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Kawasaki Z300 MRA Double Bubble Screen Review
Review Date - April 2018
By Keith M
So I was looking for screen for my Z300 to take some of the wind blast on motorways. The remit being that it had to do the job and look right. Well after some hunting I came across the MRA Double Bubble screen for just shy of £60, so not cheap. I've come across MRA before so I took the plunge and ordered it. It bolts on with just 4 bolts and really is a ten minute installation.
So does it work? Well - yes better than expected in fact. I'm 5' 8" and I noticed the lack of wind blast off my chest from about 40mph upwards. At 70mph the wind hits me around the top of my shoulders and head but the wind is clean with no buffeting and doesn't get under my helmet and try to lift it off. This makes riding on motorways a lot more relaxing. The other plus point of this is I don't hold onto the bars so tight.
So yeah very impressed, well worth the money in my opinion.
If you'd like to see your review on Bikes And Travels contact ren@bikesandtravels.com
Reader's Comments
Ren - The Ed said :-
Many thanks to Keith for sending me this review. I'm surprised at how effective you're finding it Keith, it doesn't look big enough to make much difference.
10/04/2018 08:38:34 UTC
Henrik said :-
Some are claiming almost unveliveable fuel-savings also, and increase in top-speed, with relatively small screens
While with a medio screen like Puig touring II what I was experiencing on my GS500 was more like just a PITA kinda turbulense added
Don't know what to believe anylonger, I am on the market for a screen also, but confused
Maybe less is more ?
10/04/2018 09:09:10 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
I think the problem with screens is that every rider is different. Rider X says screen Y is absolutely fabulous and brilliant and amazing. Then rider Z says the same screen on the same bike is blooming awful.
Maybe the riders are different heights? Maybe they have different helmets? Maybe they sit differently? And so on and so on.
10/04/2018 09:47:21 UTC
Rod said :-
I agree with Ren. Screens are a personal thing.
On my full dress tourer other riders were fitting a flip up screen to the top of the standard screen. At only 5'4'' (hobbit) I could ride at 100mph with the visor up and always found the screen very good.
10/04/2018 10:18:41 UTC
Keith m said :-
Yeah. I was very surprised at the difference such a small screen could make. If you look at MRA website they talk about the effectiveness of their double bubble screens and as I said in my review it works really well for me.
10/04/2018 19:16:00 UTC
Matty said :-
Arrgh screens - they are the bane of my biking life right now! I have a Yamaha FJR1300 and with the original screen on its lowest setting the wind blast at moderate speed hits my shoulders square on - at 70mph it hits my helmet and ends up really giving my head a bashing - enough to cause a headache. If I raise the screen (the bike has an electric adjust) then the blast reduces but my head still gets buffeted around. I have just mounted a larger touring screen which seems to help - but only then at motorway speeds if I can tuck my head behind it a bit - but then I find myself looking through the screen rather than over it which does nerve me a bit. Maybe less is more and I try a small screen or maybe another helmet? I loathe having to spend money sorting this out without a clue about what might actually be the best solution!
11/04/2018 14:30:32 UTC
Bob said :-
Every faired bike have had has had screen that doesn't work for me.
I'm 6'2" so the problem is that my head is usually in the turbulence.
-There is a still bubble of air behind the screen, if you're small you'll be in there so that's fine.
-Above that is band of turbulence, if you're tall your head will be in that it's horrible.
-Above the turbulence is "clean" air, unaffected by the bike.
I find the only solution for me is a low screen at a very shallow angle. The air slips off the top of the screen and I set the height and angle so that the turbulence is on my shoulders, leaving my head in clean air. This relieves the pressure from the upper body but prevents buffeting of my head.
I do believe the performance increase claims, I added a screen to my KLX250 and it increased the sustainable speed by 5 to 10 MPH into a headwind.
That FJR1300 needs a shorter screen, not a taller one. I had similar on a Versys 650, it was defeaning above 60MPH. I ended up running it with no screen.
12/04/2018 14:06:32 UTC
Henrik said :-
Interesting Bob, I am also a little above 6 feet I guess, (1.83m), and our experiences seem to match, guess I was right when I said "is less is more?".
