Successful Windshield Installation for a Speedster 150!!

[pro10is]

I enjoy my 2008 Speedster 150 215 tremendously but after a full day’s excursion on the lake I often get wind burn and dry eyes from being blasted by winds up to 50+ mph. I’ve often thought this boat could really use a windshield to deflect some of the airflow, but to my knowledge there were none available. So during the off season I decided to see if a practical windshield application could be applied. I’m also a motorcyclist so I knew there were aftermarket windshield kits for bikes, but they were mostly model specific and it would be very difficult to find the right one to fit my boat. While searching the web for windshields I came across a company who had a versatile product designed specifically for windshield fitments on virtually any motorcycle. After studying the design I could see no reason why this wouldn’t work on my Speedster.

I then contacted Mark Stadnyk, owner of MadStad Engineering who designed the RoboBracket adjustable windshield system and asked his opinion. Mark was extremely helpful and highly knowledgeable. I sent him photos of my boat as well as some measurements and he recommended the parts I should order to give it a try.

After receiving the parts and reading the instructions (meant of course for motorcycle applications) I discovered that the Speedster’s hatch cover was actually hollow inside. It was not possible to drill through holes for the bracket mounting bolts. I resolved this problem by drilling only into the top layer of the hatch and then using well nuts. This worked great and also provided a rubber damping for the windshield bracket mount. From there it was very simple to mount the brackets and install the windshield.

The unique design of the RoboBrackets allows an incredible range of adjustments. The windshield can be quickly and easily set to the exact angle or height desired. This will permit experimentation to determine the most effective settings. The brackets are so versatile the windshield can even be positioned horizontally to allow a boat cover to be used. In addition the RoboBrackets have a quick removal system to allow the windshield to be removed in a matter of seconds.

I was initially worried that mounting a windshield to the Speedster wouldn’t look good but surprisingly I think it substantially improves the looks of the boat. This is my opinion and not everyone will agree but I think it goes well with the style of the boat much in the same way as the look of a sport motorcycle. After showing the initial results to Mark he took the initiative to design a windshield specifically for the Speedster and sent it to me. It fit much better than the original and now provides a custom look appearance (see photos below). In addition the brackets will allow windshields of almost any design to be mounted if someone preferred a larger or smaller style.

As you can tell from the photos it’ll be a while before I can actually test it on the water. From my experience with motorcycles I expect it will provide good to excellent wind protection.

If there is enough interest here I will provide all the installation details. You can contact Madstad Engineering at www.madstad.com. I am not affiliated with Madstad in any way (except as a very satisfied customer). I work for IBM as a tool systems engineer.

I have more photos if anyone wants to see other angles. Let me know what you think or if you have any questions.

 

[canadianwhiskey]

Cool man. Hope it works out for ya.

 

[thor7000]

In those pictures it looks like a snowmobile!! LOL

 

[unclejay]

Extremely clever. I'm a little worried that well nuts will not hold in a 50 mph blast..I hope it works. I might try something along the same lines but mount a larger windshield to the silver part of the lid, more forward. That way I could drill all the way through. . However that has drawbacks also - the silver plastic part is not very strong. Mine cracked when someone leaned on it.

 

[pro10is]

Extremely clever. I'm a little worried that well nuts will not hold in a 50 mph blast..I hope it works. I might try something along the same lines but mount a larger windshield to the silver part of the lid, more forward. That way I could drill all the way through. . However that has drawbacks also - the silver plastic part is not very strong. Mine cracked when someone leaned on it.

Yes the silver part is not very strong. I heard that's why SeaDoo got rid of it on newer models.

I have not tested the windshield on the lake yet (it's still partially frozen) so I can make no guarantees but the well nuts hold so tightly that pulling up on a single bracket with at least 60 pounds of force would not even begin to budge it. Multiply this by two brackets and that should be more than sufficient as the bracket and windshield assembly is very light and the forward wind force will primarily push down on the brackets, not up (unless someone tries to go 50 MPH in reverse). If this is a concern, through bolts can be used on the back two bolts but at an uneven angle because of the odd shape of the hatch cover on the underside. Still it can be done. You can even try to use a bracket underneath across the two bolts. Through bolts cannot be used on the front two bolts because the front lip of the hatch cover will not accommodate them without an unsightly protrusion.

Through bolts should not be necessary, the well nuts should do the job. The windshield itself is also held onto the brackets by well nuts and the RoboBrackets are a well tested design already in use on motorcycles which can and do go faster than 100 MPH. RoboBrackets see sustained use on highways at 70+ MPH for hours at a time. Well nuts are also used extensively in the auto industry.

If you want to test the strength of a well nut you can try this. Purchase a 10-32 well nut at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. Drill a hole the exact same diameter as the well nut in a thin piece of stiff material. Install the well nut and tighten the bolt until the rubber bulges. Now try to remove the bolt using an upward force. This test convinced me.

 

[truthbetold]

I called Mark to ask if had had a windshield for my 2004 Sportster 150. I'm pretty sure its the same boat as the '08 Speedster 150. I never did know the difference between the two. They look exactly the same.

 

[pro10is]

I called Mark to ask if had had a windshield for my 2004 Sportster 150. I'm pretty sure its the same boat as the '08 Speedster 150. I never did know the difference between the two. They look exactly the same.

Yes, the hull design has been the same from 2003 to 2011. Even if it wern't Mark's RoboBracket system will work for other boats as well.

 

[SAF001]

Looks good. Interested to see how it works out.