Wednesday 26 May 2021

MRA X-Screen Windshield Installation on a Kawasaki Concours 14



No regrets aesthetically with this windshield choice and they make a point of talking about how the windshield stops back pressure and noise which means it should work well with my rejuvenated windshield raising motor.

I'm a fan of MRA windshields since one came attached to the Tiger, so the Concours is getting one, but this is my first time doing an installation.  If you're installing an MRA windshield you can expect detailed instructions and all the parts provided in clearly marked bags.


Assembly is straightforward with clearly presented directions and useful diagrams.  It took me about 20 minutes to put it together.  The parts are quality and go together like you'd expect a finely engineered German windshield to.

There is an option to have a simple single pivot or a more adjustable but complex double pivot - I went with more complicated because I'm like that.  The mechanism releases and locks in a wide variety of positions.

I'm curious to see how all the different positions work as I get to know this more complicated MRA windshield.  With the extender set high at the top of the windshield the thing is about as big as the big slab of plastic Kawasaki put on it, except this one is also adjustable to go even higher and at a wide variety of angles.  Set highest it'll be much more effective than the stock windshield.

When it's all the way down the MRA windshield looks almost like a sports windshield and offers a solid windblast to the chest or lots of ventilation on a hot day.

Here is before an after.  You can see how much taller the old stock windshield is:

The old windshield was going opaque with age and was quite pitted and rough.  It also produced an astonishing amount of back pressure at speed which might have had something to do with the motor having problems.  The new windshield is lighter, more aerodynamic, more adjustable, quieter at speed and seems to have no back pressure issues at all.  I took it for a run up and down the river today and I'm very happy with this choice.  Even at lowest setting, when I F-14 swing-wing the windshield up it still provides good wind protection and noise reduction at 100kms/hr.

It looks sharp too...




They used to have a Canadian warehouse but don't any more, though they've worked out a system with Fed-Ex so you don't get any customs headaches or surprise costs when you order (though you do have to order in USD).