Like said my GS500 with the medium sized Puig Touring II was a PITA, while my KLE500, with its little "nose" seem to be a bit better than a naked bike
Guess for my new Zuma it will just be a little screen, just abut to cover some tablet-navigation etc ,... then I can make it fancy at the same time :-)
12/04/2018 18:35:34 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
I think the problem with screens is you can't try before you buy! Every rider is different and each model of bike is different. So finding a screen that works with YOUR bike with YOUR size and YOUR personal taste or needs is nigh-on impossible.
You buy a screen, fit it and discover it's not right for your needs. You can't exactly take it back though. There's no manufacturing fault, it's not poor quality, it's just not right for you.
It could be argued you could buy it online, try it then return it using the distance purchase regulations. Thing is by the time you've unpacked it and screwed it all together I think a lot of online retailers would argue that the product was not returned in the same condition it was sent to you.
Hmmmmmm.
I guess the best you can hope for is to have a friend with the same bike and the same screen who's willing to let you test ride. Good luck with that...
13/04/2018 07:54:18 UTC
Ross said :-
Henrik, That's the same screen I've got on my Inazuma and I'm very pleased with it. It takes the wind blast off my chest but doesn't seem to buffet my helmet about but it has changed the 'pitch' of the wind noise around my helmet...not better, not worse just a different noise! For context, I'm 5'8" and a bit (the 'bit' seems important to me! :)) The Puig screen seems one of the most popular screens for the Inazuma and, in my opinion, suits the bike well.
PS If you find yourself in Kent you're welcome to pop round and have a go on my bike! :)
13/04/2018 11:08:36 UTC
Matty said :-
I completely agree Ren with your comments on the hit and miss nature of buying and fitting a screen only to find it doesn't work for you - it can turn out to be an expensive game even if you can go through the rigmarole of selling a screen on. For my FJR1300 I am thinking of going to a sports screen - eg smaller than the original and seeing if that helps my cause. Maybe if I have a ride with no screen at all to have a sort of baseline from which to compare. I also wonder if it is possible to mock up a rough screen or two with some sort of plastic and do a bit of trial and error to see the difference - using that to home in on a size that suits before buying?! Now what havelse I got that I could use...
13/04/2018 12:33:37 UTC
Rod said :-
I believe that Ren is the expert at economy engineering, but a 25ltr plastic container would be a good starting point.
13/04/2018 14:06:06 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
There is a problem with creating an experiment to fit to your bike. You spend an hour or two sourcing the suitable materials. You spend another couple of hours making the first draft and fitting it. You spend another couple of days cutting, altering, adjusting then scrapping and restarting the project. Eventually you fall upon the perfect design.
Then...then you don't want to remove the scruffy hack-job construction you've created because it works so delightfully well. Then...then you realise that you're riding a motorcycle with an old piece of plastic barrel bolted to the front of your motorcycle. Then...then you realise despite your friends' disapproval you no longer care.
Welcome to my world.
13/04/2018 21:11:00 UTC
Henrik said :-
Ross:
Thanks a lot for usefull feed-back, I have now decided to go for THAT model
Thanks also for your kindness, but not likely I will be in Kent anytime soon. I live in DK and SE, and touring totally dedicated to Norway, what this year maybe will be real both on the Zuma, and Car-trip,..
Be welcome here in DK/SE as well ;-)
14/04/2018 00:51:56 UTC
Matty said :-
Hmm so I think that I have taken the easy route with my bike! I took the screen off completely and went for a run yesterday. First things first - the bike looked rather silly without a screen - but an fjr was never meant to be naked. At town speeds it felt alright - breezy but not bad. Doing 70 on the motorway however was a gym workout. The fairing I guess was acting like a mini screen anyway but it seemed all I could do just to hang onto the bike - my head and more than I had imagined my arms were being battered about. Funny thing is that on my old scooter with just a flyscreen I could do around 70mph with none of the issues. It just goes to show how individual the bike, rider position and speed affect things. Once back at home I put the original screen back on and tested that - on its lowest setting I am a happy bunny - it provides good body protection and my head is just above the wind flow. I guess my experiment has shown that things weren't so bad as I thought originally. Now I have a tall screen to sell on - but at least I don't need to buy anything further!
16/04/2018 20:30:08 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
I'm glad it's all panned out nicely for you Matty.
Maybe I could set up a business where you can hire a screen from me for a few days. That way you could try several screens over a few weeks to find the one that works best for you and your bike.
Hmmmmm. I can't see this being a get rich quick scheme...
17/04/2018 09:56:36 UTC
said :-
16/06/2023 17:33:06 UTC
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