::..CalSci vs Parabellum screen..::
- Thread starter hANNAbONE
- Start date
watertowerman
freedom, never let anyone take it away
I have the calsi tall and ordered the quick change wing bolts they offer and it works very well for me.
No answer. Just "a simple hello"barkingllizard said:
) ::013::
::025::Tremor38 said:No answer. Just "a simple hello"
No vibration with the large CalSci. At 5'10", my entire face sits just above the top of the screen at my usual upright riding position, but the airstream goes just above my head. I feel just enough ventilation through the vent holes in the top of my helmet. I am very happy with this shield, but I'm sure the parabellum is a fine screen. I'd be curious to see if anyone has tried both to see how much difference the vent hole in the CalSci makes.barkingllizard said:
Just got my Parabellum, Great shield! I'm 6'1" 34" inseam, no buffeting, can ride 80mph with Arai xd with shield up and no wind in eyes, no back pressure. Love it!
http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp191/advonp/100_3701.jpg
http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp191/advonp/100_3702.jpg
http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp191/advonp/100_3706.jpg
http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp191/advonp/100_3701.jpg
http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp191/advonp/100_3702.jpg
http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp191/advonp/100_3706.jpg
tubebender
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That tinted one looks really great. What size did you get?
Thanks,
Thanks,
Tinted 24" and I look over it.
Here's my 20", I'm 6'1" with a 33" inseam, no buffeting, can ride 80mph with my AFX 37 shield up and no buffetting, no back pressure. Huge pocket of calm air.
Attachments
Hmm, maybe I should have gone with the 20". I am impressed, but mine is tall.
~
Just for the record...
First off, I'm 5' 7", 5' 8" with a 29" inseam.
I ran with the stock screen for a while, and tried all the various mounting positions, and while the stock screen isn't bad, no matter where I ran it I got a fair amount of buffeting, etc. at road speeds above 45 to 50 MPH. If it had one great attribute it was that it was cool riding behind it... Not a bad virtue given the heat wave we've been having in Texas!
I had been extremely satisfied with a CalSci screen I ran on my '06 Yamaha FJR1300, so I decided to give one of their "medium" shields a try...
http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Tenereprod.html
I got it, but to be quite honest, I was very disappointed in the shield once it arrived. I still have my CalSci FJR shield from years ago, so I had it here for comparison. The new Super Tenere shield's fit and finish were terrible when compared with CalSci's previous work... Rough edges, poorly cut curves, and no matter how much you jacked with the mounting it rubbed the black bodywork on the lower right-hand side (from the riding position). Fortunately the Yamaha bodywork is much tougher than the CalSci material as it rubbed out a tiny section of the shield over time, leaving the bodywork undamaged.
The CalSci shield when mounted appeared extremely upright with little curve to it. Still, for riding at any speeds above 50 MPH it was far, far better than the stock shield, with a nice still air pocket and little buffeting around my helmet and shield. There was still enough upper turbulence to often flip my face shield closed at certain speeds, and especially in certain crosswinds, but it made for a much more comfortable long-distance riding experience... Needless to say, however, it was hotter to ride behind it. It did have one other virtue, but more about that in a minute.
After seeing some pics of the Parabellum screen I thought I might give their shield a try...
http://www.parabellum.com/stores/showdetl.cfm?&DID=22&Product_ID=79&CATID=3
I had used some Parabellum products years ago, and they had always worked well and been of exceptional quality. I ordered up one of their "medium" 22" inch shields (which turned out to be only 1/2" taller than the "medium" CalSci when measured mounted... more on that in a moment), which shipped almost immediately and arrived very quickly. I unpacked it, and it quickly became apparent, IMHO, that the finish quality was far better in this instance than the CalSci. Nicer polishing on the edges, smooth beveling, perfect radius curves, etc. Holding the two shields side-by-side really showed the difference (sorry, no pics). There was a bit of consternation about the mounting right at first, as if you try to mount the Parabellum to the stock holes then the shield hits the turn signals in such a way it won't mount. It quickly becomes apparent you have to use Yamaha's upper mount holes for the Parabellum, and then all is golden and it fits like a glove, though it takes a bit more pressure to mount it as it is much more curved than the CalSci (or stocker). Fit appears perfect once bolted up... That is until you turn the bars. That's when you find out the Yamaha handguards hit the Parabellum screen at full lock either way. As it turns out it's not really a problem, as it only flexes the shield slightly when the guards bump into it, though you soon discover the Parabellum material is, by contrast to the CalSci, tougher than the Yamaha plastic material of the guards, as it mars them ever so slightly, though perhaps *polishes* a tiny area is perhaps a better description.
