Tag: install

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Bajaworx Enduro Windshield

While reading the internet one day, I came across a post from Bajaworx seeking testers for an Enduro bike windshield.  Bajaworx was looking for folks to give their product some real world testing, and to put it through the ringer to see how performed and held up to months of riding.  I promptly replied to the post, and a few days later I received a neat, tidy package in the mail.  Like the proverbial porridge, the box was not too big, not too small, but just right.  Maybe it’s just me, but it really irks me when I get a pair of gloves shipped in a box you could live out of.  No, Amazon, I did not like your packaging.

Tear open the box from Bajaworx however, and you get a carefully and correctly wrapped shield, complete with a bag of hardware taped in place (nice!) and a clear set of installation and care directions.   The shield comes out clean and free from blemishes, and they even used high quality Makrolon polycarbonate in its construction.   These guys obviously care about what they make and sell.

Start the installation by removing the headlight mask on your bike to install the shield.  You’ll have to punch a few holes in the stock mask, but luckily this part is only about 20 bucks if you need to “rework” it for any reason.  Removing the headlight assembly is as simple as disconnecting the wiring, removing the brake hose guide, and pulling the two rubber mounting straps.

Here’s my first gripe: I’m a klutz and I want a template, darn it!  I’m also borderline OCD, so I needed to get the windshield installed perfectly straight.  Out come the calipers and the sharpie so that I can scribe some lines of reasonable accuracy.  A paper template that I can lay over the bike’s headlight mask and mark out the drill holes would be a welcome addition to the installation instructions.

One of the more refined features that are included with the Bajaworx windshield are the stiffening brackets that help reduce movement of the windshield while under wind load.  Sadly, they stopped short of the mark on my particular bike, so I wasn’t able to use them.  It should be noted that I installed the windshield on a model year this was NOT designed for, so that’s no fault to Bajaworx.

Yet again, Bajaworx’s attention to detail surprises me – in this case the appropriate hardware comes pre-assembled; no digging through a bag of hardware looking for the “#4:  6mm screw – 30mm”, or some such nonsense.  Just select a long or short screw, and assemble one at a time being careful not to overtighten.  Depending on what handguards and other handlebar accessories you have on your particular bike, you may have to spend some time tinkering and adjusting to incorporate this windshield onto your bike so that vibration and rubbing won’t cause part A to eat part B.

Over the last several months I’ve taken the Bajaworx windshield down many miles of singletrack, climbed mountains, and gobbled up hundreds of miles at full chat.  I’ve taken the windshield into some properly hairy scenarios, and I never noticed it; with one exception.  I bottomed out hard in a G-out and let myself get pulled too far forward over the bars.  My chest kissed the top of the shield, but that’s all.  No harm, no foul.  Otherwise, it’s utterly imperceptible until you get up in speed.

Once you’re looking to cover some miles, you will notice well, nothing – and that’s the point.  The shield takes all that wind pressure that would normally be pushing you over backwards and diverts it around you.  When sitting, you will have practically no wind from the neck down.  Unlike other products, this piece accomplishes this in such a way as to maintain smooth, laminar airflow across your helmet.  This means that while your head is still in the wind, it’s not bobbling around and creating a roar.  There’s some noise for sure, but it’s all quite tolerable.

Last but not least is durability.  Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I did not get the opportunity to crash test this shield, so I cannot speak to its performance in that arena.  I would posit that this shield is the least of your worries in a crash, and that because the headlight assembly is essentially rubber mounted, it would likely survive any encounter with the earth.  One area of improvement I would suggest is the brake line routing.  The brake hose on my bike would rub constantly on the two ridges on the back of the shield, quickly developing a ‘smeared’ section.  It’s a non-issue since the shield in nowhere near your sight line, but it’s kinda ugly nonetheless.  Granted, it’s still the best looking plastic on my bike, so who’s to argue?

All said, this is a well thought out, well made, and made in USA product that can provide some real world relief on those long stretches at speed.  Whether you’re headed to Dead Horse, or you’re in search of some fish tacos and a cold cerveza, the Bajaworx enduro shield is a welcome riding partner and will see you through a day of riding with noticeably less fatigue.  Check them out at bajaworx.com.

 Full Disclosure: Bajaworx generously contributed this Enduro Windshield for review at no cost to the author or American Adventurist.

 

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BTB: Equipt Expedition Outfitters

Editor’s Note:  Over the last year, we’ve dropped in on a number of companies in the adventure travel industry to see what life is like behind the Employees Only doors at the companies that make and sell the products we use day in and day out.  Over the winter we’ll be sharing our experiences with you so if you can’t get out and play, we’ve got some cool new content to tide you over until the springtime.

Apparently there’s some big thing happening with the sun and the moon today, but despite the fact that thousands of people are positioning themselves along a very specific path across the country, I’m slightly more focused on getting to a certain address in Salt Lake City, Utah.  My destination is Equipt Expedition Outfitters, and I’m going to spend a few hours learning all about the one of the most well-known and respected companies our industry. Many folks know Equipt Expedition Outfitters because they know Paul May.  But I have a confession to make: I don’t know Paul very well. I’ve certainly had the chance to chat with the man over the years at Overland Expo, where I’ve appreciated his hospitality (the man knows how to make a proper drink), but I’m honestly feeling like I’m not the most qualified guy to be writing the profile on a company whose Founder and Owner is so well known.

