GSA Buffeting at speed - some hints to help

[Freddie]

Just did a 2500 round trip to Poland on my GSA, via Mohne Dam, Colditz, Great Escape and Auschwitz (very dark, distressing and challenging, but that's for another day). Return via Czech, Nurburgring, Spa (much more fun) and home to blighty.
When I bought the bike, I read acres of stuff on buffeting, so set about sorting it in the best way I could.

I thought a list of 'what I did' might help other 6'3" tall bodied chaps avoid early tinnitus. So here (hear? ) goes.....

1) replaced the plastic screen holders with the ScreenSave vario alloy jobs - holds the screen more tightly, thus reduces shimmying and also allows the whole screen to rise about 2cm, so long as....

2) you remove the lugs from the wing-nut mounts either side of the screen, thus it can go up half a groove further (rather than just tilt back).
n.b the screen gets very close to winglets, but misses by...oh, a Rizla or two.

3) added the touratech spoiler (Spoiler for windscreen BMW R 1200 GS / Suzuki DL 650 part no:01-044-0410-0)

Net result: with a little extra air 'leaking' from under the screen, it seems to break up those annoyingly thundering eddy currents causing the buffet. I had 'still air' over the whole tank area from 0-100.....and silent visor up riding, up to about 80 (although - obviously - any bug hitting open eyes at 80 will cause a LOT of extra paperwork...). I can adjust the whole plot so I'm still looking at the road ahead above the whole screen/spoiler combo, and all in all created a fabulously calm place to be. When adding earplugs to it all, it was almost serene.....

Hope this might help someone struggling with the same problems.

 

[Beemerman59]

I'm same height as you. I cured the buffeting with a 22" Ztechnik "V" screen (5" over stock). Visor can be up at any speed, I still see over the top and still air behind. Pillions tell me there's no buffeting for them either. The only negative apart from the cost as that with the stillness behind the screen it can get hot when the temperature gets above 25 degrees.....so rarely in the UK.

 

[Freddie]

Yup - 'twas pretty hot behind there - the sat nav was positively toastie...

However, I seemed to lose interest in the temperature as the Nurburgring took my attention Without that distraction, you're quite right, it could get just too hot!

 

[snerkler]

Just did a 2500 round trip to Poland on my GSA, via Mohne Dam, Colditz, Great Escape and Auschwitz (very dark, distressing and challenging, but that's for another day). Return via Czech, Nurburgring, Spa (much more fun) and home to blighty.
When I bought the bike, I read acres of stuff on buffeting, so set about sorting it in the best way I could.

I thought a list of 'what I did' might help other 6'3" tall bodied chaps avoid early tinnitus. So here (hear? ) goes.....

1) replaced the plastic screen holders with the ScreenSave vario alloy jobs - holds the screen more tightly, thus reduces shimmying and also allows the whole screen to rise about 2cm, so long as....

2) you remove the lugs from the wing-nut mounts either side of the screen, thus it can go up half a groove further (rather than just tilt back).
n.b the screen gets very close to winglets, but misses by...oh, a Rizla or two.

3) added the touratech spoiler (Spoiler for windscreen BMW R 1200 GS / Suzuki DL 650 part no:01-044-0410-0)

Net result: with a little extra air 'leaking' from under the screen, it seems to break up those annoyingly thundering eddy currents causing the buffet. I had 'still air' over the whole tank area from 0-100.....and silent visor up riding, up to about 80 (although - obviously - any bug hitting open eyes at 80 will cause a LOT of extra paperwork...). I can adjust the whole plot so I'm still looking at the road ahead above the whole screen/spoiler combo, and all in all created a fabulously calm place to be. When adding earplugs to it all, it was almost serene.....

Hope this might help someone struggling with the same problems.

Thanks for the info. I have the same TT screen and find it much better than before, but far from perfect. I am trying to find out whether or not the screensave vario fits the 2010 GSA as on the sportouring website it only says 08-09 bikes. Have to say that their responses to emails is poor at best.

What did you use to cut off the lugs? My tool box doesn't have a vast variety of tools How tall are you by the way?

 

[Beemerman59]

I think from his post you can take it that he's 6'3"

 

[Freddie]

Thanks for the info. I have the same TT screen and find it much better than before, but far from perfect. I am trying to find out whether or not the screensave vario fits the 2010 GSA as on the sportouring website it only says 08-09 bikes. Have to say that their responses to emails is poor at best.

What did you use to cut off the lugs? My tool box doesn't have a vast variety of tools How tall are you by the way?

well.........ashamed to say, I used my very best junior hacksaw with a fresh blade..I clamped the lug in my workmate, and vvveeerrryyy gently set about cutting it around the circumference face. That left a little sliver of lug behind, so then removed the remainder of the lug with a single vertical cut. I then used some very fine wet/dry to chamfer off the swarf. Seems to have produced a reasonable finish.

The Wunderlich Screen Saver things fit perfectly, no need for any drilling, widening etc. I just saw your post on screen saver (great thing 'search'!) and I can confirm that it fits the '10. You're right - they give about 20mm movement (enough) without being as fiddly and ugly (Ha! on a GSA!) and just seem 'superior'. With the lugs gone, and the varios in, the whole screen goes up by the 20mm or so, and does (just) catch the winglets - but hey, it's a fair trade! The result is the extra inch or so you're looking for. I'm 6' 3"....

Cheers

 

[Bryn]

Freddie, your trip sounds very much like the original Eastern Bloc Tosser Tour we did in 2004
We got into Poland the weekend they got into the EU... so the place was still quite.....rustic .......

I was getting buffeted to bits with a standard 11150 GS screen , so headed to the nearest dealership in Berlin and bought an Adventure screen .... cost me an arm and a leg and made bugger all difference

 

[Freddie]

I think from his post you can take it that he's 6'3"

 

[Freddie]

Freddie, your trip sounds very much like the original Eastern Bloc Tosser Tour we did in 2004
We got into Poland the weekend they got into the EU... so the place was still quite.....rustic .......

'Rustic' would be the word....you'll be delighted to know they've still got cobbled 90 degree entry and exit lanes from the....er...smoothly surfaced....um....'motorway' - challenging in the wet.

Courtesy of us contributing vast riches to the said EU, they do now have some spanking new motorways and forest roads - so in the words of the immortal Lord Clarkson of Gear - 'I'm here to play on the roads I've already paid for thank-you, now make way, peasant'.

 

[snerkler]

I think from his post you can take it that he's 6'3"

I need reading lessons

 

[snerkler]

well.........ashamed to say, I used my very best junior hacksaw with a fresh blade..I clamped the lug in my workmate, and vvveeerrryyy gently set about cutting it around the circumference face. That left a little sliver of lug behind, so then removed the remainder of the lug with a single vertical cut. I then used some very fine wet/dry to chamfer off the swarf. Seems to have produced a reasonable finish.

The Wunderlich Screen Saver things fit perfectly, no need for any drilling, widening etc. I just saw your post on screen saver (great thing 'search'!) and I can confirm that it fits the '10. You're right - they give about 20mm movement (enough) without being as fiddly and ugly (Ha! on a GSA!) and just seem 'superior'. With the lugs gone, and the varios in, the whole screen goes up by the 20mm or so, and does (just) catch the winglets - but hey, it's a fair trade! The result is the extra inch or so you're looking for. I'm 6' 3"....

Cheers

Thanks again. I'll try the screensave vario, and if still not happy may try removing the lugs. I assume spare 'clamps' aren't too expensive should I make a pigs ear of it?