Still, you quickly find out what one of the virtues of the CalSci shield is... Those cutouts on its sides provide plenty of clearance at full lock.
OTOH, in every other way, IMHO, the Parabellum shield is superior. The CalSci may have their signature "vent", but since their shield hugs the area around the headlamps so much little air passes by there and the vent only adds to the airflow slightly to relieve the back-pressure. Conversely, Parabellum solves this back-pressure and airflow problem much like Yamaha did, by providing a nice, controlled gap area between the lower edge of the shield and the bodywork around the headlamp nacelle. As such, despite the Parabellum being quite a bit wider than the CalSci there is actually slightly *MORE* airflow behind it, and it is much more controlled and quiet, too. Very pleasant, and also actually cooler than the CalSci slightly when compared back to back. Better, more effective ventilation is perhaps the best way to put it, with no turbulence. One thing is for sure, everything about airflow is better with the Parabellum screen for me. Less buffeting, despite the actual viewing presence of the screens being literally the same - i.e. I look over the top edge of both about the same. Less turbulence in the cockpit. Less noise. Nicer air pocket. Everything is... just... well... *better*.
And I would be willing to swear the airflow around the shield is far less turbulent than the CalSci. I would hazard a guess that this is because the Parabellum is far more cureved than the CalSci, and it also "lays back" more than the CalSci, which seems to disturb the air less. It also brings the shield a bit closer to the rider, which is usually a good thing.
Understand, they are both good shields for touring and long distance road riding, but for me the Parabellum is just *better*... And because of the, IMHO, far better fit, finish, etc. it is not just a little bit better, but a lot, and for all those reasons a much better value, too.
Please note, I am not affiliated with either of these companies in any way, shape, or form. Just been a satisfied customer of both, and just passing on my personal experiences and observtions about each shield. Needless to say, YMMV.
One thing I know... The Parabellum is on my bike for my 850+ ride to Birmingham, AL.
Anybody want to buy a slightly used (about 1,100 miles) CalSci shield?
Dallara
~
Just for the record...
First off, I'm 5' 7", 5' 8" with a 29" inseam.
I ran with the stock screen for a while, and tried all the various mounting positions, and while the stock screen isn't bad, no matter where I ran it I got a fair amount of buffeting, etc. at road speeds above 45 to 50 MPH. If it had one great attribute it was that it was cool riding behind it... Not a bad virtue given the heat wave we've been having in Texas!
I had been extremely satisfied with a CalSci screen I ran on my '06 Yamaha FJR1300, so I decided to give one of their "medium" shields a try...
http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/Tenereprod.html
I got it, but to be quite honest, I was very disappointed in the shield once it arrived. I still have my CalSci FJR shield from years ago, so I had it here for comparison. The new Super Tenere shield's fit and finish were terrible when compared with CalSci's previous work... Rough edges, poorly cut curves, and no matter how much you jacked with the mounting it rubbed the black bodywork on the lower right-hand side (from the riding position). Fortunately the Yamaha bodywork is much tougher than the CalSci material as it rubbed out a tiny section of the shield over time, leaving the bodywork undamaged.
The CalSci shield when mounted appeared extremely upright with little curve to it. Still, for riding at any speeds above 50 MPH it was far, far better than the stock shield, with a nice still air pocket and little buffeting around my helmet and shield. There was still enough upper turbulence to often flip my face shield closed at certain speeds, and especially in certain crosswinds, but it made for a much more comfortable long-distance riding experience... Needless to say, however, it was hotter to ride behind it. It did have one other virtue, but more about that in a minute.
After seeing some pics of the Parabellum screen I thought I might give their shield a try...
http://www.parabellum.com/stores/showdetl.cfm?&DID=22&Product_ID=79&CATID=3
I had used some Parabellum products years ago, and they had always worked well and been of exceptional quality. I ordered up one of their "medium" 22" inch shields (which turned out to be only 1/2" taller than the "medium" CalSci when measured mounted... more on that in a moment), which shipped almost immediately and arrived very quickly. I unpacked it, and it quickly became apparent, IMHO, that the finish quality was far better in this instance than the CalSci. Nicer polishing on the edges, smooth beveling, perfect radius curves, etc. Holding the two shields side-by-side really showed the difference (sorry, no pics). There was a bit of consternation about the mounting right at first, as if you try to mount the Parabellum to the stock holes then the shield hits the turn signals in such a way it won't mount. It quickly becomes apparent you have to use Yamaha's upper mount holes for the Parabellum, and then all is golden and it fits like a glove, though it takes a bit more pressure to mount it as it is much more curved than the CalSci (or stocker). Fit appears perfect once bolted up... That is until you turn the bars. That's when you find out the Yamaha handguards hit the Parabellum screen at full lock either way. As it turns out it's not really a problem, as it only flexes the shield slightly when the guards bump into it, though you soon discover the Parabellum material is, by contrast to the CalSci, tougher than the Yamaha plastic material of the guards, as it mars them ever so slightly, though perhaps *polishes* a tiny area is perhaps a better description.
