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Slip Streamer Spitfire screen

One of the first items I wanted to buy to my Suzuki GSX1400 was a wind screen. Trying to reach top speed without one was a struggle. The air pressure was pushing me backwards on the seat and I felt like I was running against turbulence from a jet engine. I had to use about every muscle I had or should have had.

Several GSX1400 owned told that there's a huge difference when you mount even a small fly screen. I had to get one, too.

My choice was a light tinted medium size screen that is originally designed for custom bikes with wider steer. It can be fitted to a GSX1400 as well but you can't adjust it very much. I bought it just because the small bike shop in Katrineholm had only one screen for sale and I was eager to get one.

The mounting operation took me only about five or ten minutes. All necessary tools (one hexagon key) came with the screen. I mounted the screen outside the shop and after drinking a cup of coffee I started my bike and went for a test ride.

The turbulence and noise was terrible. Even at town speed there was a pumping noise I couldn't bear. I had mounted the screen so that it would look good, covering the meters all the way down and therefor the angle of the screen had been all wrong. It pointed too much upwards. I stopped my bike and made new adjustments. I tilted the screen backwards quite much and tried again. The noise was totally gone!

Now it was fun and easy to ride at higher speeds! At first I didn't notice any difference - the helmet was still unprotected by the screen and the noise was the same as before. But after a while I realized that I was riding much faster and the air pressure didn't bother me at all! On my way to the shop I had pushed my GSX1400 (and me) quite hard and tested how fast it could run after I had passed 2 000 kilometers. Suzuki claims that the engine would deliver all of it's power first after two or three thousand kilometers. I didn't notice any difference, the top speed was still 220 km/h. Up to 200 km/h the bike accelerated like a rocket and after that it had to struggle to gain more speed.

After I mounted the screen I noticed that the top speed had increased! I used the same road I had ridden an hour earlier and there was a huge difference! I enjoyed passing the cars like a rocket and I was smiling, almost laughing. I took a look at the meter and it showed 230 km/h! I didn't feel any air pressure at all and the when there was a "wall" at 200 km/h earlier there was no wall anymore. The acceleration didn't stop until I reached the top speed. Wonderful! No more battling against jet streams, no need to strain my muscles, no more sliding backwards on the saddle! I surely didn't regret paying 550 kr (about 55 EURO or US$) for the piece of plastic and a couple of metal-of-some-sort arms.

There's numerous different screens on the market and now even Suzuki has released a fly screen to GSX1400. I don't know which one is the best and it's impossible to say which one looks the best, it's up to every GSX1400 owner to make up his mind. But if you like the looks of the screen I bought I can recommend it. I don't think it will loosen up and it doesn't seem to vibrate at all - feels like a quality product. I'm very pleased with it so far.

2001-11-23 Jarmo Haapamäki



The images: Windshield, Slip Streamer Spitfire. Never mind the dirt and the water on the bike, I was eager to test my new digital camera and didn't wash the bike before taking the photos. Click at the images to view them in a larger format.



More: Suzuki GSX1400 improvements & modifications

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