Product Review: MRA X-creen Add-on Spoiler Blade

July 24, 2014

Product Review: MRA X-creen Add-on Spoiler Blade

I get a lot of questions about which products I use, so I’m adding a new blog category where I can share some product reviews. Many of the products I am writing about are ones I actually use and can recommend. If I have reservations about a product, rest assured I will tell you.

First, a Word About Twisted Throttle

Many of the products are available through Twisted Throttle. This is because I have a special relationship with the company, so I get an nice discount (No, I can’t get YOU that discount, yeesh). Understand that I don’t use crappy products, even if they are discounted! Thankfully Twisted Throttle sells some of the best, highest quality motorcycle products around.
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Product Review: MRA X-creen Add-on Spoiler Blade

The MRA X-creen (yep, it’s spelled without an “s”) is a spoiler blade that either clamps or bolts onto your existing windscreen. I bought the MRA for additional wind protection on my Sprint RS street bike, but soon figured out that it works great clamped to the flyscreen of my Triumph Street Triple track bike. I can adjust it upward for colder days and when my neck gets tired from windblast. I can also move it downward for maximum airflow on warm days.

The X-creen comes in two sizes, the smaller Sport version and the taller and wider Tour version. The larger Tour model comes specifically with either clamps or bolt-on hardware. Both models are available in clear or smoke. I have the clear version for my Sprint RS and smoke for my Street Triple.

Installing the X-creen

Option 1: Clamp-on, Clamp-off

Assembling the adjustment mechanism to the spoiler blade is pretty easy. You have to first decide whether you want to use the clamps (this is what I use) or use the bolt-on hardware for a permanent installation. The clamp-on version allows you to move the blade from one bike to another. The clamp hardware is really nicely made and utilizes rubber inserts that will not scratch your windscreen (or paint in the case of my Street Triple’s flyscreen).
Assembling the clamps involves placing the pivoting locking mechanism in the ends of the adjustment arms. This takes only a few minutes.
No, the clamp-on version will not go flying off as soon as you hit highway speeds. As a matter of fact, I’ve done 130 mph (on the racetrack of course) and the blade stayed securely in place. See the video below for proof!
General Installation Instructions can be found HERE.

Option 2: Drill Baby, Drill!

If you choose to bolt the blade on permanently, you’ve got more work to do. Specifically, you’ll have to drill two holes in your existing windscreen. The kit comes with a template for locating the holes. If this makes you queasy, Twisted Throttle sells MRA replacement windscreens with the X-creen already bolted on for specific bikes. Even though replacement screens cost a bit more, some people may feel better having MRA do the drilling and installing at the factory.
Installation instructions for drilling can be found HERE.
If you decide later to use the X-creen on a different bike, but don’t want to drill any holes, you can convert a bolt-on screen to a clamp on screen using a special conversion hardware kit. Note that this is for the TOUR version only. The SPORT version comes with both clamp-on and bolt-on hardware.
Four videos on how to install the X-creen can be found on the Twisted Throttle Product Page.

How Does it Look?

The X-creen is unobtrusive, and dare I say, I think it’s even attractive, especially on the Sprint RS where it fits nicely on the stock screen and isn’t out of place on this sport touring bike.
On the Street Triple, it is a bit less graceful looking, but I think it looks as good or even better than many other windscreen options, including the Triumph factory flyscreen visor kit, which requires you to drill the flyscreen (Yuck), almost completely covers it over (why did I buy a flyscreen to begin with?), and doesn’t add very much wind protection. Oh, and it’s kinda spendy.
But, judge for yourself. Here are some photos of the MRA X-creen on a Ducati Multistrada, my Triumph Sprint RS, and my Triumph Street Triple R.

The X-creen mounted on a 2007 Ducati Multistrada. Model: Jeannine Condon — The X-creen mounted on a 2007 Ducati Multistrada.

The X-creen mounted on my Sprint RS — The X-creen mounted on my 2000 Sprint RS

The X-creen mounted on my Street Triple R track bike.

Adjusting the X-creen

Adjusting the screen when it’s new requires some rough handling…sort of like when you replace face shields on Arai helmets: you feel like you’re going to break the ratcheting mechanism, but it’s okay…that’s just the way it is. Thankfully, after a bit of use, the mechanism loosens up and I can now adjust the screens while sitting on the bike (not while moving of course). All you do is turn the teardrop-shaped locks until they are pointed sideways and grab both sides of the screen and rotate into the position you want. The adjustability is almost infinite.

The X-creen in the upper position. (it can go higher, still) — The X-creen in the upper position.

The X-creen from the saddle.

How Does It Work?

Once positioned, rotate the locks and the screen won’t move. Trust me! I’ve been using the X-creen on the racetrack all season and it doesn’t move even at 130mph! See the X-creen in action in the video below.