Still, you quickly find out what one of the virtues of the CalSci shield is... Those cutouts on its sides provide plenty of clearance at full lock.
OTOH, in every other way, IMHO, the Parabellum shield is superior. The CalSci may have their signature "vent", but since their shield hugs the area around the headlamps so much little air passes by there and the vent only adds to the airflow slightly to relieve the back-pressure. Conversely, Parabellum solves this back-pressure and airflow problem much like Yamaha did, by providing a nice, controlled gap area between the lower edge of the shield and the bodywork around the headlamp nacelle. As such, despite the Parabellum being quite a bit wider than the CalSci there is actually slightly *MORE* airflow behind it, and it is much more controlled and quiet, too. Very pleasant, and also actually cooler than the CalSci slightly when compared back to back. Better, more effective ventilation is perhaps the best way to put it, with no turbulence. One thing is for sure, everything about airflow is better with the Parabellum screen for me. Less buffeting, despite the actual viewing presence of the screens being literally the same - i.e. I look over the top edge of both about the same. Less turbulence in the cockpit. Less noise. Nicer air pocket. Everything is... just... well... *better*.
And I would be willing to swear the airflow around the shield is far less turbulent than the CalSci. I would hazard a guess that this is because the Parabellum is far more cureved than the CalSci, and it also "lays back" more than the CalSci, which seems to disturb the air less. It also brings the shield a bit closer to the rider, which is usually a good thing.
Understand, they are both good shields for touring and long distance road riding, but for me the Parabellum is just *better*... And because of the, IMHO, far better fit, finish, etc. it is not just a little bit better, but a lot, and for all those reasons a much better value, too.
Please note, I am not affiliated with either of these companies in any way, shape, or form. Just been a satisfied customer of both, and just passing on my personal experiences and observtions about each shield. Needless to say, YMMV.
One thing I know... The Parabellum is on my bike for my 850+ ride to Birmingham, AL.
Anybody want to buy a slightly used (about 1,100 miles) CalSci shield?
Dallara
~
I also made the swap from Calsi to Parabellum and agree with Dallara 100%. Especially with the fit and finish. The edges on mine looked like they were cut with a framing saw..
hANNAbONE
...Patiently Waited...
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I ordered the PARABELLUM this morning.
24" clear on the way. That'll fix the turbulence.
I'll let cha all know what I think once it gets installed. ::019::
24" clear on the way. That'll fix the turbulence.
I'll let cha all know what I think once it gets installed. ::019::
hojo in sc
Member
I am wondering how you know what size screen is best; I prefer to look over the screen at all times and wonder if anyone can provide measurements from a specific point on the front of the bike to the top of the shield, then I can sit on my bike and see if I would be able to look over and if so, by how much.
Thanks
Thanks
How tall are you? Im 6'1 with a 30 inseam and I have the parabellum 24" and look over it by about three inches with the seat and screen in the high position. I actually talked to parabellum about a 26" screen and they are making them in the next week or sohojo in sc said:
CalSci has a detailed procedure to determine that. It's published at their website.hojo in sc said:
Based on Brntrt and Dallara's post's I ordered a Parabellum 20" screen. I used Brntrt's sizing, as I am 6'2" with a 34" inseam. The next morning after I ordered, I received a call from Parabellum questioning my order. They wondered why I was ordering a 20", I told them based on a similar sized person's review on this board. I also looked at Cal Sci's chart, and it seemed to agree that would be tall enough based on comparisons to stock. They then told me they had never sold a 20" screen, and proceeded to say that I should order a 24" based on my height. I told them I did not want a barndoor windshield on my bike, and I asked if I could get a medium and exchange it for a large if it were not a good fit, (like Cal Sci offers). They said they would be happy to cut the 24" shield down if I didn't like the size. I asked if they could add an inch back if I guessed too low. They did not seems to see my point abut that.
