YBR 125 screen

[_Iain_]

How much difference does it really make? Been advised by a few experienced bikers that its well worthwhile if doing a lot of mileage in all weathers.

Which is best? Genuine yamaha or other?

Spent significant amounts of time today on dual carridgeways at around 55-60mph. Found myself with my head almost on the damn tank most of the time just for a bit of comfort! Wind pressure on chest buffeting wasnt too pleasnt.However im not willing to spend £70 odd on a fecking blingy part that does nothing. Opinions/reviews??



In other news, put 170 miles on the bike today and am fecking loving it! Did just squeeze an indicated 75mph out of it on the flat... (chin on tank pusing somewhere around 8.5 -9k revs ) so all the worries about it being too dull are out the window.
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Please be aware that the above post may be full of complete nonsense.
Riding: '07 KTM Duke II, Baotian BT49QT-20 Driving: '88 Volvo 340

[Alpha-9]

Yeah baby YBR all the way, fuck the haters!

It is not uninspiring or ugly, it is glorious!


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Fzr-600 1999

[Teflon-Mike]

£70?

Stop thrashing the knackers off the thing, and asking so much of it. Its a lightweigh FFS!

Put the money for a screen, and savings from using less fuel towards getting your licence, and a bigger bike, if that's what you want to do!

Its a lightweight; useful one, and a screen may be of some benefit; but.... and advantages will have accompanying dissadvantages and the one thing that a screen wont give you is shear MASS...

OK, so it may add a few gramms to the all up weight... but in the least desirable place, on the forks...

A commuter screen, will not relieve a LOT of wind-blast off you; certainly not at the sort of speed a YBR OUGHT to be doing.....

It will increase drag and knock some spots off your mpg at the speeds where it does make any difference, and as like a couple of points off your top speed.

On the bars, its also a bludy great rudder to catch the wind and make the bike even more sensitive to side winds and buffeting turbulence.

Propper full fairings that are frame mounted can make the bike more relaxed to ride, wont have the rudder effect, and can actually add some useful streamlining to the bike so they aren't as adversely effected at higher speeds..... BUT

Bottom line is its still a lightweight, and its the weight that gives the bike stability.....

And its capacity that gives you power to hold higher speeds.

My CB750 is unfaired, and I'm quite 'comfortable' on that thing right up to the sort of speeds it can achieve, that are probably twice what a YBR can get to..... and at real world speeds, with the weight and the power to punch through, I dont feel the need to tuck in, and dont feel like I'm being buffeted about like a leaf in the breeze....

And actually.... I quite LIKE not having a fairing cosseting me in a little still air bubble, like driving a car....

So; thought; when you feel the need to modify or adapt your motorcycle, ask yourself what are you asking it to do that the designers didn't provide accomodation for? And WHY NOT?

Then think long and hard about your suggested adaptation or modification, and think whether it is REALLY the 'best' solution to the REAL 'problem'...

Which here would seem to be, you are asking a lightweight little commuter bike, intended for short 50mph'ish trips, with the occassional even shorter blast up a NSL road in the 60mph region, to do something only JUST inside its envelope of operating parameters; asking it to do longer distances at higher speeds, the sort of 'work' a 500 commuter twin is really optimised around...

Ergo... whats the real 'problem'?
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Cheerfulgrin]

I have a small screen on my YBR125 and i find it helps a fair bit when i am on the dual carriageway.

my commute is 20+ miles each way, mostly on NSL roads, the screen helps a bit with wind blast and head on winds or when riding into rain. I dont think it makes the bike look any better or worse, but its a little more comfortable especially if you can tuck behind it a bit.

I am trading up to a bigger bike soon though, as i cover too many miles on the dual carriageway for the YBR really.

https://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g458/Cheerfulgrin/bike%20pics/IMAG0431.jpg
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--Current Bike: '98 Hornet CB600F
--Previous Bikes 2012 Hyo GT250R - 2010 YBR125 - Back in '91:Suzuki 50cc moped & Honda CB125T Superdream
--CBT -Feb '11, Theory -Nov '11, Mod 1 -Jan '12, Mod 2 Feb '12

[Rogerborg]

I've put screens on all 3 bikes so far and find they make a big difference to comfort.

PUIG universal screens are decent enough, or you can fettle your own out of a bit of perspex (e.g. 500mm x 500mm x 3mm from eBay), hacksaw, drill and a heat source (e.g. paint stripper gun).

