Those Givi AF214 Airflow brackets!

I use my Swing mostly on the motorway at speeds of 70-80mph. The screen is the limiting factor at these speeds so after checking every screen related thread on this group I ordered a Givi AF214 Airflow. Now it's fitted and tested I can fully agree with all the comments previously stated.

In my research I came across the debate that has stood for as long as people have been fitting these screens... do you fit the extra metal braces or not. Although there is loads of discussion about this I could not find any decent images of the actual bracket including pictures of the dreaded bit of drilling you have to do. The 2 documents I downloaded from here fell short as they did not cover this bit that so many baulk at either so I thought I'd write something that bridges that gap.

Here is the area where the brackets will be attached...

This is the right hand side of the bike. I have taken the cover over the instrument cluster off as well as the "garnish" panel. Notice on the right hand side one of the 3 rubber mounted nuts (wellnuts) to hold my screen was missing. I have now replaced this. The 3 rubber wellnuts each side hold the screen to the silver coloured plastics. the larger lower screw (removed in the above pic) holds the plastic to the metal frame underneath. If you don't fit the brackets you are relying on the plastics to take all the load of your screen. If you fit the brackets you connect the middle and rear attachments to the plastic to the metal frame as well via either just the ready drilled lower screw mentioned above or better still you can drill out the plastic behind the hole in the angled part of the bracket to find the already existing but hidden retained bolt. Use that and the screen really is well braced to the frame.

Here is the nut you will be drilling the plastic to find...

That pic is taken looking down from above and the black item with the logo on it is my torch for illumination. Here it is again from another angle...

There are 2 ways you can find the position to drill. Either mount the bracket and drill the center of the hole using the bracket as a template or alternatively if you look carefully at the plastic you will see it has been embossed marking the position to drill...

As has been mentioned by many others, drill the plastic very slowly and carefully. The plastic drills like butter and you must not drill out the nut thread behind. I used a 6mm bit. It's also worth mentioning I slightly tweaked the bend in one of the brackets to make it sit slightly better but maybe that's my OCD coming out! The next pic is the drilled hole however I forgot to take a pic from when I drilled the right side so this pic is taken of when I drilled the left side...

If using the bracket as a template (like I did) then make sure the main bolt into the metal frame is snugged up tight so it holds the plastic you are about to drill in the right position relative to both the bracket and the bikes metal frame underneath. Otherwise you could drill slightly misaligned! With the new bolt inserted it should look like this...

Do up the new bolt and then withdraw the screen mounting screws (the ones that go into the wellnuts) so you can now fix the screen. Should look like this...

Screen now attached to bracket which now is a direct metal fitment to the metal framework. Without the bracket the screen would have used the plastic alone to brace itself. Don't forget to refit the instrument cluster cover before fitting the screen!

Here, is the lower part of the screen fully fitted before putting the garnish back on and inserting the upper part of the screen...

And that's it. I haven't covered everything as there are already a couple of good pictorials out there but this bit was the bit that people avoid and wasn't covered properly before. Hope it helps someone.

Excellent pictorial! It's a mistake that many people commit by omitting the bracket. It really is needed because of the increased air loading of the larger windshield. I've installed two of the large one piece Givi windshields and one of the adjustables. You can really feel the difference in the stiffness of the shield when omitting the bolt that goes into the metal. Installing those brackets is necessary if you want to reduce the possibility of the windshield mounting holes cracking. If one rides at slower speeds in town it could probably be left off.  If you ride at higher speeds on highways with gusts and eddies of wind coming from trucks and such, the bracket is a must.

BTW - I had to adjust the angle on the bracket a wee bit also. I like things to fit with as little stress as possible.

Very good photos these will help anyone in the future installing this windshield.

GIVI adjustable is one of the best screens I have ever sat behind. ON any bike. Quiet, adjustable and functions.. Takes a little getting used to with the double shield but after that you'll like it.

Easy to clean just remove the parts. Bugs tend to get behind top shield but remove it and its easy to clean.
Locks wills loosen a little with use just snug them as needed. Upper part seems to be a softer plastic so clean it carefully no scratches.

Thank you both. On the subject of the 2 nuts that retain the upper screen... I plan to undo those and use some blue Loctite on them before replacing while ensuring the nylok part is definitely engaged in the thread. Hoping that should be belt and braces enough.

Those nuts will need occasional snugging, temperature and age tend to loosen them.

That’s why I intend to use blue Loctite.

Why would you put Loctite on new nyloc nuts on a brand new Airflow? Is it just because a bloke who doesn't even own a Silver Wing equipped Airflow or had one years ago says they need regular tightening.

On my Airflow which I installed seven years ago this month, I haven't snugged, nipped up, tightened or done anything to the screen clamp nuts since I fitted a replacement top screen way back in the Summer of 2012.

My screen hasn't moved from it's position one iota in all that time, I have a visual warning indicator fitted to my screen and it hasn't moved.

Now I do use Loctite on the adjustment bolts on my Wunderlich screen spoiler, and on my mirror mounts because they do have a tendency to work loose.

