Replacement Screen

[sye]

Hi guys, this is only my second post so go easy on me. I have owned a 1200GS for less than a week now and I am absolutely delighted with it except for two things. It has just been recovered by BMW assist to Southport Superbikes for a replacement tank. The tank is leaking fuel from the top left hand corner resulting in a slow drip on to the left hand exhaust header. Still, I suppose these things happen.
The second is the screen. It seems to me that it's just a bit too short or a bit too high. At 5'11" it puts my head directly into the turbulant air. I have read the threads on replacement screens for the past three days and still can't make my mind up. I have noticed that almost everyone has gone for a taller wider screen. Has anyone gone the other route to a smaller screen, like the Touratech BMW R 1200 GS Sports windscreen with spoiler for example and if so, is it any good?
I have a picture of it but I am buggered if I can attach it.

 

[Thunder]

I've tried a few screens but the one which works best for me is the MRA Vario screen which can adjust lower or high than the stock and reduces buffeting thanks to the inbuilt air gap.

Do a search in the forum on screens and get yourself a while you catch up on the collective thoughts.

 

[GrinningGSer]

Have a look at these screens and winglets.

Lots to think about there. Do a search on screens for more ideas

 

[sye]

Thanks Thunder and Grin. I have already looked at the screen threads and can only find taller screens. Top of the list at the moment is the Vario screen but Touratech do something called a BMW R 1200 GS Sports windscreen with spoiler which is smaller with a lip to direct airflow upwards. It can be found here: http://www.touratech.de/Shop_uk/enter.html
Follow the links to BMW, R1200GS, cockpit conversion and it is at the bottom of the page. I have a picture of it but can't upload it cos I am thick.
I would be inetested in peoples vies of a smaller screen rather than taller.

 

[JayGee]

Hi Sye,
Like you I wasn't happy with the turbulemce so I bought a wider taller screen from Nippy-Normans (I think it's the secdem, widescreen) and whilst this does cut turbulence a bit it's still pretty unpleasant at 100+ so I'm about to cut down a standard screen a few inches at a time and see if that is better. there have been some posts on here from two gsers who have done this and say it is much better. Nippy Norman also does a short screen, not so fancy as the TT one but then the price isn't either.

PS you can't attach pictures unless you are a site sponsor.

 

[MIKE R]

I've tried a few screens but the one which works best for me is the MRA Vario screen which can adjust lower or high than the stock and reduces buffeting thanks to the inbuilt air gap.

Do a search in the forum on screens and get yourself a while you catch up on the collective thoughts.

I'm with Thunder of this one.

I recently sold a 1200 MRA screen on this site because I'm changing to an ADV.

BUT

if I ever go back to a standard GS my first purchase would be an MRA screen. You can ajust it from high to low, and even take the top bit off in the summer!

Looks good too!!!!!

Mike R

 

[araspitfire]

I didn't like the turbulence either...

I bought a NN secdam screen for my trip up to Norway... It was better than the stock, but, as mentioned, not great at motorway speeds still... I spent most of the motorway bits of that trip ducked down behind the screen for "quiet moments"

Lucky for me I dropped the bike in norway and broke the screen. (BTW, you know that the BMW screens are polycarbonate, right?... You drop that screen and it bends a bit and gets scratched... you drop an acrylic screen and it shatters into sharp pieces...)

SO... I rode home with no screen at all.. (with a broken collar bone, which I didn't know about at the time... .... Full day on the autobahn, nice clean air pushing against my chest all the way... Rode from Top of Denmark to The Hague in a day no problem...

But... I figure that a bit of screen protects the connectors at the back of the clocks right???... so I cut my OEM screen down as far as I could and have it protect my GPS...

Bottom of this image:

Result.... Mixed.. I get more accelerated air against my face-shield than without the screen... It is the best of all my choices so far... I get a bit of protection on my chest, I can listen to my tunes without turning them up too loud on the motorway, but it's still pretty loud.

I'm about to buy another screen for winter riding.. one that gives protection, and a quiet ride... Maybe the BMW 1200ADV one... we'll see..

Btw, I've come to the conclusion that part of this problem is helmet related... My Schuberth C2 lid is nice and quiet in non-turbulent air... but put a bit of buffeting against the face-shield, and you get a thunderous Low freq (that earplugs don't stop) rumble inside the helmet... I think many people have helmets that don't do this and thus don't mind the OEM screen...

Al...

 

[masione]

I bought Z-Technik from BobsBMW here in the States. It's taller and wider than stock, looks better and was a hell of a lot cheaper than anything BMW will sell you. The turbulance is still present, but manageable

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Change for the Adventure screen + 'winglets' and you will be satisfied - plenty on this subject and photos uinder 'ADv screen for GS'

 

[araspitfire]

Well.. I just got back from a test ride of a new Adventure to decide whether to spend all that money on a windshield upgrade...