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/__DYtEEjm5wE/S-atadof5nI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/CsDcrF9h-qM/s320/screen-mk-2.JPG

Takes some patience, but it's very satisfying.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[P.addy]

Just ebay a screen, universal ones are alright.

You are welcome to my GSXR750 screen, its blue and will need some..improv. but its yours if you want it

[Cheerfulgrin]

[_Iain_]

I'd love a bigger bike - however i still need to find the money for theory, and a three day DAS course! (instructors said its what he would reccomend based on current standard) If it made a dramatic difference to the comfort then it could always be sold on seperately after passing to recoup the cost. Especially with the amount of time actually spent on the bike regardless of weather!

Wondered if it was a common issue as yamaha supply an official part -why would they supply a fix for an issue that doesnt exist? Cant see any use for one whatsoever if you're not going past about 45mph, or round town. But that was the thinking anyway.

I'll have a look on ebay for one of the puig jobbies then. £30 isnt too bad at all!
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Please be aware that the above post may be full of complete nonsense.
Riding: '07 KTM Duke II, Baotian BT49QT-20 Driving: '88 Volvo 340

[Teflon-Mike]

[P.addy]

Iain, your test is £121.50...theory, mod1 and mod2, i'll happily take you through it...its a piece of cake You don'tv have to do a DAS course, I never did

[_Iain_]

Mike,

Im not confident at passing DAS. My instructor reccomended i got some real world experience prior to taking a three day course - i dont see how im implying that i'm overly confident!

Low sun i got an education on yesterday! Went and purchased some saftey sunglasses from screwfix (the non shatter variety as reccomended by the instructor) which has made life a lot easier, as i can just pull over and put them in my pocket when conditions change. Simple solution to a simple problem

To be honest i'd feel a hazard if i was coming along a 60mph strech of road where most cars are hammering along at 70-80mph, doing only 45mph or less. Coming into a headwind and going uphill resulted in the getting down to regain a bit of the comfort! In an ideal world it'd probabbly be okay...however from my limited experience car drivers just dont give a shit & start to perform dangerous overtakes that put me at risk. It would seem to me that letting off the throttle at 50mph into a headwind in such a situation would actually be making the situation worse! Hence asking about a screen for the next time i encounter this situation to make life a little more pleasant?

On the subject of acessories - what the hell are the "engine bars" all about? Assuming im looking at the right bit - the chrome bars infront of the exhaust downpipe. (excuse the bad helmet placement!)

https://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/424797_10151327211365054_816330053_23244969_37542866_n.jpg

The bike came fitted with a set, from what i gather they're a genuine yamaha part. I'd assumed they were supposed to offer some sort of protection to the engine, however looking at the bike if it was to fall over then it'd still smash the tank into the deck, and pretty much anything else that was going to hit the floor



The more i think about it the more i wonder if the CBF with its half fairing would have been a better choice, regardless of the expense of repairing said plastic in the event of a crash/drop. Will definately look into something like a bandit S when i've got a proper licence, however the YBR in the condition it is, at the price it was i'd have been a fool to walk away!

I know for a fact i'm starting to get a bit cocky on the bike already - but surely you've been where i am once, along with a lot of other people and have done the same sort of thing? Trust me, i'm taking on board what you're telling me, honestly i am. I apologise if i come across as being a bit of a "know it all" or anything, im none too good with my words...Just a bit of a steep learning curve at the minuite - and i won't learn anything by sitting at home, not riding, not experiencing anything, & not asking questions!



Paddy, i'd be grateful if you could sort that out at somepoint - however i was under the impression that to get acess to full power i'd have to do my test on a 500CC bike, and that even if i bought one insurance for the test would be impossible! I thought it'd be best to get it all out of the way and done with before the new regulations come in next year. I'll have to talk to you about it all propperly later on when i find the damn shed keys again...they've gone AWOL in the few hours since i've done my 3500 mile service...
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Please be aware that the above post may be full of complete nonsense.
Riding: '07 KTM Duke II, Baotian BT49QT-20 Driving: '88 Volvo 340

[Recluso]

Definitely worth a screen. Look out a universal one off eBay if money's a wee bit tight.

I left mine off for a week or so after having a fiddle with my headlight. 40 mile round trip to uni and I was knackered after having the wind bounce off my chest all the way down the A370.

