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Madstad Engineering Easy Adjust Windshield System Reviews

Read and compare owner reviews & ratings of Madstad Engineering Easy Adjust Windshield System. Product specs, photos & video, pricing, and more!

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  • Retail Price ~$289.95 Shop Now
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Product Details


Bryan Bosch

  

I had been thinking of upgrading the OEM windscreen on my 2013 Triumph Tiger 800XC for a while now. It was fine for country back roads, but at interstate speeds, it served up a fair bit of turbulence and buffeting on both my helmet and most noticeably, my shoulders. For longer runs, the ride wasn't what I'd call relaxing nor quiet.

Recently, Paul Stadnyk, the marketing guy at Madstad Engineering reached out to offer a no obligation test of their patented split design windscreen system. I will admit, I was somewhat hesitant after paging through some of the installed photos for my bike on Google images. I really do like the aggressive look of the stock windscreen and I didn't want to neuter its looks. In hindsight, I'm so glad that I took the time to explore this path. For your reference, I'm 5'10", 185lbs.


HOW IT WORKS

Traditional windscreen design focuses on getting air up and around the rider. However, Mark Stadnyk, Founder and Product Designer at Madstad Engineering found out that a key problem still existed with these designs; they create a "bubble" of low pressure (vacuum) in front of the rider that was naturally filled in with turbulent air. The tighter fitting the windscreen to the bike's body work, the lower the bubble pressure and the greater the potential for turbulence.
 

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Illustration Courtesy of Madstad Engineering

 
The Madstad Engineering design is a simple and elegant solution to this problem; break the low pressure bubble in front of the rider by raising the windscreen 1.5" to 2" inches off the bike and allow the windscreen to be adjustable, both in rake and height.


FIT & FINISH

I learned that Madstad Engineering is local to me (central Florida), so I rode down to meet the crew, checkout their facility, and to install the product. No flashy sign or multi-million dollar building, but who cares; the product quality is outstanding. I did learn that they are moving to newer & bigger digs soon as they are expanding. Congrats guys! I normally install parts like this, but Mark was ready to go, tools in hand, so I played his lovely assistant. Madstad makes everything but the stainless fastener hardware in-house, including in-house powder coating. This is by design, as I can tell that Mark likes to have control over everything that goes into his products. Installation was 100% bolt-on, so no modding factory bits.
 
 

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Sampson Haired Mark Stadnyk "Madstad'n" my Triumph Tiger 800XC

 
Once installed, the cast acrylic (superior to polycarbonate) 18" Explorer model windscreen looks completely OEM outside of the Madstad brand tastefully etched into the lower center of the windscreen. Madstad even took the time to match their powder coated aluminum mounting plate and adjustable stainless steel brackets, both in color and texture to the factory Triumph finishes so that the product becomes part of the bike and doesn't scream "add on part". Further, the lower edge of the windscreen has been cut to follow the lines of the Tiger headlight assembly. This attention to detail is appreciated and really completes the package of style and function.
 
 

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Mark recommended their light gray tinted windscreen as it tends to blend into its surroundings and he was spot on. You'd think that clear would be better, but trust me, it's more conspicuous. At this point, any fears of the Madstad windscreen neutering my bike's looks were a distance thought. In fact, I think that it gave the bike more of a proper ADV look vs. the some what sport bike look of the stock unit. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so you be the judge.
 
 

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PERFORMANCE

After Mark had completed the install, adjusting the windscreen angle (60°) and height (top edge at about my chin w/ head level), I took my bike for a spin to see what was what. Literally, it took less than 30 seconds for the smile on my face to appear and to realize how sucky the stock Triumph windscreen is. I'm not one to gush over products, but what an improvement! At speeds as high as 80ish, the buffeting and turbulence has been replaced by fairly gentle puffs of air. I can even open my helmet face shield at interstate speed without eye protection and feel comfortable. Interstate sections that were tiring and anything but relaxing now have a new vibe that allows me to enjoy the ride more and that's gold.

On my way back from Madstad, I ended up in a wicked Florida rain storm. Lots of wind and even more water. I was getting wet regardless, but the Madstad windscreen did a pretty good job at keeping much of the rain riding up over my helmet, so visibility while compromised, was still adequate. With my stock windscreen, my vision would have been on the dangerously limited.

MadStad windscreen rake and height adjustments are simple and can be done with gloves on if need be. I've played with a few different configurations, but the original setting by Mark has been about the best. It works well under all road conditions and I can't say that it bothers me a bit when riding off-road. Maybe I'm just easy to please. Since I ride off-road, Madstad installed their optional off-road bracket to stiffen things up. It really seem to be a rock solid set-up and while the 18" windscreen does vibrate at the top section in the bumps, it was expected, not annoying, nor problematic. I expect the Madstad windscreen to stand-up to whatever off-road abuse that I can dish out.

Madstad also installed a pair of their optional lower side wings and they do add to the overall effectiveness of the windscreen system. The Triumph Tiger tank and radiator shroud are pitched downward, so they tend to channel air up towards the rider's lower torso. The side wings channel this air downward and to the sides a bit. Not necessarily aesthetically attractive, but I don't mind them and since they add to the functional performance of the system, I'm going to leave them.

 

 

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One issue that I dislike about my Tiger is that when riding in the Florida sugar sand, there is a wind tunnel effect in the frame head tube area that channels fine sand particles to the riders face. Even with your helmet face shield closed, it's still somewhat annoying, and while the Madstad windscreen seems to have helped slightly, it doesn't solve the problem entirely. However, Mark never designed it to address this specific issue, so the small improvement is still appreciated.

Madstad also sent me home with a second 18" Explorer windscreen that is somewhat narrower, moreso towards the bottom. It was designed for riders that want the benefits of the Madstad system, but want the minimum amount of windscreen that they can get away with. I think that it looks slightly better, but I can't say that I could really feel a difference between the two at speed. So, pick the shape the trips your trigger.

In terms of maintenance, little to do here, but I do like that the Madstad windscreen and wings are easily removed without tools. So, whether you're doing an off-road trip that includes a lot of low brush, you want to remove it for cleaning, or you want more than one screen size and/or color depending upon your adventure, windscreen removal is quick and easy.
 
Hits 👍

  • Unheard of 60 day money back guarantee.
  • More relaxed & quiet riding experience = more fun!
  • Easy & effective adjustability for different riders & conditions.
  • Uncompromising build quality.

Misses :thumbsdown:

  • Decent wallet hit, but you get leading performance and quality. You decide. I debated to even list this as a con honestly.

Bottom-line :ride:

For me, the Madstad Engineering 18" Explorer Windscreen has improved how much I enjoy my bike. That alone makes it a 5 star product in my book. Couple this with superior materials, build quality, and a terribly low risk satisfaction guarantee, what more could you want? Having spent a couple of hours with Mark Stadnyk, the inventor, I saw his passion for what he makes and as a rider himself, he doesn't want anything on your bike that you're not completely happy with. I know that they are in business to make money, but I get the impression that this is not an at-all-costs proposition. I'll be telling all I know about how much I like my Madstad Engineering windscreen. I really like the product and the people making them.

 

Find your Madstad Windscreen System at http://www.madstad.com They have tons of models & options, so they'll likely have you covered.

 

 

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