As far as wind noise goes, The Sport version seems to be perfect for the Sprint. I do notice a bit more wind noise with the blade set vertically, but simply tipping it back a bit makes any wind noise go away. I’ve never felt any buffeting, at all. The fact is that the X-creen is so easy to adjust and has almost infinite positions that if I ever had excessive noise or buffeting, I’d simply try a slightly different position. I love having that versatility.

So, there you have it. The MRA Sport X-creen is a great accessory that offers a tone of versatility to you touring, sport touring, adventure or sport bike. It retails for $114.99 from Twisted Throttle.
Let me know what your opinion is of this product. And ask me any questions you have about the X-creen by posting in the comment section below. I’ll reply so everyone can benefit.

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April 22, 2014

Riding the Zero Electric Motorcycle

I’ve ridden all sorts of motorcycles, from Harleys to sidecar rigs, to all manner of sport and touring machines. But up until a couple of weeks ago, I had never had the chance to ride an electric motorcycle.
Thanks to Eugene Morin of Seems Electric Vehicles, I was able to cross that off my bucket list. The bike Tony (Tony’s Track Days) and I rode was the Zero “FX” , which is the dual-sport model. This particular motorcycle is outfitted with police lights and siren for the Block Island, Rhode Island Police Department. Eugene has outfitted machines for the Newport, RI men and women in blue, as well.

How Long Will it Go?

The number one question I get when I tell people that I rode an electric bike is how long will it run on a charge? According to Zero’s specifications for the FX, it can go for up to 35 miles with a single battery configuration, or 70 miles on a dual-battery setup. This is for what they call “city” riding. 70 mph highway riding causes the battery life to plummet to only 15 miles with the single battery and 30 miles with the dual battery.
But, this dual-sport model is perfectly suited for the job it is intended for: curb jumping, rock hopping and general shenanigans, and not for droning on a highway.

Eugene brought the magic machine from Rhodie.

What About the Power?

The Zero FX puts out 70 foot-pounds of torque from the moment you twist the throttle. The unit we rode had just a single battery, but a second battery is available that provides more horsepower (but the same torque). With 70 foot pounds of torque from the bottom, the bike jumps to life, reaching 60 mph in 4 seconds! Yahoo!
However, once underway you quickly find the top end of its 27hp (44hp with two batteries). Max hp is reached at just 3,750 rpm. Flat out, baby.
Tony and I took the little FX in some dirty parts of Thompson Speedway’s infield, dodging construction equipment and roosting the rear tire to see what the potential is for trail riding. In four words, “it is a blast”. This is more of what the FX is made for.
There is no gearshift lever or clutch to modulate, just twist the throttle on and off to regulate speed and power. With fully- adjustable suspension, the bike will handle most anything you toss in front of it.
On the racetrack, it was lively, but ultimately, it fell flat once you got the motor wound up. Max speed is 80 mph, but I wasn’t comfortable going much over 60 on the dual-sport tires. The bike only weights 240 pounds, so it was light and flickable. Perfect for off-road or city riding, but out of its element on a pavement racetrack (or extended highway riding).

The dash was spartan, but has plenty of ways to customize power delivery. — The dash is spartan, but had plenty of ways to customize power delivery.

We didn’t mess too much with the power modes, but there are some. One mode delivers a mellow power delivery, while the other snaps to attention with a bit more authority. There is much more to learn about all the settings. I can see the potential for some riders to just hit the “easy” button and ride happily for weeks.

What’s It Like To Ride?

Riding the Zero FX was a pleasant surprise. I expected scooter-like sensations. What I got was the power and responsiveness of a real motorcycle. It’s combination of liter-bike torque with 250 Ninja horsepower is something I’d have to get used to. But, that torque is enough to satisfy me and make me want to ride the Zero more and more.
The other observation that stands out when riding the Zero is that something visceral is missing…sound. What you hear when the bike is stationary is complete silence. Tony had to ask whether the bike was “running” or not. It was. There is an ignition key and some safety switches to prevent accidental launching, which is a good thing, because it is impossible at a quick glance to know whether the thing is loaded or not. Until you get used to the immediate torque and the safety systems, it’s probably best not to point it at any solid objects before you’re ready to roll.

Can I Live With One?

Electric bikes are definitely something I am interested in. I can imagine stealthily working my way through the woods or traffic with just the whistle of the wind, the whine of the tires and the whirring of the Z-Force® 75-5 passively air-cooled, high efficiency, radial flux permanent magnet, brushless motor to remind me that I’m on a motorcycle.
The range may be a problem, but not if you use it for what it’s designed for. A bike like this would be a great trail bike and commuter. I would keep my Triumph Sprint for long-haul duty and my Street Triple for the track.
The street versions offer more power and range and a more streetbike-like experience, or so I’m told. (Try 106 foot pounds of torque for the Zero SR!) Thankfully, Eugene promises to bring a handful of Zero Electric Motorcycles to a few Tony’s Track Days events for us to try (yes, customers can ride them, too). Join the TTD mailing list to stay informed.
For you loud pipes folks, I never believed that loud pipes save lives, so I am not concerned about any safety deficit. And even though I love the sufficiently muffled, but booming sound of a V-Twin, or the music of a spinning triple or in-line four in my ears, I can equally appreciate the silence of an electric motor. My neighbors will, too.
Imagine eliminating all the problems off-road and paved racetrack owners have now with neighbors who complain about loud motorcycles. Silence is golden, people.