Pulling into the parking lot, the first thing that you fixate on are the rigs.  Just like that feeling you get pulling into a Rendezvous, Overland Expo or walking into SEMA for your very first time, you can’t help but feel just a little bit giddy parking next to these well-built, and more importantly well-traveled rigs.  On this Monday, the Equipt crew is just getting back from “product training” (Read: A weekend adventure with friends and family trying out new gear and learning more about current gear.) so there’s plenty of that familiar Utah dust on the rigs in the parking lot.

Step through the front door and you’re greeted with a showroom full of awesome gear.  Pictures of vehicles in epic locales cover the walls and unique decorations hold down the shelves – this is clearly the haunt of people who love to travel and explore.  I’ve barely had a chance to walk through the showroom when Raquel Donati (Equipt’s VP of Sales & Marketing) ushers me back into the warehouse, nicknamed “Big Toy Room” because it is also the place where you can play with nearly every product that Equipt sells.  But playing with things can wait – I’m here to learn more about the company, so Raquel and I sit down so she can bring me up to speed on everything Equipt.

Equipt Expedition Outfitters is the exclusive US Importer of Eezi-Awn, National Luna, Alu-Box, Escape Gear, and Kariba.  They also sell a number of other choice brands like TrekPak, MaxTrax, and Four Wheel Campers.  As Raquel puts it, “Equipt is a one-stop shop—you can find pretty much anything you need here, but regardless of how robust our product selections are, we are still highly selective about what partners we bring aboard, and which products we will carry. Our motto is Built Better, and that sentiment is the backbone of Equipt. We only offer the very best selection of gear, stuff that has proven to stand the test of time. There may be lighter options or something cheaper out there, but if you want gear that you can trust around the globe and back again, this is where you’ll find it.”

Equipt is the result of Paul May’s chance backcountry meeting with Eazi-Awn founder Jack Stuhler in the Utah desert circa 2004, where a common love for the outdoors and overlanding solidified an opportunity for Paul to become the exclusive Eezi-Awn importer in the states. Over the last 12 years, Paul has grown Equipt into the company that it is today.  I find that I really appreciate Paul’s approach to doing things, which is also something Lola Barron the Fulfillment Specialist, points out to me:  over the thousands of feet of space, there are tons of products setup so customers can come and put their hands on actual products before they buy them.  Playing with the products on the company’s rigs is also something that the crew is happy to entertain, and as long as you’re okay with getting a little dusty, you can check out real gear to your heart’s content.

Kristin is Paul’s niece and Equipt’s Chief Everything Officer and she tells me that over the last eleven years of working at Equipt, she has come to recognize the value of a relationship-based sales approach.  Customers come back to Equipt time and time again because they know that Equipt and the brands that Equipt sells stand behind their products and will go above and beyond to take care of their customers.  Integrity is also a key piece of the business model here, and I can’t think of a better way to relate that then when Paul told me that Equipt doesn’t put product on sale.  Equipt’s approach is to offer their best price to everyone, everyday.

Back in the shop, Paul is working with Craig to install a K9 Rack on Project Tundra.  These two work together like old friends and it’s clear to me that Paul spends time wearing many different hats for the company.  While the guys are putting holes in my truck, Raquel is showing me some gear from Eezi-Awn and talking about what it’s like day in and day out at Equipt.  She explains it like this:  “We have what big companies strive for.  As a small company, we do this to support a lifestyle, not to make business our lifestyle.”  As if I needed any more convincing that what Raquel is telling me is the truth and not canned-PR tripe, a bottle of champagne and some eclipse glasses suddenly materialize – because there is something pretty damn cool happening in the sky today.

The whole Equipt crew stops what they’re doing and meets out back behind the warehouse.  The eclipse is nearing it’s greatest occlusion of the Sun, and so bottles are uncorked, and eclipse glasses are donned.  It’s 11-something O’Clock on a Monday morning, and I’m watching a group of folks who are clearly happy to be together and happy in life take a minute to experience something that doesn’t happen every day.  It’s clear to me that what Lola told me is true as well – the folks at Equipt have a great time working together.  Craig is a retired electrician, but he’s here because he wants to work with Paul and the crew at Equipt.

Coming into my morning with Equipt, I have to say that I had expectations, because so many different folks over the years have told me what an outstanding guy Paul is.  While I will say that Paul is everything I’ve been lead to believe, I can tell you that he has also built a great team and a company at Equipt Expedition Outfitters.  Everyone who works at Equipt is exactly who you would want to spend time around a campfire with – and as it turns out campfire time is a big part of product training and testing.  A company can tell you a thousand tales of why they are the best or how serious explorers rely on their gear in extreme conditions, but when every single person who works at the company enjoys their work as much as the crew at Equipt does, you’ve found a great company to do business with.  Oh, and happening to sell really awesome gear helps too.

Learn more about Equipt Expedition Outfitters by visiting them at equipt1.com, or give them a call at +1 866-703-1026.  The folks at Equipt are all great people who are more than happy to chat about whatever project you’re working on, and share their expertise on everything from gear you need for the trip of a lifetime or weekend getaway, to where to find outstanding BBQ in SLC.

Equipt has been a long running sponsor of Expediton Overland, and on January 20th, 2018 at 7pm they’ll be hosting the Season 3 Wrap Party at Equipt HQ in Salt Lake City. Head here to sign up for an invitation and get the details.