[Review] Skidmarx Lower Cowl Review

NoNTnow

Guest
All,

I purchased the Skidmarx Lower Cowl, had it color matched, and now have finally gotten installed and a test ride with it completed!

The cowl was very well packed and arrived in great shape. The fiberglass used is a very high quality and the outer gel coat was excellent. I play around with classic Corvettes and have seen a lot of fiberglass parts and Skidmarx gets very high marks from me for their quality. My body shop did not need to do much preparation work and was also impressed with the fiberglass quality.

The cowl arrives with a large bag of bolts, nuts, washers, brackets and minimalist instructions. That is the first area Skidmarx could improve on in my opinion. However after I sat down at the kitchen table and divided everything up in to the appropriate "piles" it made sense. Follow the instructions and you will be fine...

A few installation tips:

1. The heat shield insulation provided with the kit is a total PITA! It is supposedly self adhesive but it does not want to stick, even to its self! I will be buying some better heat shielding and installing it as the supplied stuff is not going to stay in place long. Reynolds Wrap and Gorilla Snot (Glue) would work better!

2. There has been a lot of questions about radiator hose clearance, or lack there of, on different cowls. The Skidmarx lower subframe easily clears all the hoses as long as you run its mounting bolt from left to right. This means you have to fish the long bolt through the hoses but it can be done with a little patience.

3. The supplied directions say to mount both the left side and ride side units prior to tightening the lower subframe bolt. Save yourself a lot of aggravation and just align it and tighten it with the right side off, left side on. I have a fairly well stocked tool set and there was no way I could get a wrench or socket behind the exhaust to tighten the nut with the right side attached.

4. You will need a good set of metric Allen wrenches. I think I used five different sizes of Allen wrenches and a 10MM socket and combination wrench to put it all together.

How does it work? Very well! I just got from a nice ride and the amount of wind around my lower legs was greatly reduced. It mounts in such a way you don't notice it when riding as it easily clears my jungle boots (10 1/2 EEE sized).

How does it look, well looks are subjective so here are a few photos for you to decide...













If you want to see a larger image, or more photos, just double click on any photo and it will take you to my Flickr account where these are hosted....

Let the "Cowl Wars" begin anew....:D
 
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That's terrible. You can't see if the pipes are spotting. Looks very nice, does it keep your shoes clean?
 
Karl,

You are correct, now no one can see my gold colored "spotty" down pipes...

Rick,

Removing the side panels shouldn't be an issue the cowl doesn't go that high... It is just barely over the sub-frame for the foot pegs.
 
Sorry Wayne, I think it's fugly. I guess I'm on the other side in the Cowl Wars. :)
 
It's a more "complex" look. It may be because I have Honda's, but I think I like mine better. We'll have to get 'em side-by-side and compare.
 
I think that looks great, Wayne. A very expensive mod, but it really changes the look of the bike. I hope it keeps the wind and rain off your lower legs and feet... let us know how it performs.
 
Artra said:
Do you sense any aerodynamic (or thermal) changes to the NT's riding dynamics?
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Yes and no, there was much less wind blowing around my lower legs and up my jeans pants legs. While the Skidmarx does not make the NT feel like a full-fairing touring bike it does vastly improve the lower air management. There were not any noticeable changes to the handling "feel" of the bike which kind of surprised me after screwing with airflow this much. I had thought adding this much surface area would be at least a little noticeable. While riding on the Interstate at 70MPH my RPMs stayed the same as without the cowl. To put this in perspective if I put my Cee Bailey +2 Flip windshield "up" to position 5, up from position 3 where I usually ride, I can really feel that change, and see it on my tachometer, but I didn't notice the addition of the cowl...

As far as thermal I did not notice the NT running any warmer but it wasn't a real nice warm day yesterday. I did not feel any heat venting while riding. This summer I will be watching the temperature gauge very closely when it gets up around three digits here in Hotlanta....

elizilla said:
Sorry Wayne, I think it's fugly. I guess I'm on the other side in the Cowl Wars.
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Well! Don't hold back Katherine! :D :rofl1: It is as Phil stated, being the diplomatic guy that he is, "a more complex look"...;) I think Skidmarx slipped in a couple of angles that were not really necessary and also exaggerated the amount of area required to keep the wind off your lower legs / feet. The front panel will be re-worked this winter to get rid of those two vents, in to a single vent opening, and cover the single opening with a black mesh / screen wire.

