Back in the '80's most bikes were unfaired but when I decided to tour I installed a Vetter Winjammer Fairing and life was joyfull. When I purchased my little Honda 350 Four a year ago I found that it is not much fun to ride beyond 50mph because of the wind thrust. As a consequence I purchased my ST2 which is supposedly intended as a Sports Tourer. Well I have to say that even at 60 and 70 mph the ride becomes unpleasant due to the massive wind thrust and the noise and yet I am passed by non faired bikes doing considerably greater speeds. Is it just me having become an old git or are there actually any bikes out there that can make a high speed ride enjoyable? I look forward to your comments.
I’ve got a Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE and regularly do ‘decent’ speeds. I don’t tend to notice wind blast at all, but it does have a little fly screen which I’m sure helps. I’m usually having too much fun to care! Do you wear ear plugs? Could a double bubble or higher screen possibly help?
What you say about the ST2 is surprising to me. I have owned an ST4S which is basically the same bike from a weather protection point of view. It was the best bike i have owned for wind protection by a long way. Decent and indecent speeds were no problem for considerable distances. Aftermarket screen on it to be fair. I have also owned a Multistrada, intending to use it to blast around Europe. The ST4S was much better than it at wind protection. So much so that i gave up the idea of touring Europe on it altogether. No current Ducati appears to be better, or even good enough at the full on touring role at speed.
No issues on my Diavel V4 at 80mph. My mate on his 1290 super adventure suffers more from windblast! so much so he has one of those extension things on top of his screen!!
I've struggled with this on different bikes over the years, probably made worse by being 6'5". What I have noticed is that some aftermarket taller than stock screens put my head and shoulders right in the 'dirty' airflow, making buffeting and noise worse. I'm often better off with the stock or even smaller than stock screen options, which is what I've got fitted to my S1000XR.
Even the Multi has issues with different screens, helmets and height of riders but I agree it’s a huge improvement. Earplugs are a must have though!
My 1260 Enduro is fitted with an Evotech screen that appears about standard height, but has a small kick up at the top. Although it's adjustable I have it at it's lowest setting. I'm 6', my eyeline is above the screen, but it's like sitting in a bubble of completly still air. So much so that a lot of the time, even at motorway speeds, I ride around with my visor open. There is no buffeting of my head and the open visor simply isn't caught by the wind at all. My 999 and 1000SS are of course a completely different story. Previous bikes were all naked, and I think I just put up with it not knowing any different.
Agreed. You want the airflow either at shoulder height (i.e. below your helmet but giving your body some protection), or you want it right over the top of your helmet. Ideally you want the fairing wide enough to push it around your shoulders too. At 6'5" on a Multstrada I get a fair bit of blast/buffeting with the standard screen. If I tuck down like say a 5'10"-6' person then the fairing is really good - quiet with fairly still air. But I'm not doing that for mile after mile. I make do, but I may return to the twee carbon fairing the bike came with.
I've got a Scrambler 1200 without a screen and a Speed Triple 1200 RX with a fly screen. On both bikes I can sit at motorway speeds for long periods without feeling blasted. The flyscreen on the RX smoothed things a bit for me, but someone else said it made things worse. The thing about screens is that it all depends on the height of the rider, the same screen on the same bike can be heaven for one and a turbulent hell for another - I tried a scrambler 1200 with a screen when my scrambler was in for service, and it was hell.
