a Denny's for an early breakfast, back on I-10 and on home to complete a 350 mile ride through the night.

Most of the ride the Flyscreen kept the wind pressure off the body so I could comfortably cruise at 65-75 mph on the Interstate. Most.... I-10, out between Beaumount and Indio, gets this WIND, a regular thing every morning, 30 mph or so blowing east. With me riding west. 90-100 mph wind calls for a bit more than the Flyscreen. Sitting up, anything over 50 was rough -- so I hunkered down behind the Flyscreen playing Cafe Racer. The stock Buckhorns are not Cafe style clip-ons and the hunkered down position, while comfortable with the wind, was killing my shoulders as the bars were entirely wrong. When I got pass the wind I ran into pea-soup fog. Didn't get home 'til 7 am. But I learned two things -- I need a bigger screen to go touring, and I don't get tired riding! That last surprised me.

Did the same trip later, with a National Cycle Street Shield, and it did suffice.

With the Flyscreen the wind pressure is lessened so that high speed riding is not a matter of the wind trying to push you off the saddle. Wind hits about shouder high.

With the Street Shield I can ride without additional eye protection, the wind hitting just about at the hairline. ('Cept that one time in NM where the crosswind was so stiff that my pocket of still air was over a foot to the side.)

Title: Re: National Flyshield reviews?
Post by thumperclone on 10/03/08 at 19:31:07

after readin paladins post..I must edit my previous post. here in colorado no helmet laws but MUST have eye protection...trip earlier this year to farmington(220 m)
made me decide what santa(luv my wifey!)is gettin me for xmas....
bigger shield!!!! ;)

Title: Re: National Flyshield reviews?
Post by saintlouissavage on 10/04/08 at 15:11:11

Thanks for all the review, guys. I appreciate it! It looks like the Flyshield is going on my "Please?" list.

Title: Re: National Flyshield reviews?
Post by Oldfeller on 10/05/08 at 01:35:49

Cheap advice -- the flyshield isn't enough, get a street shield as an absolute minimum (you may need more).

Street shield is barely barely enough to deflect wind over the top of your helmet (IF you raise the bottom of it 4" above your headlight which looks sorta strange).

You are going to put the top of the shield right about where your eyes normally focus on the road to get the wind to go over your head.

If you aren't going to deflect the wind over your head and past your shoulders, then why are you bothering with a windshield at all?

Less than that just concentrates a band of nasty breeze to blast somewhere on your body and that can be worse than no windshield at all ....

Title: Re: National Flyshield reviews?
Post by bill67 on 10/05/08 at 03:28:29

The bigger the better,I don't like head buffing,much more relaxed riding

Title: Re: National Flyshield reviews?
Post by Paladin. on 10/05/08 at 05:55:02

5E7D7577747D7D7463110 wrote:

Cheap advice -- the flyshield isn't enough...
Street shield is barely barely enough to...

You run with either? I do. What you use for a windshield depends on what wind you wish to shield from.

Riding at 65mph+ with no windshield there is considerable wind pressure on an upright body, enough that you either (heaven forbid!) lean into the wind or hang onto the handlebars. The Flyshield deflects enough of this wind from the body that you no longer have to work to stay sitting on the bike. Any increase in wind outside the blocked area is minimal. Flyshield or nothing, you get up past 60 mph and you'll be wanting goggles.

I have thousands of high speed miles with the Street Shield. The shield was mounted only about 2" above the light, space filled with my raincoat, top of shield about nose high, wind was ruffling the hair but out of my eyes.

5E7D7577747D7D7463110 wrote:

If you aren't going to deflect the wind over your head and past your shoulders, then why are you bothering with a windshield at all? ....

Contrawise, if you ARE going to going to deflect the wind over your head and past your shoulders, then why are you bothering with a motorcycle at all?

Title: Re: National Flyshield reviews?
Post by bill67 on 10/05/08 at 06:22:32

On that one you would have to ask a gold wing rider why he rides a motorcycle

Title: Re: National Flyshield reviews?
Post by Oldfeller on 10/06/08 at 03:18:09

Paladin, I run a street shield on my XV535. It is adjusted to have the wind blast clear my shoulders and my head. It is raised 4" over the headlight so it can do that.

If you like a concentrated wind blast hitting you in the neck and face, then set the silly thing up just like the manufacturer intended, mounted right over the headlight. Mine sticks up in the air a good bit more than that, but it works (airblast clears helmet and shoulders) and does its job keeping the bugs off.

Me, if I am going to have a windshield at all, I want to be able to ride behind it in the summer time wearing a shortie helmet without the windshield causing a band of air blast that tries to rip my head off.

Personally, I would rather NOT HAVE A WINDSHIELD AT ALL than have one that was 1) too small or 2) adjusted improperly.

But that's just me. And it really doesn't have anything to do with you, nor did any of my prior comments. Sorry you took it personally.

Title: Re: National Flyshield reviews?
Post by Paladin. on 10/06/08 at 06:05:46

Nothing was taken personal, 'twas just that you made it sound like the smaller shields were absolutley useless, and they're not.

This wind blocking thing is very much a personal preference -- anything from nothing to a full fairing with lowers. The 535 Virago is not a 650 Savage, and very small variations in design and size and position and rake make huge differences with windshields, as does your size and how you sit on the bike.

Then you get into what is excessive wind buffetting; what one finds excessive another may find to be completely acceptable. Even for the same person, what is acceptable will vary as to what they are doing; hence National Cycle's Switchblades -- four quickchange windscreens for a single mounting.

SaintLouisSavage liked the look of the Flyscreen, as do I, and was curious as to whether or not it actually had ANY function. It does. The Flyscreen is OBVIOUSLY not going to do much to keep the wind off your face. But it is a functional windscreen in that it does reduce the wind pressure on the body. You get the wind in the face / bugs in the teeth ride of no windscreen without the wind pushing you off the bike at high speeds.

Title: Re: National Flyshield reviews?
Post by saintlouissavage on 10/06/08 at 08:16:13

Paladin, your advice is most appreciated. I usually ride with a full-face shield on my helmet anyway so I really don't mind if the wind hits me in the face (although I'm short enough to where it may go over my head). I really was looking for something to take some of the wind pressure off my chest and it sounds like the flyshield will do it. Thanks again!