Screen Spoiler

[Dipperd]

Before I start....I wish people would close off their bloody for sale threads when something has been sold....must have looked through 5/6 threads and scrolled down only to it sold already!

Now, I have an '06 1200GS and I am 6' 4" and most things about the bike are good but the bloody wind blast is terrible! Honeslty, its like riding a damn harley v-rod.

I want to sort it out as its been my dream bike for a while and wanted to hear what other tossers (?) have done about it from spoilers to full replacement screens. I have a habit of impulse buying but I am restraining myself on this one!

 

[Angryjock]

I have just bought am MRA XCREEN from HPS( fantastic service I must add following a minor typo cock up on their behalf) and am very pleased.
I have a 2012 GSA and at 6'1" found the wind just hitting the visor/ top of my lid with the standard screen.
I got the variable bracket type which has a multitude of positions ( angle, height, close or 2" outward from screen) all of which can now be adjusted on the move.
Having just done an 800 mile trip on it I'm very happy. I can now ride at 70 mph with my visor open ( not that I want to but it proved how still the air is).
Also when it rained, I had to lean out to the side of the screen in order to get the windblast to clear the rain drops off my helmet visor.
Some will say buy this, buy that, they're ugly, too tall etc etc but I have been very impressed with the performance i.e. it does what it says on the tin.
It also looks very similar to the standard screen as its similar width, colour and thickness. Very glad I bought it and has made such a difference I couldn't be without it now.

 

[Ali-bear]

My vote is for minimal screen or none at all. Try taking it off see if you like it that way.

 

[Dipperd]

My vote is for minimal screen or none at all. Try taking it off see if you like it that way.

This has to be the most outfield response I have come across!?! Does that really help with keeping wind blast off????

 

[(RIP) Johno23]

Givi 330 screen and fit NN winglets...........Job Done
There is a thread somewhere here about the screen.

 

[Time Traveller]

This has to be the most outfield response I have come across!?! Does that really help with keeping wind blast off????

Not really, but it will be less turbulent and smoother air = more comfortable. (I work in air movement and fluid dynamics). Try it and see what you think. It's a few screws, and it can always be put back.

At 70, you'll have 70 mph smooth(ish) air around your head. With a screen it will be turbulent air, and accelerated (All the air pushed out of the way, is getting sucked back into the negative pressure behind your screen). Making it noisey, buffetting, and, as it leaves the screen edge >70mph.

Another option is to let more air in at the bottom...When you look at decent touring screens, they will let air in at the bottom. That does a couple of things.. Firstly it allows air to pass both sides of the screen, a lesser and slower amount on the inside edge, the faster air is that going up the outside. When the flows meet the turbulence is reduced, (less pressure and velocity difference , comparative to having no inside flow. (the TDM I had was like that, and I cured it by mounting the screen on spacers to allow a bit of air up the inside - WOW what a difference!).

They use that effect on aircraft engines, passing accelerated, but slower moving air past the main jet thrust (the lighter pink area in the diagramme), reducing the velocity difference, and consequently the noise.

Essentially that is the effect that a vario spoiler has too, air passes both sides and reduces turbulence, without sitting any higher than the screen its mounted on.

You also see this on some fence panels designed for windy conditions,

the staggered slats either side allows some flow through the fence..the speed is reduced - and the pressure difference on the fence. This same principle works on a bike (that is about as aerodynamic as a fence panel anyway)

Now the GS already allows air in at the bottom, so I'm not sure that you can do a lot, though I suspect the BMW guys have already done a lot of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis on this and it is more practically designed than for most bikes (?).

I reckon in reality a taller screen, with a spoiler, and air venting at the bottom is most likely to work... but at 6'4" you might struggle to find anything that deflects high enough to leave your helmet in non turbulent air.




...those fence panels would be tall enough though

 

[Dipperd]

Givi 330 screen and fit NN winglets...........Job Done
There is a thread somewhere here about the screen.