Against my gut feeling, I order the big screen after a ten minute conversation about not wanting a big screen. It shows up, and well, it's a big screen. The edge finish is nice, it's clear, no defects there. The shape is unappealing but that's subjective. I'm sure if you had a Goldwing, it would look great. I mount it up thinking maybe the performance will be worth it.
Going to mount it I find Dallara's post echoing in my head about the fit. I envisioned tighter tolerances on the holes, making the fitment difficult, but the shield and wellnuts providing enough leeway to make it settle in place. Not my experience. The shield is visibly distorting the wellnuts and putting tension on the uprights the shield mounts to. Not good.
Then I check the lock to lock. Or at least as close as I can get. The width does not allow full lock in either direction. Here is a shot of the interference points and the distance from the stop when the shield hits. Cell phone pics, but clear enough.
This is the deal breaker for me. I've owned Yamaha's with plastic shield bolts, have seen them break and save a shield more than once. I even recently broke the ones on my FJR while playing Superman through my (excellent) Cee Bailey screen when a car decided to hit me. With this shield already under tension, steel bolts, and the very good chance off road I could end up forcing the bars to full lock either through a fall or striking something, I wanted no part of this. A simple slip could cost me $213 to replace it, if the shield was the only part damaged. Not to mention the fact I use full lock daily getting my bike around the other bikes and cars in my garage.
I did take the bike out for a 3 mile ride, and the monolith in front of me did block wind. I was able to keep the shield on my helmet open one notch, where with the stock shield it would close at 48mph. There was still wind noise, in fact I didn't find it an improvement over the stock shield in the highest position when it came to noise. I wear custom molded ear plugs. This shield only has one position, BTW. When I asked about that on the phone, I was told the correct shield never needs to be moved. Funny, when I had an adjustable screen on the FJR I found several different scenarios where moving the shield had advantages.
Pulling back in the garage (as far as I could) I took the shield off. Put the bike away, and the next morning called Prarabellum. They seemed surprised, said they hadn't had any complaints. I asked if I could be refunded and they said they would as soon as I shipped the shield back. I asked if there was a shipping code or return process that paid shipping, I was told no. I understand there are worse return policies than me having to eat the shipping, and frankly I've paid more to learn harder lessons.
Against my gut feeling, I order the big screen after a ten minute conversation about not wanting a big screen. It shows up, and well, it's a big screen. The edge finish is nice, it's clear, no defects there. The shape is unappealing but that's subjective. I'm sure if you had a Goldwing, it would look great. I mount it up thinking maybe the performance will be worth it.
Going to mount it I find Dallara's post echoing in my head about the fit. I envisioned tighter tolerances on the holes, making the fitment difficult, but the shield and wellnuts providing enough leeway to make it settle in place. Not my experience. The shield is visibly distorting the wellnuts and putting tension on the uprights the shield mounts to. Not good.
Then I check the lock to lock. Or at least as close as I can get. The width does not allow full lock in either direction. Here is a shot of the interference points and the distance from the stop when the shield hits. Cell phone pics, but clear enough.
This is the deal breaker for me. I've owned Yamaha's with plastic shield bolts, have seen them break and save a shield more than once. I even recently broke the ones on my FJR while playing Superman through my (excellent) Cee Bailey screen when a car decided to hit me. With this shield already under tension, steel bolts, and the very good chance off road I could end up forcing the bars to full lock either through a fall or striking something, I wanted no part of this. A simple slip could cost me $213 to replace it, if the shield was the only part damaged. Not to mention the fact I use full lock daily getting my bike around the other bikes and cars in my garage.
I did take the bike out for a 3 mile ride, and the monolith in front of me did block wind. I was able to keep the shield on my helmet open one notch, where with the stock shield it would close at 48mph. There was still wind noise, in fact I didn't find it an improvement over the stock shield in the highest position when it came to noise. I wear custom molded ear plugs. This shield only has one position, BTW. When I asked about that on the phone, I was told the correct shield never needs to be moved. Funny, when I had an adjustable screen on the FJR I found several different scenarios where moving the shield had advantages.
Pulling back in the garage (as far as I could) I took the shield off. Put the bike away, and the next morning called Prarabellum. They seemed surprised, said they hadn't had any complaints. I asked if I could be refunded and they said they would as soon as I shipped the shield back. I asked if there was a shipping code or return process that paid shipping, I was told no. I understand there are worse return policies than me having to eat the shipping, and frankly I've paid more to learn harder lessons.
