Parabellum Screen Install?

[Juan_Banjovy]

What's the secret? I got a tall Parabellum windscreen for last winter but could not install it. Winter is here again & it's already getting cold. Here's the problem: I cannot get my hand behind the mounts to hold the nut plates in place. Because the screen blocks off where my hand would go. I need one hand to hold the screen, one VERY TINY hand to hold the nut plates in the holes & one hand to turn the screwdriver. Meaning, here we go again. How is this done with 2XL hands?

 

[HarveyM]

No specific knowledge, but when I have similar problems I think 'tape it (the nut plates) in place'. Once the bolts are started strip off the tape.

 

[melensdad]

Well I'd say ride over to the local day care center or kindergarten and ask to borrow a small child but that might be frowned upon by the police.

 

[MZ5]

I generally use a small end wrench to hold the nuts on the back side of the mounts. I've tried to use my Cobras before (sorta similar to channel-locks), but an end wrench works better for me. Put a swatch of tape across the bottom side of the box (closed) end if you're not using the whiz nuts (flange nuts) the bike came with.

As far as 3 hands, I sympathize, but you just have to use the screwdriver/wrench hand to hold the screen via the screw with the screwdriver (or whatever wrench you're using).

 

[Wedders]

Will someone post a photo as I can’t understand the position you are discussing. If it’s the screen mounts directly to the bike they are fitted with well nuts so don’t need holding.

 

[670cc]

Will someone post a photo as I can’t understand the position you are discussing. If it’s the screen mounts directly to the bike they are fitted with well nuts so don’t need holding.

I don’t have a photo handy, but I think what we are talking about here is aftermarket nut plates vs the stock wellnuts. The expanding rubber wellnuts are fine for attaching the dinner plate sized stock windscreen, but larger aftermarket screens require a better anchoring method. Instead of the wellnuts, sometimes a small metal plate with two attached metal nuts is set in behind the bikes windscreen mounting bracket. The tricky part comes with how to hold the nut plate in place while getting the screws started, usually with a big windscreen in the way and very little space behind to hold the nut plate.

 

[Juan_Banjovy]

Thanks, will give it another try tomorrow.

 

[Wedders]

I don’t have a photo handy, but I think what we are talking about here is aftermarket nut plates vs the stock wellnuts. The expanding rubber wellnuts are fine for attaching the dinner plate sized stock windscreen, but larger aftermarket screens require a better anchoring method. Instead of the wellnuts, sometimes a small metal plate with two attached metal nuts is set in behind the bikes windscreen mounting bracket. The tricky part comes with how to hold the nut plate in place while getting the screws started, usually with a big windscreen in the way and very little space behind to hold the nut plate.

Thanks for the explanation, I now understand the problem.

 

[Juan_Banjovy]

Last winter I put the screws, spacers & washers through the holes in the screen then slowly lean it toward the nut plates & everything would slide off. I kept chasing parts & losing stuff & going to Home Depot. This year? Same. Screen's going to sit on the shelf, I'm done with it. I put a Parabellum screen on my Vstrom in minutes. I don't remember what was different, that was years ago. Great screen for winter on that bike. Fortunately where I live I can ride sometimes through winter, just not daily. I did tape in the nut plates & it worked well. I'd forgotten about the other stuff I had to deal with. It really takes 4 people to install this screen. One on each side holding the hardware on, one holding the screen & one turning the screwdriver.