Don't use any Loctite on any windshield parts. Well nuts will just spin when trying to remove them if you ever have to. Outer rubber part expands when tightened not easy to remove if the nut spins but screw won't back out.

I've read a few post about the upper shield flying off seems to hit you in the face.. Not a big issue. Use your judgement on how tight locks need to be. ITS plastic snug is good.

Mech 1 twa wrote:

I've read a few post about the upper shield flying off seems to hit you in the face.. Not a big issue. Use your judgement  on how tight locks need to be. ITS plastic snug is good.

Is that so, that's your opinion backed up by no experience of being hit by one. The posts you read were mine. I got smacked in the face by a top screen coming off. I can assure you having that sheet of plastic hitting you at 70 mph wasn't pleasant at all.

Luckily I didn't come off or crash, and it didn't hit any off the vehicles travelling at the same speed behind me. Because it's quite possible if it had hit a car windscreen, or a driver swerved to avoid it, it could have caused a multi vehicle pile up.

I'm going over old ground here saying that the force of that screen after hitting my visor then ripped the air vent off it's mount on the top of my Schuberth J1 helmet. After that I had a very noisy, cold, and bug splattered 100 miles ride home.

Loose nyloc nuts on the clamps of the lower section of the Airflow had nothing to do with it, and I lost the replacement screen just over a year later at speed, this time without incident but a major inconvenience as I had to replace top the screen in a week or so as I was going on a touring holiday to Germany.

This is the top screen that's been in place now since 2012 and as I mentioned earlier I haven't tightened up the nyloc nuts once.

Hmmmm! How long would it hold you up to add it to your pre ride checks. I always check my lights every ride, tyres and oil at least once a week. And everything before a long ride. A daily check for a loose screen is easy and loosening the clips once a week takes moments. To be honest my screen has never seemed to get any looser, perhaps I do it up very tight to start with.

Meldrew, if not the clamp nuts, to what do you attribute the screen malfunction --twice?

Tim

Meldrew, rather than just moan why not actually say what the cause of your screen losses were? Maybe then we could actually do something about the situation rather than have to try to pick the bones of other peoples experience who you seem to think are inferior!

Meldrew wrote:

This is the top screen that's been in place now since 2012 and as I mentioned earlier I haven't tightened up the nyloc nuts once.

I also have never tightened the nuts on mine (fitted in 2013) I also have never had any movement of the upper section.

I think the problem some have had with movement can be attributed to mould/mold release agent being present on the clamping area of the sliding section, IIRC there was a post on here some time ago, where the rider obviated this by gently abraiding the rounded area of the top screen 'runners' with fine wet&dry paper, this removed the agent & gave a nice grippy surface for the clamp to act on, which is what I did to mine, possibly Meldrew has done the same or something similar ?
Anyhoo as he says in another post adding loctite or similar to a new nyloc nut is pointless, think logically here, the nyloc works by 'seizing' itself on the bolt thread, so all that will happen is the nylon will push the loctite up the thread ahead of itself, this will leave the compound on the threaded section in an uncured state, for it to cure it needs to be in an area where little or no oxygen is present (in the threads between the nut & bolt)

v23nb wrote:

Meldrew, rather than just moan why not actually say what the cause of your screen losses were? Maybe then we could actually do something about the situation rather than have to try to pick the bones of other peoples experience who you seem to think are inferior!

Whoa, steady on tiger, I rather suspect that if I had been hit by a screen & another member said it was not a biggie, I also would pick a few bones ...

Meldrew wrote:

Mech 1 twa wrote:

I've read a few post about the upper shield flying off seems to hit you in the face.. Not a big issue. ./snipped/.

Is that so, that's your opinion backed up by no experience of being hit by one.

.... I hope that Mech 1 twa was not intentionally being rude, rather he just worded his post badly.


Anyhoo all that aside, nice thread & excellent photo's, well done bud

I'm not moaning about anything mate, my experiences losing those two top screens were years ago, both losses were well documented at the time and unlike you I've had years of untroubled riding behind a Airflow at home and abroad since, so I'm well over it.

Until you've been in the same situation and been smacked by a screen, or seen it's replacement suddenly fly off luckily not hitting me or my wife who was riding passenger at the time. So yes, you, Mech 1 twa and anyone else who's knowledge of the subject is limited to reading old posts and topics and assuming they know better, your experiences are inferior unless you can convince me otherwise.

As for saying 'we could actually do something about the situation' what situation? It's not a widespread problem and one you'd never heard about until you read about it on here, I have a vague memory of one other member forum losing a top screen in the last six or so years and he didn't make a big deal about it either.  It happened to me, I've no idea why as the clamps were tight, I wasn't hurt, I didn't come off, and the only damage was to my wallet.

I made the forum aware both times, I've advised the odd hot weather rider that was thinking about removing the top screen that it's not a good idea as the noise and turbulence is awful. But I'm not responsible for the safety of you or anyone else either when it comes to riding maxii scooters.

Thank you v23nb for posting the helpful photos. But before things spiral out of hand, I'll give Meldrew the final word here.

Thread locked

Tim

If anyone feels a pressing need to add something constructive to this Topic feel free to PM me to plead your case.