'Official' Yam screen is £70. Universal is £20+. Only difference is the logo down the side.
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'Just erotic. Nothing kinky. It's the difference between using a feather and using a chicken.'
Honda PS125i > Yamaha YBR125 > Yamaha XJ6 Diversion > Yamaha Tracer 900

[Teflon-Mike]

Offering a 'Caution'.... ten days from passing CBT and razzing it up main roads, is err.... diving in the deep end! Lots of riders are doing little more than pottering around the housing estate the live on for the first fortnight!
And no, you wont learn to cope with higher speed roads not going there; BUT... other traffic, No it DONT give a shit... but you have paid your road tax, FUCK EM!
Dont be intimidated into riding quicker than you are comfortable; its a speed limit, NOT a speed target, don't be bullied into the gutter; hold your road room, and IF they want to go round you, that's up to them.
You have a big advert for L earners on the back to give them the hint! Use it!
Believe me they will be as big an ass hole sitting on your number-plate at 70 as they will at 50... If they decide to make a stupid pass and steal my road-room, I would MUCH rather be doing 50 and have more time to do 'something' and not have SUCH a big wind-wake to cope with, than at 60-70!
Your on L's to learn... you dont HAVE to be on main roads at busy times... so when you want to go practice them; pick the off-peak quieter times or quieter roads....
Also STOP..... when other traffic is influencing your actions.
YOU are the fucking rider on the saddle of YOUR bike... NOT them.
If you let them 'remote control' YOU, YOU are not in control, are you?
Stop, take a break. Do you smoke? Have a fag! If you dont; buy a pack of sweets like some mints at the paper shop; stick them in your pocket; have one when you pull over; wait until you have finished sucking the sweet, until you get back on the bike.
Riding a bike is not THAT hard, but falling off is FAR too easy.
And before you can excersize good bike control; need to excersize good self control.

Fact you recognise you are getting a bit 'cocky'... good start. What to do with that knowledge... reel in a bit, get the experience to back that confidence with real competence.

As for being where you are now? Personally? Probably, but I think I was nine, and riding a twist and go moped around a field!

I'm not a great example! I took to bikes like a duck to water. First time I rode a geared bike I was 13, and it was a 350 Suzuki. Ten minutes after learning how to shift, I was pulling 50 yard long power wheelies, tail sliding it around a grass track, and attempting trials climbs and decents on the ruddy thing! A month later I was doing it in competition! (Badly!)

On dirt I have fallen off more times than I care to remember! On the road? Three times, in quarter of a century. All in my early riding period, on L's! None of them actually from over exuberance.

Engine bars?

Very useful bits of kit; No they aren't going to save the 'shiney bits' if the bike goes down...

Best use, is that they protect the 'expensive' bit, the engine; and they can deflect an impact that could crack crank cases or covers, or snap engine fins etc.

Used to be a common problem on the old inline fours, bikes used to have the generator on the end of the crank-shaft. Many bikes, and particularly little bike still do.

Couple of kilos of iron and magnets spinning around at the extremity of the shaft, hidden behind a thin aluminium cover.

When the bike goes down that 'sticky out bit' on the side of the engine id vulnerable; the casing cracks and the generator rotor takes a hefty 'smack', easily resulting in a bent crankshaft and a pretty catastrophically buggered engine!

On the other side; take a look at where your brake pedal sits. Thats right next to teh porimary drive cover. Again, thin, brittle ali casing. Quite common for a Right hand 'dump' (like on aroundabout!) for the bike ot go down, take little or no cosmetic damage, but the brake lever to take the brunt of the impact, and bend, the inner blade like edge punching a hole in the primary drive; or the clutch cover being worn away; either resulting in pretty instantaneouse oil loss... while the engine is probably still running... another fairly catastrophically buggered engine!

Engine bars, wont garantee to save your motor, but can help. and while a dented tank may look more dramatic, damn site easier to fix, than a buggered engine!

Add on EDD: just remembered an 'encounter' involving engine bars I had with a miopic old duffer in a Kia.... Was going round a roundabout, passing the stationary tail of aqueue of traffic in the left hand lane, going into one of the exits; MrMagoo, decided he couldn't be bothered to wait there and JUST as I was along side him, sunts out of the line, into my lane...

His front wing smacked into my thigh, and the bike (HEAVY CB750) sort of wibbled, but as I went around him, the enginebar cought the wrappy out bit of his front bumper, by the front wheel arch, RIPPING the whole front end loose.... Dozy duffer then CARRIED ON pulling out, obliviouse of hitting me (without knocking me off!) and RAN OVER his own front end!

For once: Smidsy Nil; Biker +1!
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'