Background
I sold the GT1000
recently and until another bike takes up residence,
the Multistrada 620 is now my primary ride, keeping
company with the classic BMW R65 that will never
leave the garage.
I'm not sure what it is exactly about this smallest
Multistrada, sold for only two years in 2005 and 2006, that keeps my interest.
But it's a lot of fun to ride; it's simple; it has a unique look; it's economical and it's a collector's item. So what's
not to
like?
Well, the stock windscreen is about it. It was
shaped to focus
the air directly at the bottom of my helmet, which may be perfect for evaluating
turbulence-induced noise for webBikeWorld helmet reviews but annoying for
anything else.
I've been looking for a replacement for some time,
realizing that I needed a lower windscreen that would direct the air towards my
chest, underneath the helmet, to keep my head up in the clear air flow.
MRA Motorcycle Windscreen
The MRA windscreen from Germany fit the bill (Part Number 4025066099047), but I
wasn't sure about the movable deflector on top. But I took a chance, and
the windscreen has worked very nicely, performing exactly as I had hoped,
solving the buffeting problem.
MRA makes replacement windscreens for many different
motorcycles, but the Multistrada version is different than most because of the
movable deflector.
The package contained the windscreen with the
deflector already mounted, some DIY edging and a few decals. I thought I'd need
replacement rivets to attach the windscreen to the Multistrada's fairing, but as it turns out, the Multistrada uses
seven tiny little Torx T7 bolts, each with a rubber-covered brass washer on the
backside and I was able to reuse them with no problems.
A trip down to the local hardware store was needed
to buy the
last T7 driver in stock and a simple swap took only a few minutes and I was all
set. The quality of the MRA windscreen was perfect, but this is to be expected with a
German product, TÜV tested and approved! The screw holes fit exactly as
they should and the installation was without drama of any kind.
There were no instructions for installing the dark
smoke-colored edging, so I lined it up on the edge of the windscreen, measured
and cut. A couple of metal end clamps are provided, and I used a pair of
pliers to give them a light squeeze on the end of the edging to keep it in
place.
Let's take a pictorial look at the process, then
I'll give you my riding impressions:
Here's the stock Ducati windscreen, this one was
clear.
Not bad except for the wind blast on
the lower portion of my helmet
Close-ups of the rivet (L) and the rubber-covered
nut on the inside (R).
Height comparison of the stock Ducati windshield (L)
and the MRA windshield on the right.
The Ducati windshield after removal (L) and a
close-up of the T7 Torx screw and nut (R).
Close-up of the edging, end cap and hinge of the MRA
windshield.
Here's the Multistrada with the dark smoke MRA
windscreen installed.
View from the driver's seat: the MRA windscreen is
much flatter, and partially blocks the
view of the
instruments, which is the only disadvantage.
Riding Impressions
The MRA windscreen looks good, especially in the dark smoke tint that matches my
black Multistrada. I will say that the deflector does seem a bit odd-looking to
some, however. The deflector can be removed, but would leave mounting holes and
probably the base of the hinge assembly on the windscreen (I haven't tried to
remove it).
The windscreen directs the air much lower on my chest, which
still provides some protection from the wind but keeps my head up in the
undisturbed air, greatly reducing the noise levels from the lower part of my
helmet.
However, there is one price to pay: the instruments are partially
obscured by the new MRA windscreen, which sits much lower than the original
Ducati item. This isn't something I care for and I hadn't
considered it when I purchased the MRA windscreen, but I guess I can live with
it.
The wind deflector is movable by hand, running
through about three different heights, stopping at very stiff detents along the
way (see the Flash slide show above for the animation). It's rather difficult to move
one-handed and not something to fiddle with when riding.
But, I have
noticed no difference at all in the performance of the windscreen whether the
deflector is raised or lowered. Perhaps someone who is not as tall as me
(5'10") might notice a difference, but I have tried every position and it
doesn't seem to change the air flow.
If the windscreen had been available without the
deflector, I would have purchased it; in fact, the deflector is what gave me
pause to begin with, because I'm not very fond of the way it looks. But I
guess I'll leave it on for now.
All told, I'm happy with the MRA windscreen and I
think this modification makes the Multistrada much more enjoyable to ride, and I
can highly recommend it as a quality product.
Comments are ordered from most recent to oldest.
Not all comments will be published (details). Comments may be edited for
clarity prior to publication.
From "M.L." (7/10): "I have run a smoked MRA
on my '06 620 Dark for about 18 months. I am 6' 0" and
this screen completely eliminated the awful booming/ helmet
buffeting I got from the stock screen.
I've gotten used to the minor inconvenience of the top of the
instrument cluster being partially obscured and have found that
the spoiler position does make a noticeable difference in
airflow, especially at freeway speeds: 70+ mph...
This screen is one of the two mods I'd consider MANDATORY for
this bike; the other being the G2 Ergonomics throttle tamer."
