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Installing Madstad windscreen brackets for the FZ9 (MT-09)

33K views 49 replies 15 participants last post by  TimmyTheHog 
#1 · (Edited)
Madstad Engineering
352-608-4069 (Mon. - Fri., 9 am - 5 pm Eastern)
support@madstad.com

I just received the first release of the Madstad brackets with a smoked grey screen for the FZ9. Unfortunately, my seat is being modified, so it will be another week before I can test it out. It appears the bracket will support a broad range of screens if your willing to drill new mounting holes or you can use the screen supplied by Madstad. The Madstad screens have a attractive FZ9 logo on the bottom and the optics are excellent. I will add better pictures next week during my test ride.

Installation takes about 15 minutes for the Madstad bracket. It is very easy to install. You basically remove the four bolts from flat section above the light. Then attach the base plates using the OEM screws, tighten according to specs and then install the supplied screen with T screws.

To attach the shield to the brackets, take one of the T screws and slide a hard rubber washer on it, then slide it through the windshield hole and slide a soft rubber washer on the back side. This will keep the T screw in the windshield hole so that it does not fall out. Repeat for the other three windshield holes, so when you are done you will have a windshield with four T screws sitting in it with a slightly larger harder rubber washer on the outside of the shield, meaning the front side, and for soft rubber washers pushed up on the back. Then you can lay the windshield gently over the brackets and push the four T screws into the four rubber well nuts and screw them in. You may need to do one side first, for example the left side upper and lower T screws, gently get them started then wiggle the windshield over to get the other two T screws started. Once all four are in, then you can finish tightening them up but don't tighten them too hard. Once the screw tip starts protruding through the backside of the rubber well not, you are done tightening.

By the way, make sure the brackets are set evenly before you start attaching the windshield. If one is a little higher or little lower or tilted a little differently than the other one you might have a bit of a tougher time getting the windshield screws in.



Once the shield is attached to the brackets you are ready for a test ride. Tilt the shield approximately the same angle as your forks, and that should put you close to 60°. The top edge of the shield should be around your chin level so raise it up to that point just for starters. All you need to do to allow movement in the brackets is loosen the black knob on each bracket one or two times and that's enough to free them up for both tilting and sliding up and down. Make sure you read tighten them both before you take off. You don't have to over tighten these knobs either, just make them snug and the whole assembly will stay in place.

Once you go for a test ride, try and see where the airflow is going and how it's clearing your head, your arms, and if any airflow is coming up from underneath the forks of the bike. If you want to make a change such as an angle adjustment or a height adjustment, pull over, come to a stop and then change only one of the two parameters. If you change both the height and the angle at the same time and it gets worse, you won't know which of the two caused the problem, so only change one parameter at a time. You have almost six inches of up and down adjustment range and about twenty five degrees of screen rake adjustment too. I am about 5-9' and in the upper most setting of the brackets, the top of the screen comes to just slightly below my chin. For those opting for even more aggressive wind protection can select a larger screen if you are so inclined from Madstad. The screen can be removed quickly for those days in which you want to ride "naked" style.
 

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#49 ·
What kind of sh&$%y comment is that?? Just because someone does something you don't like, doesn't mean you need to denigrate their stuff ... each bike belongs to its owner, and what they do is their own preference. Try to keep it positive or constructive at least...
 
#6 ·
You're probably right, but the screen is designed for maximum wind protection efficiency when touring and using the bike on a windy day. With the upright sitting position, my feeling is there are too many windscreen options that will look good but not work very well on this bike for extended sport-touring use. It is the typical motorcycle trade-off. The brackets will take ALMOST any screen if you drill the holes. You are only limited by your imagination. The screen now actually looks better from a distance with the screen in the lowest setting and an aggressive rake. I always chose function over form, yea I use to ride a fugly Vee-strom.

:rolleyes:
 
#13 ·
If the song "Under Pressure" comes on the radio, I am going to turn it off. ;)

BTW, the screen provided by Mark is 18 inches tall and about 17 inches at the widest portion. I will also bring along during the test ride, a Touratech screen lip extender just to see what happens if the screen is a bit larger. The fit and finish is superb. Mark does an exceptional job at design and manufacturing. On a related note, The New York Times had an article about Mark called Inventor Challenges a Sweeping Revision in Patent Law.

The aftermarket seat is being shipped tomorrow from California. The folks at the aftermarket seat company were smitten with the flu virus and as a result it knocked out their staff for several days.
 
#15 ·
Yes sir! It bolted on quickly and the fitment quality is exceptional. Of course, there will be a debate about the best screen on the bike. Like oil threads, everyone has their bias. The young weekend warrior rider wants a minimalist design, the older guys prefer a taller sport-touring flavor barn door. The Madstad brackets for this reason can support a wide-array of windscreen size configurations.

:cool:
 
#16 ·
First Test
I am 5-9' using an aftermarket seat that raises me about 1 1/2 inches in the seat with full-face helmet.
Screen size: 18 inches tall and about 17 inches wide at the base.

