Skyway's Windshield Spacers

[Harald]

Put my spacers on before heading out to EOM. When I get home I have the damage to the plastic below on both sides. The windshield doesn't have to be all the way down for the lower frame W to make contact. Anyone else have this problem?

You must have spacers that are too thick. I noticed the potential for this problem when I was making my own spacers (sorry Skyway, I'm a cheap bastard and I enjoy making my own stuff) and had to make sure they weren't too thick. Perhaps gen I spacers are thicker than the ones for gen II bikes and you have the wrong year spacers?

 

[LancasterFJR]

Put my spacers on before heading out to EOM. When I get home I have the damage to the plastic below on both sides. The windshield doesn't have to be all the way down for the lower frame W to make contact. Anyone else have this problem?

Exact same thing happened to me. Also, my Vstream shield started touching the fairing at the level of the mirror mounts on my o6, but only at the lowest setting and at highway speed. The spacers worked well with the stock shield, though. High quality product, no doubt. Sam

 

[Wicked Webby]

WOW!

Sorry guys BUT $24 for 2 allens and two machined washers is too steep...

Lancaster,

Was the above damage due to an improper install or improper product?

WW

:crazy:

 

[LancasterFJR]

WOW!
Sorry guys BUT $24 for 2 allens and two machined washers is too steep...

Lancaster,

Was the above damage due to an improper install or improper product?

WW

:crazy:

The install was very simple. I have installed audiovox CC , Heli triple clamp and do the maintenance myself, so installing the spacers was a breeze. I think they are too thick as mentioned in one the posts. Sam

 

[Wicked Webby]

WOW!
Sorry guys BUT $24 for 2 allens and two machined washers is too steep...

Lancaster,

Was the above damage due to an improper install or improper product?

WW

:crazy:

The install was very simple. I have installed audiovox CC , Heli triple clamp and do the maintenance myself, so installing the spacers was a breeze. I think they are too thick as mentioned in one the posts. Sam

Sorry to hear that. I would not be happy. Who'd you get them spacers from?

WW

 

[rfulcher]

Yep, I had the exact problem. Could be a picture of my 07 (except that mine is maybe worse and mine is the faster black cherry ).

When I got the spacers I thought it was a bit much for the money. I have a Calsci medium windshield and it did not make much improvement. I figured "no big deal, might be better, might not" Then a couple of weeks later I put the windshield in the raised position to clean it. I found the same damage. It is only obvious when the windshield is up. I seldom have the ignition on when I am standing in front of my bike :huh: If I never cleaned the bike I would never notice. Another reason to ride more and clean less.

So lets look at this. $24 for 2 spacers and 2 fat washers, little improvement with my Calsci windshield, and badly scratched plastic. As far as I am concerned all this farkle did was screw up my bike.

Put my spacers on before heading out to EOM. When I get home I have the damage to the plastic below on both sides. The windshield doesn't have to be all the way down for the lower frame W to make contact. Anyone else have this problem?

 

[borrec]

I PM'd Skyway, but no response yet.

 

[JamesK]

Yep, I had the exact problem. Could be a picture of my 07 (except that mine is maybe worse and mine is the faster black cherry )

Thanks for pointing this problem out guys, this is what my bike looks like. When I was installing the spacers I noticed that they made slight contact (about the size of a quarter) so I took the precaution of sticking on some 3M film thinking that would do the trick. Well as can be seen from the picture the film did help, but not enough to completely prevent the damage. I guess I'll need to put on some more, thicker film :glare:

 

[Wicked Webby]

WOW!!

Is Skyway gonna stand behind the product?

Please let us all know?

WW

 

[kaitsdad]

So - what's different between your installations and this one?

This is on my 06 with a Cee Bailey +4 +4 - and no clearance problems.

 

[borrec]

So - what's different between your installations and this one?

This is on my 06 with a Cee Bailey +4 +4 - and no clearance problems.

Looks like he sent us the wrong spacers. Mine don't look that thick as yours.

 

[JamesK]

Yep, I had the exact problem. Could be a picture of my 07 (except that mine is maybe worse and mine is the faster black cherry )

Thanks for pointing this problem out guys, this is what my bike looks like. When I was installing the spacers I noticed that they made slight contact (about the size of a quarter) so I took the precaution of sticking on some 3M film thinking that would do the trick. Well as can be seen from the picture the film did help, but not enough to completely prevent the damage. I guess I'll need to put on some more, thicker film :glare:

As reported before I too experienced a problem with the windshield spacers.

UPDATE: when swapping screens (have a CalSci +2" I used on my '06) tonight I looked closely at the inner U bracket (connecting the two sliders) to see if there were any adjustments possible on the two screws holding it on each side. While I found no adjustment is available with the screws it is possible to gently pull the whole assembly forward a little, just enough it seems to make the bracket clear the plastic by (in my case now) about 2 mm (in the worst/closest point over the screen's travel path). After the TLC "adjustment" the screen still moves fine and the assembly feels pretty solid leading me to believe (hope) that it will not bend/move back due to wind forces - I will post an update in about a week or so after my trip to Deal's Gap. Given that other users have not experienced this problem it leads me to believe that the problem is not caused by Skyway's spacers per se but rather allowable tolerances in Yamaha's manufacturing process - YMMV

 

[HYCLE]

Yep, I had the exact problem. Could be a picture of my 07 (except that mine is maybe worse and mine is the faster black cherry )

Thanks for pointing this problem out guys, this is what my bike looks like. When I was installing the spacers I noticed that they made slight contact (about the size of a quarter) so I took the precaution of sticking on some 3M film thinking that would do the trick. Well as can be seen from the picture the film did help, but not enough to completely prevent the damage. I guess I'll need to put on some more, thicker film :glare:

As reported before I too experienced a problem with the windshield spacers.

