Page 1 of 1

Been gone long time!

Posted: Fri May 27, 2016 3:31 pm
by Dustoff66
Hello all ----- I can't remember when I posted on these boards last but I'm back with a small report. I didn't think I'd even be riding anymore .... in February I was driving my truck,minding my own business, and got T-boned in an intersection by a guy driving a stolen car being chased by the cops. I got hit directly on the driver's door, truck destroyed ( my beautiful '98 Ram ) and I got broken up pretty badly -- mostly left side stuff --- head, arm, leg, hip, lots of glass cuts. Anyway I'm pretty much healed -- for a geezer. Just got the PCX out today, it's a really nice day here.
One strange thing ; I noticed that the Givi tall screen I had on looked a little wobbly on the left side, so I took off the cowling and the plexiglass around the top left bolt was cracked. I know i didn't overtighten. I took the screen off and that area broke off in my hand. The plastic was brittle like old paper, just crumbled. I put the Ermax on -- the one I waited so long to get from France, but has anyone else had their screen just crumble like that?

Anyway, I'm going for a little ride later to blow the cobwebs away. See y'all later.

Re: Been gone long time!

Posted: Fri May 27, 2016 11:25 pm
by WhiteNoise
Long time?....Yes indeed ;)
Wow, what a return entrance! Caught in the middle of a Cop Chase. Bam! Dang!
But it's great that you're okay today after all that. It sounded bad. Sucks about your '98 truck too. What happened to the driver of the stolen vehicle, was he alright?
Good you returned to update us. I wondered why you disappeared. Then I thought you sold your scoot to buy a bigger bike.
NOPE! dual Surprise!...you're okay, and you're back on your PCX.

About your Givi screen...good you saw that and removed it. Must gave been a faulty one since it's birth. The Ermax screen are nice, which height did you get...um, I forgot?

Re: Been gone long time!

Posted: Sat May 28, 2016 4:09 am
by Dustoff66
Whitenoise --- thanks for the reply! The guy being chased wasn't belted in, no surprise, and he got hurt but not as badly. Of course he had no insurance and he was also wanted elsewhere so my company had to foot the bills.
I was at one time going to buy a CTX700 but for now I'm happy still on the PCX. Had a nice tuneup ride yesterday; still have good balance so I think all will be OK.
As for the Ermax, I got the +25 taller version and although it's not as quiet behind it as the Givi tall I can live with it. I had read somewhere about noise reduction weatherstripping one can use on windscreens -- I can't remember the Mfr.

Re: Been gone long time!

Posted: Sat May 28, 2016 7:06 am
by Mel46
One of my tall Givi windshields cracked at the bolt just like yours. I ended up supergluing it back together and putting some clear Gorilla tape down that whole side under the cowling area. It held quite well until our accident, when the windshields on both of our bikes broke cleanly.

Re: Been gone long time!

Posted: Sat May 28, 2016 7:25 am
by chicaboo
The wind load on those screens might be too much for the strength of the material around the bolt hole?

Re: Been gone long time!

Posted: Sat May 28, 2016 9:50 am
by WhiteNoise
Screen edging? A product from Saeng perhaps? https://www.saeng.com/category.php?category=80
We have members that still use it (or have used it).
It's Memorial Day weekend, so...maybe? they'll chime in with reviews (+ or - )

Re: Been gone long time!

Posted: Sat May 28, 2016 10:01 am
by WhiteNoise
Mel, do you think it could be the hard plastic washers/grommets used against our screens? They're by no means the soft rubbery type found on Piaggio's and other scoots. Read about these hard washers somewhere on our forum. They have no flex, no give to them :roll:

Re: Been gone long time!

Posted: Sat May 28, 2016 6:01 pm
by Mel46
I replaced mine with ones I made from a rubber gasket material. I don't think the hard washers were meant to be as hard as they are. One of our bikes has rubber washers, while the others were hard plastic of some sort. Those were on the side that broke.

Re: Been gone long time!

Posted: Sat May 28, 2016 8:33 pm
by honkerman
Ack! The only good T-bone comes from a cow...or a deer, those are good too.