Yep, on page 7 of that one now . Good info, think I will try a cheaper 2nd hand TT spoiler first though. If thats still no good then £130 on the 330 might be required.....

 

[Dipperd]

Not really, but it will be less turbulent and smoother air = more comfortable. (I work in air movement and fluid dynamics). Try it and see what you think. It's a few screws, and it can always be put back.

At 70, you'll have 70 mph smooth(ish) air around your head. With a screen it will be turbulent air, and accelerated (All the air pushed out of the way, is getting sucked back into the negative pressure behind your screen). Making it noisey, buffetting, and, as it leaves the screen edge >70mph.

Another option is to let more air in at the bottom...When you look at decent touring screens, they will let air in at the bottom. That does a couple of things.. Firstly it allows air to pass both sides of the screen, a lesser and slower amount on the inside edge, the faster air is that going up the outside. When the flows meet the turbulence is reduced, (less pressure and velocity difference , comparative to having no inside flow. (the TDM I had was like that, and I cured it by mounting the screen on spacers to allow a bit of air up the inside - WOW what a difference!).

They use that effect on aircraft engines, passing accelerated, but slower moving air past the main jet thrust (the lighter pink area in the diagramme), reducing the velocity difference, and consequently the noise.

Essentially that is the effect that a vario spoiler has too, air passes both sides and reduces turbulence, without sitting any higher than the screen its mounted on.

You also see this on some fence panels designed for windy conditions,

the staggered slats either side allows some flow through the fence..the speed is reduced - and the pressure difference on the fence. This same principle works on a bike (that is about as aerodynamic as a fence panel anyway)

Now the GS already allows air in at the bottom, so I'm not sure that you can do a lot, though I suspect the BMW guys have already done a lot of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis on this and it is more practically designed than for most bikes (?).

I reckon in reality a taller screen, with a spoiler, and air venting at the bottom is most likely to work... but at 6'4" you might struggle to find anything that deflects high enough to leave your helmet in non turbulent air.




...those fence panels would be tall enough though

I do need to sort the fence out in the back garden so will stick a b&q 6" panel on the front and let you know how well it works

 

[Bendy toy]

Try a taller screen from Wunderlich or Slipscreens Limited (adverts on eBay). Then use a Wunderlich or TT clip on spoiler for motorways and when its not raining. I also have tobinators which allow the screen to tilt back but let air underneath to reduce lower pressure turbulence.

Others have raved about the Givi 330, but I don't know if they were comparing its performance with standard GS or GSA screens.

I have a Wunderlich screen which is very strongly made with Slipscreens winglets which seem to be more solid than the easy crack standard winglets.

 

[Ali-bear]

Thanks for explaining all that

h I suspect the BMW guys have already done a lot of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis on this and it is more practically designed than for most bikes (?).

Er - hello CFD? They just got the placement student to "design" a screen and stuck it on there. The standard GS screen was rubbish and they knew it when they brought the Adventure model out with its improved bigger screen that actually does the job (BTW the student graduated and went on to design the wethead bodywork).

I mucked around with Tobinators and with cutting holes in the screen and all sorts until I finally took it off and preferred it that way. These days I have a low and wide screen fitted which is good for lack of buffeting but it does provide some protection - I'm more concerned about my expensive Garmin than myself. Keeps me to mostly legal speeds (which unfortunately I am afraid my 955i doesn't).

 

[Ali-bear]

Try a taller screen from Wunderlich or Slipscreens Limited (adverts on eBay). Then use a Wunderlich or TT clip on spoiler for motorways and when its not raining. I also have tobinators which allow the screen to tilt back but let air underneath to reduce lower pressure turbulence.

Others have raved about the Givi 330, but I don't know if they were comparing its performance with standard GS or GSA screens.

I have a Wunderlich screen which is very strongly made with Slipscreens winglets which seem to be more solid than the easy crack standard winglets.

Bendy, how did you get on with the flyscreen you bought?

