Triumphrat

Sned · 10-12-2009, 12:19 PM

I have had the Triumph winter and summer screens on my 95Tbird since it was new. They are the ones that mount with four screws to brackets on the forks and two extended chrome brackets about mid shield. I haven't used the winter screen much since I tend to leave the bike in the garage when it is cold enough to make it practical. However I had an opportunity to take a ride up through central Illinois last week on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. It was a beautiful clear day with the leaves changing, but it was just in the high fifties, so I slapped on the winter screen and headed north. It was indeed a beautiful day to ride, up through the country on smooth dry county roads, no traffic with harvest aroma in the air, etc. I came up on a little convoy held up behind a combine creeping along about 20MPH, the car directly behind the combine was apparently afraid to pass, the other two were waiting for him, so of course, I blasted by the whole mess. Here is the rub, as I came into the clear and pulled back into the right lane, I glanced down and realized that I was running over 90MPH. Then I started thinking about all of that plastic pushing the air aside with two little brackets held by two small screws and begun get worried.

Anyone know what speed these shields were rated for? Has anyone ever had experience with one failing? Neither one of mine has ever even had a small crack or any evidence of strain. Am I worrying over nothing?

GeoffE · 10-12-2009, 01:07 PM

Hi,

Like you I have both the summer and winter screens for my '95 Thunderbird.

There is no speed rating seen on the instructions (see http://www.triumphrat.net/hinckley-c...reen-help.html), and so I have always assumed they are both strong enough for whatever speed.....

Certainly I have ridden frequently with both at speed, and with the fixings & screens looking very strong, I have never given this a thought. The limitation is usually any side wind, as the winter screen tends to be "a bit of a sail".

There is no sign of any fatigue, so I will carry on not worrying....

Sleep well,
Geoff

ps. Ha, ha, please note the second page has the usual warning - to be fitted by a trained technician of an authorised Triumph dealer!!!!!

Sned · 10-12-2009, 04:18 PM

Hey Geoff,

Thanks for the peek at the instructions. I don't think I ever had those, I bought the bike new from a dealer. They installed one of the shields and gave me the other in a box. I may have had the instructions at one time, but that has been almost 15 years ago, there is a lot of water under the bridge since then. Like you, I never even worried about speed with the winter shield, but that winter shield really sticks up in the breeze giving me some second thoughts. Since the instructions have no caveats I agree, we should be OK if no one has experienced any problems. I would think by now, as many of the shields that are out there and as many miles we have collectively under our seats, if there was a problem it would have surfaced.

btw, my 95 is the same color as your avatar. The black cherry and creme were relatively rare and are still my favorite. I also had a 96 Sprint. Mine was British Racing Green. I stuffed it through a four strand barb wire fence on a declining radius turn playing games with a Ducati 916 on a black summer night. I am jealous of the BSA Rocket III, I always wanted one and never was lucky enough to come across one that I thought I could afford. I had a half dozen Tridents, in fact I had a 74 that was the same color as the TBird. It was kind of neat seeing the two sitting side by side in the shop, the original and the retro. I kind of lost interest in the older bikes and 13 of them were cluttering up my shop, I sold the lot last year to a collector.

Thanks again,

Ted

buckoz · 10-12-2009, 04:33 PM

got a winter screen on the legend had it up to 180 kph thats about 105mph but fuel consumption goes out the door trying to push that plastic threw the air it still seemed solid as a rock at that speed
use to have a 69 trident all original with ray guns etc beautiful bike cant keep em all
cheers buck

Sned · 10-12-2009, 04:40 PM

[QUOTE=Sned;1394826]
Like you, I never even worried about speed with the summer shield, but that winter shield really sticks up in the breeze giving me some second thoughts.

Should have been - damn computer!

Blackhead · 10-14-2009, 01:00 AM

Out of curiosity, how much taller is the winter screen than the summer screen. Also, does the winter screen completely block the wind such that your helmet is in calm air?

Thanks in advance

Bob

GeoffE · 10-14-2009, 07:49 AM

Hi Bob,

The winter screen is approx 6" taller. My experience (I'm 6' 2") is that in an upright sitting position the wind is moved from hitting your chest with the summer screen, to hitting your helmet.

I don't know if this is Ted's experience too?

Basically your sight is still over the top of the screen.

Geoff

Sned · 10-14-2009, 11:46 AM

I am 5' 10" and the winter screen lifts the slipstream clear over my helmet. I find the winter screen very comfortable in cold weather and somehow it even tends to channel some of the warm air from the radiator up around my torso. I always find that surprising since the summer screen with much the same shape does not. I have to give Triumph an "atta boy" on the shield designs, they look good and do their job.

RickN · 10-14-2009, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sned

I am 5' 10" and the winter screen lifts the slipstream clear over my helmet.

This is a very interesting thread. I have been concerned with trying to find a windshield that provides non turbulent protection for my Thunderbird for 3 years.

Ted, would you mind measuring the distance from the top of the handlebar clamp (Triumph logo) to the top of the winter shield? The measurement will involve an angle forward from the clamp but that's ok for reference.

Thanks,
Rick

Sned · 10-14-2009, 12:36 PM

Rick,

Sure, I'll do that this evening. I'll also post up a couple of pictures.