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Glad you are back in the saddle!

Re: Been gone long time!

Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 5:31 pm
by flyingzonker
Dustoff66 wrote:Hello all ----- I can't remember when I posted on these boards last but I'm back with a small report. I didn't think I'd even be riding anymore .... in February I was driving my truck,minding my own business, and got T-boned in an intersection by a guy driving a stolen car being chased by the cops. I got hit directly on the driver's door, truck destroyed ( my beautiful '98 Ram ) and I got broken up pretty badly -- mostly left side stuff --- head, arm, leg, hip, lots of glass cuts. Anyway I'm pretty much healed -- for a geezer. Just got the PCX out today, it's a really nice day here.
One strange thing ; I noticed that the Givi tall screen I had on looked a little wobbly on the left side, so I took off the cowling and the plexiglass around the top left bolt was cracked. I know i didn't overtighten. I took the screen off and that area broke off in my hand. The plastic was brittle like old paper, just crumbled. I put the Ermax on -- the one I waited so long to get from France, but has anyone else had their screen just crumble like that?

Anyway, I'm going for a little ride later to blow the cobwebs away. See y'all later.
Sounds like fatigue destroyed your screen--wind flexed one to many times.

Your accident reminds me of a famous movie scene--I think the movie was Amores Perros--Love is a Bitch--in which a young guy stabs a gang leader who had just shot his dog. The dog, a professional fighter, got nailed because he kept tearing up every dog the gang leader put up against him. Anyway, the whole gang took out after this guy who was trying to make his get away--with a friend, and his wounded dog in the back seat-- in an old 60's Ford--one of those big long babies with 8 cylinders. For ten minutes there is a wild crazy chase through the streets of Mexico city. The gangsters in some kind of truck or maybe it was an SUV, potshotting out the windows, keep gaining on guy who keeps his foot mostly to the floor bouncing off the curbs fishtailing careening all over the street. Just as he is putting a little distance between him and the gang he runs a light--he has done nothing but run lights through the whole scene--and T-bones a young woman who right then entered the intersection. The crash is spectacular. The guy's buddy who was riding with him is instantly killed. He himself is left a basket case, crippled for life. The young woman suffers a crushed leg...Suffice it to say that although I have never been in a serious automobile accident, after watching this movie I feel that I have been. I will look and see if I can find a clip of this scene...it is worth watching. Just watching it will make you a better driver.


Re: Been gone long time!

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 5:47 am
by Dustoff66
WhiteNoise wrote:Screen edging? A product from Saeng perhaps? https://www.saeng.com/category.php?category=80
We have members that still use it (or have used it).
It's Memorial Day weekend, so...maybe? they'll chime in with reviews (+ or - )
Hey WhiteNoise --- I've been reading about this Saeng edging. It's supposedly great for almost eliminating wind noise but at $14.90 a foot I'd love to hear from anyone who's tried it. Not that I'm cheap, mind you, but ..... well I am. I have the Ermax back on and after the tall Givi it's REALLY loud even in town at 35mph. I might drag out one of my old helmets and try that first.
BTW the old bones are creaking a bit after my first ride in a long time. But it's great to be back in the saddle.

Re: Been gone long time!

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 5:59 am
by you you
Using earplugs?

Re: Been gone long time!

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 6:47 am
by gn2
When fitting a replacement tall screen to my Forza it came supplied with two sets of washers.
One is fatter and sits under the screen, the thinner set go under the bolt heads.
The original screen had a thicker section at the bolt holes so no packing needed.
The replacement tall screen is a uniform thickness so if the fat ones are left out the screen is flexed at the mount points and this could possibly cause fractures over time.

Re: Been gone long time!

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 7:10 am
by Dustoff66
gn2 -- maybe that's what happened. I also have two sets of washers and I used both stacked together rather than one under the plastic. I didn't overtighten but maybe that caused the flexing. I might try the tall screen again ( obviously with just the 3 bolts ) , adding some 100mph tape along the broken section. The wind in my face behind the Ermax is just too much.