Author Topic: Ermax windscreen Installation  (Read 912 times)

EvilTessmacher

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 280
    • View Profile
Ermax windscreen Installation
« on: May 11, 2018, 03:54:24 AM »
Well, I finally recieved and installed the Ermax screen I ordered for the Xciting 400i.

Here is an image of the windscreen from the company where I purchased it.



First, let me say that the windscreen is extremely well-made. I ordered the clear screen, listed as the "High Screen Windshield for Kymco 400i Xciting" and got a decent price, reasonably fast delivery, and a well-packaged and packed item. I have no issues with the company from which I purchased it, and am satisfied. As for the screen itself,  the 4mm thick polycarbonate material is very high-quality, and very nearly optically-clear.

That's the best that can be said for it.

The reality of the installation tells the tale. The fit of the windscreen is poor, with the mounting holes having to be strenuously "encouraged" to fit over the bolt-holes on the bike. Installing this windscreen took just over four hours, and I've been working on various transportation machines since high school, well over 35 years ago. Trying to line up the mounting bolts with those little black spacers, with the mount holes on the screen, with the bolt-holes on the scooter was one of the most frustratingly difficult tasks I have ever encountered. I finally had to get some black athletic tape to fix the spacers over the mount holes on the scooter, and then spent another 45 minutes trying to line everything up. Kymco doesn't have a very good design for their windscreens, and Ermax did not design any improvements into the screen. The installation instructions were a joke, extremely limited in their descriptions of anything, and essentially not much more than "take the old screen off, keep a few parts, add them to the new screen, and put it on." And that, compared to National Cycle, doesn't cut it. NC's installation materials for the screen I added to the Honda PCX were four pages, with clear diagrams and well-written instructions.

As bad as all of that was, the shape of the windscreen is worse. It absolutely needs to be a minimum of 3 inches taller to avoid dumping wind directly into my face. I'm 5'11" and the screen is just too low for me. It's only a few inches taller than the OEM screen that came on the bike, and it is clearly designed for someone no taller than 5'7" in height. There is a slightly curved lip at the top, which appears to be intended to push air up (and hopefully over) whomever is behind it, but the curvature is just slight enough that it dumps all the wind directly into my face. The helmet buffeting, and wind noise at 45 mph is worse than with the original stock screen.

And frustratingly, the shape of the "side wings" (Look at the photo above, even with the centerline of the mirrors parallel to the ground, and you'll see the flare outwards I am talking about here) on either side at the top of the screen must be reduced by 2" to 3" because they hit the mirrors. The screen is far too wide at the top, and should not hit the mirrors under any circumstances.

Here is a photo of the screen hitting the mirror stalk at the junction of the mirror body and the stalk, with about ten to fifteen degrees of turn still left to go before the handlebars are hard over.



I am afraid that I am going to have to find some company who can cut polycarbonate, and take that slight curvature away, without making the windscreen look like it has been mangled up, and where it won't cost me more than the screen did.

I dearly wish that National Cycle made windscreens for Kymco scooters and motorcycles. I would not recommend this screen. If you need a windscreen, I'd go with the Puig, or perhaps the Givi, or try to get a Kymco OEM screen from Asia.
Two things to consider...
1) The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse always gets the cheese.
2) Eagles may soar, but weasels never get sucked into jet engines.

---
2018 Kymco 400i - "Diana"
2013 Honda PCX - "Natasha"
1982 Honda PA-50

PaulF

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 613
    • View Profile
Re: Ermax windscreen Installation
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2018, 06:12:53 AM »
 :) looking good.

Stig / Major Tom

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 14210
  • Rural Ohio
    • View Profile
Re: Ermax windscreen Installation
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2018, 10:46:19 AM »
Well, that post should save some folks a lot of aggravation!
Those fasteners and alignment can be tough on many screens.
A wrong sized screen is no fun. The stock Burgman 400 screens are a nightmare for me. The sport/shorty Ermax worked much better.
Thanks for your input. ..
Good luck, Stig
Boston Strong
Rural Ohio

And, I'm feeling a little peculiar.

CROSSBOLT

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7722
  • West Tennessee, USA
    • View Profile
Re: Ermax windscreen Installation
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2018, 02:01:35 PM »
Great article, Evil! Good pictures! Good information to anyone considering the 400i. Exactly the mission of this forum. Outstanding!
Karl

Three motorcycles 1960-1977 (restored a 1955 BSA)
Agility 50
Yager 200i
Downtown 300i
Navy tech, Ships Engineer, pilot and aircraft mechanic

EvilTessmacher

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 280
    • View Profile
Re: Ermax windscreen Installation
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2018, 02:20:57 PM »
Thank you, Gentles...

Say, Stig... How about that 400i dedicated forum now?

 ;)
Two things to consider...
1) The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse always gets the cheese.
2) Eagles may soar, but weasels never get sucked into jet engines.

---
2018 Kymco 400i - "Diana"
2013 Honda PCX - "Natasha"
1982 Honda PA-50

Stig / Major Tom

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 14210
  • Rural Ohio
    • View Profile
Re: Ermax windscreen Installation
« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2018, 03:18:48 PM »
Thank you, Gentles...

Say, Stig... How about that 400i dedicated forum now?

 ;)
Not in my power. But we'll  see.
Stig
Boston Strong
Rural Ohio

And, I'm feeling a little peculiar.

An Error Has Occurred!

Call to undefined function split()