Cost

Unfortunately, prices are still a bit high for my personal bank account to endure. The FX retails for $9,500.00 with a single battery or $12,000.00 for the two-battery setup. What you get is a unique, quality-built machine that happens to get the equivalent of 470 mpg (city).
Prices should continue to fall, so I suspect we will be seeing more and more electric bikes in the woods, on the street, and on the track in the near future. One may even appear in my garage before the next decade rolls around. But for now, I’ll have to stick to fossil fuel-consuming road burners.

Videos

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December 4, 2013

"Why We Ride" Movie Review

My wife hates it when I dissect a movie after seeing it. She would say, “Can’t you just enjoy what it has to offer?”. Well, at the risk of alienating my RITZ blog readers who really want to like the “Why We Ride” movie, I will now poop on your parade.
Speaking of poop, please take my opinion as what it is. You know what they say about opinions? No? They say, “Opinions are like ***holes: everyone has one, and most stink”. Well, hold your nose because here is my opinion.
Before I give you my review, take a look at the trailer:

Pretty good, huh? Let’s see what it’s really like…

Video Craftsmanship: A-

The trailer gives a good impression of the visual quality of the film, which is very, very good. The videography is beautiful and inspirational. But, what is up with all the slow-mo?
I love super-slow motion footage, especially the shots of Moto GP racers dragging elbow. And the footage of the rubber-mounted Harley Davidson XR1200 race bike engines rocking in their frames at idle made me LOL.
But, there is a thing called “too much of a good thing”. The slow motion stuff was cool for about half the film, but unfortunately, it went on and on and on and on.
And why on earth would you show only slow motion footage of race bikes on the high banks of Daytona and never show how it really feels at over 170 mph? I know plenty of friends who could have provided some awesome on-bike video that would have driven home the craziness of the Daytona banking at speed. All they needed was one or two trackside shots of a bike flying by to paint a better picture.
I’ll admit that the super-slow stuff is fun to watch, but it kinda distanced me from what riding is really like. I get that the director was wanting to set a tone of romance and wonder, but for an enthusiast, I was a bit bored toward the middle of the film, partly because the action wasn’t really engaging at slow motion. It comes off more as a parlor trick.

Music: C-

The sappy music department worked overtime on this film. Again, I get what they were trying to do, and I’m sure the violin music hit a sentimental chord (ha, ha) with a lot of viewers, but it tried too hard. Mix it up with some raunchy head smacking tunes now and again to represent the vigor that many of us experience when riding. I can understand why they might not want to represent motorcyclists as people who relate to AC/DC (or whatever floats your boat), but everyone knows that motorcycle riders aren’t typical people who gaze with soft-focus at our bikes with violin virtuosos playing quietly in the background. My iPod tends to stream tunes that are a bit less somniatic (It means “puts me to sleep”… and I know it’s not a real word, I looked it up).

The message is all about family, fun and adventure.

Overall Message: B+

The message this film delivers is “riding a motorcycle is fun”. Duh! I am reminded of the introductory video shown to new MSF students at the beginning of their first classroom session. It’s a lovely little diddy about the joy of riding a motorcycle. It includes many of the same things “Why We Ride” has, including fun action shots (at full speed) and interviews with interesting people. But, the message is delivered in about 5 minutes. “Why We Ride” took one point five hours to deliver the same basic message.
Granted, the film is intended to deliver more than a message, it is also about entertainment (maybe more so). So, in that regard it is worth the extra hour and 25 minutes.
Here is the Motorcycle Safety Foundation “Welcome to the Ride” video:

Is “Why We Ride” worth Seeing?: A

Yes. The fun shots of the families and kids are priceless, as are the interviews with some of my motorcycling heros, which makes the film well worth seeing.
I was totally loving the film during the first third and then they unmercifully started beating the poor dead horse. I get it, I get it. Riding is awesome and people who DO NOT ride are missing out on life. I couldn’t agree more.
It’s a movie that you will want your family and friends to see as an attempt to convey just why you ride a motorcycle. They still might think you’re nuts, but it’s worth a shot.
Both enthusiasts and regular people will like this film, as long as you don’t expect a groundbreaking classic here. For that, rent “On Any Sunday” , or if you love roadracing try “Faster” and the sequel “Fastest” (see trailers below).
But, that’s just my opinion…what is that smell?

My Movie Picks:

On any Sunday:

Faster:

Fastest:

Tag: review