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Madstad Shield: Handguard Removal


tracerben

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Has anyone installed a Madstad shield and NOT removed the outer handguards?
The directions say to remove the outer shell of the handguards because they interfere with the shield.  And they do rub against the shield, even when the shield is at the highest position, but only when the handlebars are turned all the way to one side.  I never turn the handlebars that far when I am riding.  I might do that in a parking lot, but I figure I can just be a little more careful.  So I'm thinking of leaving the stock handguards on.
Am I missing something?
I really like the shield.  If I was under 6' I would have got a VStream Sport Tour.  I think that's the only shield that actually looks like it belongs on the bike.  But it isn't quite tall enough.  For someone over 6' who doesn't want a shower door, I say the Madstad is the way to go, primarily because of the widely adjustable bracket.  Anyway, I'm thinking of leaving the handguards alone.  Has anyone else gone that route?
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I have the Madstad and did not remove my hand guards. They barely touch if I push the handle bars all the way to the left or right. Not a problem for riding situations, but in the garage, I have had the screen touch the hand guards. Not enough to do any damage, or even leave a mark on either the screen or the hand guards.
 
For me, it's a non issue!
 
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  • 2 months later...

Something you may not be aware of with the Madstad windscreens is the widths vary. I originally ordered the 22" screen per their sites recommendation for my height(5' 8") and found that while it did a decent job of blocking the wind I was still getting wind noise at my helmet at maximum extension. If I scrunched down in the seat a couple inches it would get quiet.I had removed the outer hand guard covers but they still barely touched the screen at full lock. 

Wanting to get quiet air without hunching over I thought about exchanging it for the 24" screen but I didn't like the looks of the big gap at the bottom with the screen set at the top adjustment. So I ordered the 26" screen. That way in the middle of the adjustment range it would give me 2" more height for quiet air, plus the bottom would be 2" lower to blend with the lines of the bike better.

When it arrived I was surprised to see that not only was it four inches longer, but it was also a couple inches wider. This made the interference with the hand covers even worse. However I was happy with the looks and the wind deflection, I now have a quiet ride without turbulence. Since I commute to work on it when it's not raining the excellent wind coverage is especially welcome when the temperature dips into the 20's!

Since I didn't like the interference with the hand guards I remembered a post Betoney made about using SV650 hand guards. Be forewarned, these do not just bolt right on! Some creative work with hardware and a dremel tool is required. The end result is well worth the effort however! Much better coverage from the wind and about 1 1/2" of clearance from the even wider 26" windscreen . I made some stainless steel handle bar ends to go with them.IMG_20181227_102307.thumb.jpg.0e6131a4d9e71a250740283821e7a339.jpgIMG_20181227_102232.thumb.jpg.9a255fd7855898c1c37f4f37066f3ef2.jpg

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No, I am looking over the top of the screen. Their mount allows a pretty wide range of adjustment between being able to change angle as well as the height. It's a shame you can't try them out before you commit to a particular size, although they are very good about letting you swap for a different size, but the shipping can be a bit expensive.

I am definitely happier with the larger size.

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3 hours ago, new1709rider said:

Since I didn't like the interference with the hand guards I remembered a post Betoney made about using SV650 hand guards. Be forewarned, these do not just bolt right on! Some creative work with hardware and a dremel tool is required. The end result is well worth the effort however! Much better coverage from the wind and about 1 1/2" of clearance from the even wider 26" windscreen . I made some stainless steel handle bar ends to go with them.IMG_20181227_102307.thumb.jpg.0e6131a4d9e71a250740283821e7a339.jpgIMG_20181227_102232.thumb.jpg.9a255fd7855898c1c37f4f37066f3ef2.jpg

@new1709rider - Glad to hear that you like the handguards.  With the additional coverage blocking wind and using the heated grips I have comfortably ridden in temperatures below freezing.

***2015 Candy Red FJ-09***

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