I understand you are not happy with the shield, but I do wonder, if you had loosened the bars and rotated them back would the guards cleared the shield at full stop. From looking at the pictures it may not have required much rotation at all.plugugly said:Based on Brntrt and Dallara's post's I ordered a Parabellum 20" screen. I used Brntrt's sizing, as I am 6'2" with a 34" inseam. The next morning after I ordered, I received a call from Parabellum questioning my order. They wondered why I was ordering a 20", I told them based on a similar sized person's review on this board. I also looked at Cal Sci's chart, and it seemed to agree that would be tall enough based on comparisons to stock. They then told me they had never sold a 20" screen, and proceeded to say that I should order a 24" based on my height. I told them I did not want a barndoor windshield on my bike, and I asked if I could get a medium and exchange it for a large if it were not a good fit, (like Cal Sci offers). They said they would be happy to cut the 24" shield down if I didn't like the size. I asked if they could add an inch back if I guessed too low. They did not seems to see my point abut that.
Against my gut feeling, I order the big screen after a ten minute conversation about not wanting a big screen. It shows up, and well, it's a big screen. The edge finish is nice, it's clear, no defects there. The shape is unappealing but that's subjective. I'm sure if you had a Goldwing, it would look great. I mount it up thinking maybe the performance will be worth it.
Going to mount it I find Dallara's post echoing in my head about the fit. I envisioned tighter tolerances on the holes, making the fitment difficult, but the shield and wellnuts providing enough leeway to make it settle in place. Not my experience. The shield is visibly distorting the wellnuts and putting tension on the uprights the shield mounts to. Not good.
Then I check the lock to lock. Or at least as close as I can get. The width does not allow full lock in either direction. Here is a shot of the interference points and the distance from the stop when the shield hits. Cell phone pics, but clear enough.
This is the deal breaker for me. I've owned Yamaha's with plastic shield bolts, have seen them break and save a shield more than once. I even recently broke the ones on my FJR while playing Superman through my (excellent) Cee Bailey screen when a car decided to hit me. With this shield already under tension, steel bolts, and the very good chance off road I could end up forcing the bars to full lock either through a fall or striking something, I wanted no part of this. A simple slip could cost me $213 to replace it, if the shield was the only part damaged. Not to mention the fact I use full lock daily getting my bike around the other bikes and cars in my garage.
I did take the bike out for a 3 mile ride, and the monolith in front of me did block wind. I was able to keep the shield on my helmet open one notch, where with the stock shield it would close at 48mph. There was still wind noise, in fact I didn't find it an improvement over the stock shield in the highest position when it came to noise. I wear custom molded ear plugs. This shield only has one position, BTW. When I asked about that on the phone, I was told the correct shield never needs to be moved. Funny, when I had an adjustable screen on the FJR I found several different scenarios where moving the shield had advantages.
Pulling back in the garage (as far as I could) I took the shield off. Put the bike away, and the next morning called Prarabellum. They seemed surprised, said they hadn't had any complaints. I asked if I could be refunded and they said they would as soon as I shipped the shield back. I asked if there was a shipping code or return process that paid shipping, I was told no. I understand there are worse return policies than me having to eat the shipping, and frankly I've paid more to learn harder lessons.
The holes being off is something they should take care of..
The picture is bad, I thought it looked better when I took it. A better shot would show why I don't believe any minor adjustment would have helped. Besides, I could understand the shield interfering if I had altered the bar position from stock, or fitted different guards. That would be on me, fully. The shield should fit a stock bike, with all the stock equipment in place, or state that it doesn't, in my opinion. If they had said I could not run the stock hand guards or had to rotate the bars to accommodate their shield, I would not have ordered. The curvature or hole placement that is off is what it is. I'm not the only one to have the problem, Maybe I'm the only one that finds the sum of the flaws more than I want to deal with.
I just wish someone else had stated what I now know, and I wouldn't have to. If everyone else loves the screen, I must expect too much for my $200.
I just wish someone else had stated what I now know, and I wouldn't have to. If everyone else loves the screen, I must expect too much for my $200.
Ok, lets look at something else. The bars and hand guards are put on the bike at the time of build at the dealership.plugugly said:
The bars and or the hand guards could have been tweaked then. My hand guards were off by quite a bit, side to side.
If you look at the bike from the front, do you notice one guard is lower than the other?
Because this is the first time someone has mentioned the guards hitting the shield, I think your bars or guards were not installed correctly.
Something you may want to look at. Just saying,,