Kawasaki Versys X300 2017-2022 (short version) Designing Windshields for summer and winter

[@glenmiller8888]

Thanks for posting on the Versys forum-Wizard

[@jeffbanfieldsflwr3537]

Very underrated channel. Thanks for the video. I just purchased a kawasaki versys-x 300 last month. I am a beginner motorcyclists, very excited to get going.

[@trekOCLVone]

Thank you. Please check out all the videos here as they help the X300 owners starting out or more experienced. There are popular accessories and mods that are covered here. One which is not here is adding a center stand which I would recommend. The center stand is pretty easy with only the putting on the spring that can be a pain. I used large channel lock pliers and a couple of tries to get the spring positioned on the channel locks and it took under one minute. Congrats on your X300 choice. I really like working on X300 projects and share. More to come.

[@reppdog]

Nice designs aftermarket windshields I tried on mine have broken and yellowed a bunch vs the stock one. I really like the bike got 6k miles on it now and some more aggressive tires, aftermarket Corbin heated seat, Oxford heated grips, and bark busters. 2017-300x I've been in a couple snow storms with mine too and lots of gravel roads. Thanks for showing your windshield designs!

[@trekOCLVone]

Thanks for your comment. This was quite the project. I may take this further with bending/forming a single piece of Polycarbonate to replace all of the pieces. This material is amazing as it can be cold bent, and it behaves like wood.

[@MotorbikesAndNonsense]

Wow! You put a lot of though and effort into this one. Good stuff.

[@trekOCLVone]

Soon I will upload a long version of this video. Will be more detailed but because of this project consuming about 6 months (read into it - a part time job) it will have some repetitive conversation. It is what it is. The aluminum billet bracket that I started with took at least 15 hours by itself. It look great in person but that was a time sink. All good in the end as I've now been out 4 times on the X300 with that final design with the wings and it works better than any other design that is store bought based on many comments in the X300 blogs. This project was both fun and frustrating because of how much time it took to get to where I'm at now. Thanks for your kind words.

[@burgundypoint]

Good video. Appreciated.

[@trekOCLVone]

Thank you. This project was a big one and consumed over 100 hours. I learned a lot and passed on what I could in this video and the more detailed long version (58 minutes long). I still have the final winter version on my X300 with the wings. It works great and I don't want to take it off.

[@americandude3825]

Always great videos. Thanks sir.

[@trekOCLVone]

You're welcome. The art of windshield design is complex and time consuming.

[@americandude3825]

@@trekOCLVone very. Always bugged me on my versys 650 until I got a givi. Tall and wide. I sure wish they’d make a versys x400

[@trekOCLVone]

@@americandude3825 There are many who wish for a X400. I think it would sell. Kawasaki seems slow moving in that department of changing things. It took 4 years to bring back the KLR650 from the dead. lol Only the third gen in something like 35 years. So the X300 has a ways to go. Virtually no difference from 2017 to 2022 (6 years).

[@franknells]

@@trekOCLVone if Kaw Makes a 400 x. I would think it would steal sales from the klr which they just relaunched. So IMHO I don't think will see one. ,darn

[@trekOCLVone]

@@franknells That is probably what Kawasaki is thinking. These bikes (X300 and KLR650) are not the cutting edge and progress is glacieral. But I like the X300 as it is with the customization being endless and great gas mileage. The last two rides combined added up to 131 miles and the X300 used 1.67 gallons of gas ($8.46). I'm riding my X300 more and leaving the car home.

[@rafaelmendoza6157]

That is an amazing design you have going on there Sr. I really like it. Good stuff! I wish I had the tools, the ability and time to do that with my bike. Thank you for your contribution and your work, it has given me good ideas. The wings you built on the sides, If I may comment; could have better airflow with your center windshield overlapping the side wings? Instead of the sidewings overlapping the center windshield?

[@trekOCLVone]

Having the wings be on the outside of the original center windshield has a hidden benefit. The center windshield has the top separate extension increasing the wind drag and that would have had an oscillating effect. The center windshield would have been bending backwards and forwards constantly above around 45 mph. With the wings applying just a light amount of constant pressure against the center windshield there is no oscillating effect. Rock steady. I didn't exact plan for that but quickly realized the benefit of the wing placement out in front. So, I'm leaving it as is. In cooler weather this is the perfect wind block however, in hot weather the wind block is too much and that is why I came up with the second design shown for days above 80 degrees.

[@jacklanier41]

These things are almost impossible to get right. Too many variables in the equasion. Every motorcycle is different and they are NOT tested aerodamically . The best fairing to ever be put on a motorcycle is the one on the BMW R100RS. It is best to go with a shorter screen and have clean air on your helmet. Nature abhores a vacuum and so do motorcycles .

[@trekOCLVone]

I can't comment on the BMW R100RS as I'll never have the opportunity to ride one. The comment about almost impossible to get right - is correct. I've spent 100 + hours on designing, fabricating, installing and road testing a finite number of windshield designs on just one Motorcycle (Versys X300). Where I'm at is with the raised stock windshield with extension and the movable wings. I address many of the issues that I started out to overcome. My design took many iterations and when the wind noise and helmet buffeting was squelched I stopped. This is a work in progress. It will never reach an end point. It's been a journey. Thank you for your comment.

[@jpbsv]

Just buy a goldwing.

[@trekOCLVone]

I will not part with my Versys X300. I'm at 1 year of ownership and it is my part time job installing (the right way) many accessories and mods. The X300 is light wight and you can make into just about any kind of bike you want. With all my updates It is ready for the road or off road. I'm not a young in' and an 800-pound bike is a no go.