What up forum!

I have been debating on getting a double bubble because the wind consistently hits me in the neck/upper chest area (I am 5'10"). Zero gravity is most likely the brand of choice because I have heard of cheap eBay screens breaking at highway speeds.

I had a concern though because I do tuck down on the highway so the wind isn't destroying my face. Can you see through a dark smoked screen? Light smoked doesn't really appeal to me. Does it even matter since getting the double bubble will potentially redirect the air over my head?

What are your experiences with a double bubble? If you have a picture, post it also so I have an idea of what it looks like.

 

I have a dark-smoke standard windscreen on my CBR. I know the feeling of wind impact on those long commutes/interstate rides. While the screen looks great, it doesn't do much for wind deflection. You can tuck far enough to get the benefit but you're really tucked low for that...& it will wear you down. I guess I've ridden w/ it that way for so long, I'm just used to it. And, no, you can't really see thru it - not clearly...unless you are going directly into the sun...even then, its negligible.

I also have a bike w/a Puig DB dark-smoke windscreen. Its much more comfortable wind deflection-wise on interstate/freeway rides...much less tucking involved, which does make it a little more comfortable. And, in the long-run, it keeps your more relaxed & less stressed from all the wind impact. Seeing over the DB isn't an issue. Here's a pic of the Puig...

 

zero gravity touring would be nice for you, or if u dont like the look the DB would be best of both worlds, but if youre going to tuck or record vids from that angle, get clear.

 

I have a DB Chinese one on mine I got with my fairings and painted it black and even when I tuck I still look over top of it.
Unless your doing track days you would rarely be tucked so much that you need to look through it without looking like an idiot on the highway in a chin on the gas tank full tuck doing 65mph.

 

Are you aware of the problem with DB screens burning/melting the instrument display? It has to do with sunlight reflecting off the BACK of the screen onto the display if you park your bike facing north on a bright sunny day.

There is a warning disclaimer about this included in the box when you buy a ZG screen.

 

I've had a DB on my bike for a good while now and I find it redirects air pretty good. I like to alternate between a partial tuck and a full tuck so personally I need my screen to be clear. I find that at a full tuck there is basically 0 turbulence so the air is completely redirected over. In a 3/4 tuck all of the air goes over my shoulders and it still flows around and a bit over the helmet smoothly. 1/2 tuck hits the helmet a bit but if you have a helmet w/ good aero's, it's not a problem. Regardless in all 3 positions there is much less air hitting my shoulders than the stock screen. I'm 5'10/11 BTW.

Regarding the tint, personally I like to do a full tuck when on the highway at speed/during rain/at night, or all three. A dark tinted shield would not allow me to do those unless I was looking over the top (which is okay for some people).

Mine came from ebay but was a two tone (black on outside, clear in middle) from some UK company, in case you're wondering. Also the issue with sunlight burning your gauges is from low light conditions where the sunlight is reflecting from under the bubble (from behind) and onto your gauges for extended periods of time.

 

My first 'see what it can do' blast, I reached 159mph.
Double bubble doesn't do everything, I still had to get as low as possible and it was still pushing the top of my helmet. Light tint screen came in handy, you don't want dark at those speeds unless ur looking clean over the top of the screen. Which kinda defeats the point. Sure a dark screen will be fine at lower speeds, say upto about 100mph maybe.

 

Awesome, this is the kind of information I am looking for!

I was always told that tucking on the highway with your chin resting on your left hand with your hand on the tank is the most comfortable. With the double bubble, maybe I won't need to? Half-tuck or something?

heh. Who would do such a thing...

Nope. The more you know now though!

I need to work on using my legs more to stabilize myself on the bike, that 3/4 tuck sounds great though! That windscreen sounds pretty sweet, I bet it looks unique too!

I was talking to another guy the other day with a dark smoke double bubble on his R1. And he put it in a funny way: "As riders we like the form over the function." I don't think I am going to be doing high speed things, so gotta have the bike look good, right?

 

Hey guys I need a new windscreen, smoked or dark I don't care because I wont be looking through it... what I'm concerned with is reliability... I'm a new rider and I would hate for my windscreen to break while i'm riding on the highway, or start cracking from the sun (I live in Miami) give me some advice as far as reliable name brands are concerned...

 

Here's an email I received from Zero Gravity about this problem:

Dear Jeff,
The problem you've identified regarding burning of the instrument panels of certain bikes seems to be valid. Apparently it has to do with the parabolic shape of the Double Bubble or Double Bubble clones (Double Bubble is a registered trademark of Zero Gravity Corporation). It happens when the sun is at a particularly low angle and the bike is faced away from the sun so that the sunlight reflects on the underside of the screen. In just the right circumstances the sunlight is concentrated at the focus of the parabolic shape of the Double Bubble, and if it reflects onto a part made of plastic that has a low melting temperature, then a burn occurs. It's a very unusual situation but can occur. We tell customers to simply stuff a rolled up towel or piece of clothing under the screen if the bike is going to be parked in the sun for a period of time. Parking the bike so it faces the sun also appears to help.


Hope that helps.

Glenn Cook
Zero Gravity Corporation
912 Pancho Rd
Camarillo, CA 93012