 

[Time Traveller]

Er - hello CFD?

Yeah. you may have a point.




Anyway I'm 5'8"...anything works for me

 

[Dipperd]

Thanks for explaining all that



The standard GS screen was rubbish and they knew it when they brought the Adventure model out with its improved bigger screen that actually does the job

No it doesn't. I have the GSA and at 6' 4" the turbulence and noise is such that I cannot bear to go anywhere near a motorway for anything moe than 5 minutes.

 

[Ian J Hartley]

I would recommend the MRA X-creen, it doesn't have the hugh metal bracket which sits at the top of the screen blocking your view like the wunderlich and touratech flip screens do.

You can rig it as a flip screen or the kit allows you to fit it as a double screen at the top. This effectively squeezes and channels the airflow at the top of the screen, giving a much smoother flow. The difference on my bike with and without the X-creen is truly dramatic. Without the x-creen at 70 mph, my head rattles so much with the turbulence that my eyes hurt. With the x-creen I get minimal turbulence, and I can even ride with visor up at up to 50mph.

I would not be without it now it has transformed the bike for comfort.

Here's a link so you can see the item in action

http://www.bikehps.com/mra/x-creen.html

 

[Bendy toy]

My bike came to me with a Touratech clip-on spoiler. It works well to reduce motorway turbulence and even better with a taller screen. However it is not adjustable (other than fitted or not fitted) and will cause rain to spatter my visor and the visor to steam up due to lack of air flow. I am also 5ft 8in so my experience wont be much help for taller people.

I now have a Wunderlich screen with Tobinators and for me its just a bit too high. But something even higher such as the taller Slipscreens version might work for taller people. However, I think a lot of the problem is air filling from either side causing a head shaking turbulence. Its worse on motorways I believe because other vehicle slipstreams exaggerate the problem.

I have not tried one but the Givi Airstream 330 makes sense with its movable top that lets air underneath to reduce the low pressure area. But at £130 I would want to try before I buy.

 

[seadog]

Ian 6'2 and am very happy with the touratech clip on, sat on the motorway at 80 the other day with the visor up and just the sunshade down, very comfortable.

Cheers

Mike

 

[Martin]

Hi
I'm 6'5" and ride a GS
Sorry to say I've spent a small fortune over the years, buying, trying and selling screens of varying shapes and sizes.
I've tried the standard screen, high and wide screen, Givi AF330, Secdem.
The best for me by far is the machine art cockpit screen from Nippy Norman. Very little protection from the elements, and high speed riding is hard work (you'd need neck muscles like Schwarzenegger), but for every day riding, it's hard to beat.
Clean air, no turbulence. As Grizzly says, try your bike without the screen. You might be pleasantly surprised!

 

[zoot]

I would recommend the MRA X-creen, it doesn't have the hugh metal bracket which sits at the top of the screen blocking your view like the wunderlich and touratech flip screens do.

You can rig it as a flip screen or the kit allows you to fit it as a double screen at the top. This effectively squeezes and channels the airflow at the top of the screen, giving a much smoother flow. The difference on my bike with and without the X-creen is truly dramatic. Without the x-creen at 70 mph, my head rattles so much with the turbulence that my eyes hurt. With the x-creen I get minimal turbulence, and I can even ride with visor up at up to 50mph.

I would not be without it now it has transformed the bike for comfort.

Here's a link so you can see the item in action

http://www.bikehps.com/mra/x-creen.html

+1 but mine is a clipon version on the gsa screen works a treat

 

[Roberto]

Me also for the Touratech Spoiler.

I'm 6'3 with a 31 leg, so longer on the body as it were, found the Spoiler excellent. Just put 3k on the bike with one in the matter of a few weeks, all good apart pop it off when it rains.

 

[Dipperd]

Decision made

Ok, I have decided to try out the TT spoiler option and see how that goes. Will update you all on how well it works for a 6' 4" 17 stone rider.......