UPDATE: when swapping screens (have a CalSci +2" I used on my '06) tonight I looked closely at the inner U bracket (connecting the two sliders) to see if there were any adjustments possible on the two screws holding it on each side. While I found no adjustment is available with the screws it is possible to gently pull the whole assembly forward a little, just enough it seems to make the bracket clear the plastic by (in my case now) about 2 mm (in the worst/closest point over the screen's travel path). After the TLC "adjustment" the screen still moves fine and the assembly feels pretty solid leading me to believe (hope) that it will not bend/move back due to wind forces - I will post an update in about a week or so after my trip to Deal's Gap. Given that other users have not experienced this problem it leads me to believe that the problem is not caused by Skyway's spacers per se but rather allowable tolerances in Yamaha's manufacturing process - YMMV

I have Skyway Spacers on my 2005 with no problems.

Maybe I am not looking at the right part of your photos. I don't see where moving the windshield further away from the front cowl caused your scratches. It looks more like too much pressure on the linkage when tightening the bolts pushed arms closer to the plastic. If you remove the spacers does it cure your problem or does it still hit. Like I said I can't see from the pictures what part hit and caused the damage.

Mike

 

[taterides]

I am getting the same marks as borrec, installed in a cal-sci . I just put on clear protective tape and will keep an eye on it. It only contacts at certain angles. Strange.

 

[Fred W]

I am getting the same marks as borrec, installed in a cal-sci . I just put on clear protective tape and will keep an eye on it. It only contacts at certain angles. Strange.

From all the pictures I can immediately see why you guys are getting the scratches. The screws you are using are too long for the spacers. The screws should not protrude from the bottom of the motor driven bracket if they are properly sized.

I've used various thicknesses of plastic spacers trying to find the magic windshield angle, and saw this possible problem early on. You'll either have to add some washers somewhere in the stack above the driven bracket or cut/grind down the screws a few millimeters so they just come flush to the bottom.

Maybe skyway made some spacers that were not the right (same) thickness or else screws that were marginally longer?

 

[JamesK]

I am getting the same marks as borrec, installed in a cal-sci . I just put on clear protective tape and will keep an eye on it. It only contacts at certain angles. Strange.

From all the pictures I can immediately see why you guys are getting the scratches. The screws you are using are too long for the spacers. The screws should not protrude from the bottom of the motor driven bracket if they are properly sized.

I've used various thicknesses of plastic spacers trying to find the magic windshield angle, and saw this possible problem early on. You'll either have to add some washers somewhere in the stack above the driven bracket or cut/grind down the screws a few millimeters so they just come flush to the bottom.

Maybe skyway made some spacers that were not the right (same) thickness or else screws that were marginally longer?

I disagree, the screws are NOT the thing making contact, the culprit is the base of the slider arm.

 

[Fred W]

I am getting the same marks as borrec, installed in a cal-sci . I just put on clear protective tape and will keep an eye on it. It only contacts at certain angles. Strange.

From all the pictures I can immediately see why you guys are getting the scratches. The screws you are using are too long for the spacers. The screws should not protrude from the bottom of the motor driven bracket if they are properly sized.

I've used various thicknesses of plastic spacers trying to find the magic windshield angle, and saw this possible problem early on. You'll either have to add some washers somewhere in the stack above the driven bracket or cut/grind down the screws a few millimeters so they just come flush to the bottom.

Maybe skyway made some spacers that were not the right (same) thickness or else screws that were marginally longer?

I disagree, the screws are NOT the thing making contact, the culprit is the base of the slider arm.

Not on the red bike it's not. Look again.

Edit: Wait - the red bike is YOURS. It sure looks like the screws are the contact point in your pictures, and I noticed that if the screws are too long they will touch down when the shield is fully retracted. Are you POSITIVE it isn't the screws ?

 

[HYCLE]

Maybe this is what happens on some bikes. When the spacer is installed the crossbar changes angle just like the windshield. This change in angle at the pivot point ahead of the slotted guide lowers the guide and allows it to come in contact with the cowling. Is that where it is hitting on your bike?

Mike

 

[borrec]

Maybe this is what happens on some bikes. When the spacer is installed the crossbar changes angle just like the windshield. This change in angle at the pivot point ahead of the slotted guide lowers the guide and allows it to come in contact with the cowling. Is that where it is hitting on your bike?

Mike

You got it.

 

[Harald]

Maybe this is what happens on some bikes. When the spacer is installed the crossbar changes angle just like the windshield. This change in angle at the pivot point ahead of the slotted guide lowers the guide and allows it to come in contact with the cowling. Is that where it is hitting on your bike?

Mike

Thanks for posting that excellent picture Mike.

That's exactly where I noticed the potential for rubbing when I was calculating how thick to make my spacers. I made them so I'd still have a couple millimeters of clearance to allow for movement due to wind loading. BTW, I have noticeably less buffeting when the factory shield is full up.