To be honest, the part that was bugging me about the OEM shield was still there... I'm beginning to think that it's mostly my helmet..

The bit that bugs me about the OEM (and the ADV one) is a lower frequency turbulence that my Schuberth C2 helmet pipes right into my brain... through ear plugs and everything.

If I stand up, or ride with no screen, I just get clean wind-noise, which the C2 is very good at cutting down... but this lower freq stuff drives me crazy.

I'll admit that I was well protected behind the ADV screen (made more obvious when I ran the same course a few minutes later with my bike and cut-down screen... BRRR... (plugged in my heated liner =)

In the past I never had screens on my bikes... I've never even been out on any of those 2-wheeled motorhomes to see if they give me what I would like...

I'd just like to be able to enjoy my quieter tunes while driving on the motorway... My cut-down screen, with earplugs, gets me 90% of the way there... it's just a bit colder in the winter...

Al... (who just saved over 600 euros by going for a 15 minute test-drive)

 

[ianran]

I'm with Thunder of this one.

I recently sold a 1200 MRA screen on this site because I'm changing to an ADV.

BUT

if I ever go back to a standard GS my first purchase would be an MRA screen. You can ajust it from high to low, and even take the top bit off in the summer!

Looks good too!!!!!

Mike R

Welcome to site!!

I recently bought Mikes windscreen after using a Nippy Norman Tinted big bugger!!
Lets over a little more wind than Nippis but much better as I found the NN at night in the rain got wet at the top and stopped air clearing rain from visor resulting in being able to see bugger all!!
Re winglets... got NN ones of these mmmmmmmmmmm poo instructions and look tosh wish I'd bought BMW ones.

 

[Brian ROSEN]

The Adventure screen

I have just arrived home after a blast down the autioroute from Lyon, risking my licence, not to mention life and limb, to really test this screen. I can assure you that at a sustained speed of 100 mph it is not uncomfortable and the difference between this screen and the standard one I had for two years is remarkable. Yes, there is wind noise ( perhaps just as well or I might have ended up in Marseille) but there is no vibration, buffeting of helmet etc;AND it is a genuine BMW part. Now I had better post this before my wife sees it - the autoroute in question has a 110 kph limit (68 mph) whereas 130 is 'normal.'

 

[sye]

I have just arrived home after a blast down the autioroute from Lyon, risking my licence, not to mention life and limb, to really test this screen. I can assure you that at a sustained speed of 100 mph it is not uncomfortable and the difference between this screen and the standard one I had for two years is remarkable. Yes, there is wind noise ( perhaps just as well or I might have ended up in Marseille) but there is no vibration, buffeting of helmet etc;AND it is a genuine BMW part. Now I had better post this before my wife sees it - the autoroute in question has a 110 kph limit (68 mph) whereas 130 is 'normal.'

Thanks Brian, how much did that little lot cost you please?

 

[Davy F]

Before you do go and buy a new screen, why not experiment with the angle of the oe screen ? Most people seem to have their screens as upright as possible, I did too, and this causes the worst turbulance. I now have my screen sloped back and the difference is very noticable to the point that my Arai TourX peak doesn't vibrate and buffeting is only really noticable at three figure speeds.

Oh, and I'm 5' 11" too.

 

[sye]

Smeggy, I have done that. As you know from the other site I also have a VFR. It seems to me that the problem is not a wind noise one but a low pressure problem. On the VFR, the windblast hits me full on the shoulders and my head is in 'clean' air. On the GS, it's only the top of my head that is in clean air and the rest of me is in the low pressure area caused by the screen. The idea that seems the most logical is to have a shorter screen with some sort of lip to accelerate the airflow which should get rid of the turbulance. The other as already mentioned in other threads is to have a much larger screen which gives a larger low pressuer pocket. The Vario screen seems to have the best of both worlds. Then again, I could be talking bollocks.

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Cost of the Adventure screen

I paid just under 400 euros which is about £270 but I read on the other thread that someone could get it all for around £250. This does include a lot of fiddly screws and washers - if you used 'ordinary' S/S screws, locknuts, etc; for the deflectors etc. you could save a bit. You could also use the existing adjusting screws - bearing in mind that they are a bit short making quick adjustment more difficult. Of course in the unlikely event that you set it all up and then decided it wasn't worth the effort you could flog the main bits to someone who had fallen off his Adventure ( or anticipated falling off - I would)- there must be plenty of them about!

 

[Uncle Rob]

I recently sold a 1200 MRA screen on this site because I'm changing to an ADV.

BUT

if I ever go back to a standard GS my first purchase would be an MRA screen. You can ajust it from high to low, and even take the top bit off in the summer!

Mike why doesnt it fit the ADV?

 

[Thunder]

Mike why doesnt it fit the ADV?

"sits back knowing what's coming."