But if it is coverage / protection that you want the riders on the :ukflag1: Deauville forum say this beats the Honda version hands down...and they ride in the rain a lot more than I ever will.

I think Ken's cowl version may be the best "middle" ground if you aren't as concerned about getting the most weather coverage...
 
Wayne, that looks good, it covers a lot more then the others I've seen and whole lot better looking then the Honda one, IMO.
 
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Wayne, I really like the looks. My greatest concern is on the thermal side. I find that my temp needle has gotten to the half mark even in mid 80's temps and wonder how this cowl will contribute to heat dissipation when the temps are in the upper 90's and even 100 and especially in stop and go traffic. Please let us know of this.
 
CoolNT said:
My greatest concern is on the thermal side. I find that my temp needle has gotten to the half mark even in mid 80's temps and wonder how this cowl will contribute to heat dissipation when the temps are in the upper 90's and even 100 and especially in stop and go traffic.
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Ron, in stop and go traffic in Omaha last summer when the temperature was 105 (with no undercowl), mine temp gauge got a tad above the middle, the fan ran almost all the time I was stopped, but it never got much higher. I'm betting that Wayne's undercowl won't affect that very much. If it just weren't so fugly. :)
 
Phil Tarman said:
If it just weren't so fugly. :)
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I take back my earlier comment about you being a diplomatic guy.... What I would give to be on your Staff Parish Relations Committee! :eek1:

When it warms up here I'll update everyone on the how the cowl handles the Hotlanta heat and any side effects. I suspect I'm one of the first Skidmarx installs in the USA, at least in the Southeast, so this is a "beta test" of sorts... Looking at the upside baked fiberglass does have a unique odor that will keep folks away from the NT when it is parked...:D
 
I like it. I am surprised that it is fiberglass. You said that you had it painted to match--Did they use Imron?.I would suspect that the Honda stuff would be plastic. Glass is easier to work with. I was also a Corvette person until I got married. My son has a red C-5 Convertible. My last Corvette was a maroon 63 coupe with a tan interior and some memorable sounding side pipes. Wouldn't want to pay for the gas for that car.
 
Sailariel said:
You said that you had it painted to match--Did they use Imron?
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No, they used Honda paint but with the appropriate sealer / primer for the fiberglass. I also prefer fiberglass over plastic for both repairs and "tweaks"....

I have had several C-3 Corvettes and one new 2003 C-5 coupe. Our current Corvette is a box stock 1980 C-3 with only 23K miles, you can see it in some of my photos...
 
Looks sharp. I don't think it will work with the highway pegs being produced by Mick-O-Pegs. I need them more here on the flat roads in Florida.

Jim
 
Not sure what I think about the cowl but I do like your pictures. The NT almost looks like it was airbrushed. What kind of camera are you using ?
 
Warren said:
What kind of camera are you using ?
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These shots were taken with a Sony DCS-H10 Cybershot in "Automatic" Mode. The H10 is an older digital camera that I usually carry around on my bike. The Sony DCS-HX1 that replaced the earlier -x0 series is an outstanding newer camera that I often use instead of my Sony A-700 DSLR and my old Minolta 35MM lenses...
 
RedLdr1 said:
No, they used Honda paint but with the appropriate sealer / primer for the fiberglass. I also prefer fiberglass over plastic for both repairs and "tweaks"....

I have had several C-3 Corvettes and one new 2003 C-5 coupe. Our current Corvette is a box stock 1980 C-3 with only 23K miles, you can see it in some of my photos...
Click to expand...

I'm also a previous Vette owner - had an '07 C6 convertible. Goal is to have a late model Grand Sport convertible next year. Great car even on the highway from ride comfort to fuel consumption.
 
I have been trying to send a picture of my red nt700 with the skidmax on it so everone could see it.But this fourm is so compulcated that I can't do it.I'm just to dam old.Any help thanks...dancer
 
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