I just did a quick 40 minute test ride in traffic, cruising at around 70 mph going into a 15 MPH headwind at night. The beauty of the Madstad bracket is you have large adjustment range in both the rake of the screen and the height. I found that in today's type of riding, the optimal screen position for me was putting it all the way to the top and tilted as far back as possible. I will include pictures of the screen hopefully this weekend. The Madstad does an excellent job at deflecting the wind and creating turbulence free riding. I will probably opt for a 1 to 2 inch taller screen for long days on the windy highway. But the current set-up is sufficient for more commuting and back road blasting. I rate the screen five thumbs up!

:tears_of_joy:
 
#17 · (Edited)
Second Test

Today I rode over 350 miles on a wide range of conditions and roads. This included going into a 20 mph headwind on the highway, tight back roads and some Texas size dirt roads added to the mix. The Madstad bracket performed very well. The only scenario that needed a taller screen was cruising on the highway into a stiff headwind. I found the Touratech lip extender that adds an extra 5 inches to the screen height to the perfect solution. It may not win any design awards with the extra Touratech lip but it made a dramatic difference in achieving smooth air. For non-highway duty and back road spirited riding, I found the screen worked best raised all the way to the top and tilted back about 50 percent.







 
#18 ·
I did some experiment on my FZ6R and what work the best is the laminar type. Having a 15 degree deflecting spoiler will be enough to make a nice transition zone between the non moving air and the fast speed air. It will reduce the helmet buffing a lot and you won't need a taller screen.

Look is all up to you. But you gonna get to a point where those little plastic parts that are holding the screen to the bike might give up. Those are not hard point... just a little concern for your safety here. Might not be a bad idea of adding some brace on the handlebars to the mid section of the screen.
 
#19 ·
when I mounted my homemade screen I also found that the 4 top of the headlight bolts were not hard points. I used 2, but I also used the side bolts at the rear that screw into the triple tree to be a very strong point with no need for a bar bracket then. Madstad looks like they don't used but the 4 top bolts and I wonder how that tall screen will not pull out eventually. I am no engineer but I know "stout" when I see it.
 
#22 ·
What is that tail bag, it looks great. What that in combo with the new seat. Really how that looks. (can't say the same about the windshield you're going for function and I'm not so it's all good)

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
 
#31 · (Edited)
Russell Day Long. They fully customize the seat based on your inseam, weight, and riding style. It costs around $400 which includes shipping (for the plastic cover, but you can request leather and special embroidery which naturally jacks up the price). They are the best long-distance seats bar none. They have a unique "wings" look that supports the rear like a wide glove. There is also special springs in the foam that supports your body based on your weight. You send in your stock seat, with pictures of you sitting on the bike in different positions. You can expect a two week delay until the seat it returned to you. The new seat will typically raise you 1 to 1 1/2 inches in your sitting position. I really like sitting up a bit taller in the bike, which helps stretch the legs a bit more. The passenger section is also modified since the stock seat is all one piece. I also replaced the front and rear suspension which makes for an excellent, pliant ride.

The interesting thing about Russell Day Long seats is that Bill Mayer (Rick's dad) sold his company Bill Mayer Saddles to Russell. His other son Rocky has the current Bill Mayer Saddles company. His seat is also an excellent excellent alternative and has steep discounts in the winter. Bill Mayer, Sr., father of Rick and Bill, Jr. (Rocky) invented the Day Long Saddle that had a transverse metal spring which supported the wings which made the seat look a little like a tractor seat. He patented the use of the transverse spring, and as far as I can tell that patent is still effective. The patent rights were part of what Bill, Sr. sold to Russell which still sells the Day Long Saddle with a transverse spring.

All bikes I have owned in the past need to be comfy up to around 500 miles per day. The FZ9 is now capable of going the distance, albeit in 125 mile chunks.

:D
 
#25 ·
I don't see the reason for turning this bike into a touring bike. I understand some baggage....but wind protection? It's a naked bike...it has none.

Having said that, the seat and windscreen look very effective in turning this bike into a touring bike...still has a tiny gas tank...do you plan on strapping some jerry cans to the back to improve the looks?
 
#37 · (Edited)
Yes, and they should be available by the end of this week. Thank you!

Best regards,
Mark Stadnyk
MadStad Engineering
(352)608-4069
http://www.madstad.QUOTE=fz9-tx-guy;23630]Excellent point. I talked to Mark at Madstad and he re-designed the bracket bottoms with an upper tab that bends down so that I can run that silver side screw through it to secure it better. He checked the demo FZ9 bike and it totally stops the brackets from bending backward. It actually isn't the brackets bending backward, it was the plastic plate that the brackets bolt to. There's no metal subframe beneath those four frontal screws so it flexes under pressure. Mark is going to send me an updated set of brackets with this new feature when they get some more made and powder coated.

I also sent Mark an idea about making a shorty version windscreen in jet black too. I expect to test those two new offerings soon.[/QUOTE]
I contacted them should be ready by the end of the week
 
#42 ·
fz9-tx-guy, thanks for the Nice info thread. Your setup looks great for traveling. I ordered the production version from Madstad today from Mark. Besides the tall screen I got the fly screen brackets so I can switch off easily between them on the same base. The final version seems to be like your latest base mount. There will be a rod that goes between the pair of brackets that go on the windshield. Hoping for some real comfort at 70mph.
 
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