Commuta_Busa
08-01-2005, 10:44 AM
Ok, so I ended up purchasing a Puig windscreen. I haven't had a chance to take it out and see how much better/worse it does for wind protection as of yet. Here's my comparison between the Puig vs Zero Gravity so far...
The ZG I have is a double bubble and the Puig is listed as their "race" version. The race version is very similar in comparison to the double bubble.
Quality:
Goes to Puig it's a bit thicker than the ZG but still a hair less than the OEM. This means there's less flex in this product vs the ZG. Both screens align well with the factory mounting points. The ZG wasn’t as good as the Puig because the extra thinness didn’t allow the screen to be snug to the body. The result of this was an annoying buzz and squeak. There are a few easy solutions to this though. One can add a small bead of silicon between the screen and the body so things fit snug and with the ability of silicon to not become hard it helped dampen any vibrations. The other approach is to buy some Velcro and to use only the felt half and wrap it around the windscreen in the areas where there’s a gap. Some bikes may not be able to use this same solution because of how the screen and body are mounted together. On the hayabusa the screen is tucked in and allows the screen to retain a clean look.
Price:
The ZG is one dollar cheaper.
Finish:
This is the area where things get more personal. There is one big difference between the two. There’s distortion in the vision when looking through the Puig. The ZG doesn’t suffer from this. As a rider who at times does need to hide behind the windscreen while ridding this becomes an impairment. The reason I was switching windscreens is because the ZG was so dark that while ridding in the rain or at night it was very difficult to make clear distinctions of objects while looking through the screen. I ordered the Puig in the light tint. This does improve my vision over the darker screen. Another draw back to the Puig screen is that it has graphics on it. At the very bottom it’s black with a fade to the light tint. Unfortunately it’s not a vinyl sticker so you don’t have the option of removing it. The area that is blacked out is good to protect your gauge cluster from direct sunlight. The draw back is that when you’re crouched and looking through the screen you loose the whole bottom area for your vision. The Puig screen also has written across the bottom of it 1300R which doesn’t appeal to me. Again this isn’t something that can be removed.
As far as aesthetics, I think the Puig was designed better. It follows the lines of the bike well. Also the curvature of the screen is wider and flatter compared to the ZG’s more peaky profile. The ZG has a distinct constant radius to the bubble compared to the Puig. It’s similar in comparison of ( vs [ . The Puig does have a curvature to the screen it’s just a lot broader. In theory, this should create a larger wind buffering area than the ZG screen. Also related to the blackened area with the fad I don’t like how it cuts horizontally across the screen which detracts from the body lines of the bike. Again, this may only be hayabusa related as different bikes have different lines tot eh contours of their body. It would have been better if the fade was more in the shape of a “V†or “U†to help follow the body of the bike.
To some things up, they’re both good quality screens. If you’re only interested in the “visual†effect you could go with either. As for pure functionality I would say a ZG is a better choice of the two.
The ZG I have is a double bubble and the Puig is listed as their "race" version. The race version is very similar in comparison to the double bubble.
Quality:
Goes to Puig it's a bit thicker than the ZG but still a hair less than the OEM. This means there's less flex in this product vs the ZG. Both screens align well with the factory mounting points. The ZG wasn’t as good as the Puig because the extra thinness didn’t allow the screen to be snug to the body. The result of this was an annoying buzz and squeak. There are a few easy solutions to this though. One can add a small bead of silicon between the screen and the body so things fit snug and with the ability of silicon to not become hard it helped dampen any vibrations. The other approach is to buy some Velcro and to use only the felt half and wrap it around the windscreen in the areas where there’s a gap. Some bikes may not be able to use this same solution because of how the screen and body are mounted together. On the hayabusa the screen is tucked in and allows the screen to retain a clean look.
Price:
The ZG is one dollar cheaper.
Finish:
This is the area where things get more personal. There is one big difference between the two. There’s distortion in the vision when looking through the Puig. The ZG doesn’t suffer from this. As a rider who at times does need to hide behind the windscreen while ridding this becomes an impairment. The reason I was switching windscreens is because the ZG was so dark that while ridding in the rain or at night it was very difficult to make clear distinctions of objects while looking through the screen. I ordered the Puig in the light tint. This does improve my vision over the darker screen. Another draw back to the Puig screen is that it has graphics on it. At the very bottom it’s black with a fade to the light tint. Unfortunately it’s not a vinyl sticker so you don’t have the option of removing it. The area that is blacked out is good to protect your gauge cluster from direct sunlight. The draw back is that when you’re crouched and looking through the screen you loose the whole bottom area for your vision. The Puig screen also has written across the bottom of it 1300R which doesn’t appeal to me. Again this isn’t something that can be removed.
As far as aesthetics, I think the Puig was designed better. It follows the lines of the bike well. Also the curvature of the screen is wider and flatter compared to the ZG’s more peaky profile. The ZG has a distinct constant radius to the bubble compared to the Puig. It’s similar in comparison of ( vs [ . The Puig does have a curvature to the screen it’s just a lot broader. In theory, this should create a larger wind buffering area than the ZG screen. Also related to the blackened area with the fad I don’t like how it cuts horizontally across the screen which detracts from the body lines of the bike. Again, this may only be hayabusa related as different bikes have different lines tot eh contours of their body. It would have been better if the fade was more in the shape of a “V†or “U†to help follow the body of the bike.
To some things up, they’re both good quality screens. If you’re only interested in the “visual†effect you could go with either. As for pure functionality I would say a ZG is a better choice of the two.