Added Rifle tuning block to CB shield

[BigFJR]

My, new to me, '03 came with a Cee Bailey shield. Not sure of the height but I can check if anyone is interested. (21" I think)

I was getting a lot of buffeting, on the bike itself, with the shield up enough at speed to give me a fairly quiet cockpit. There was also noticeable turbulence around the helmet much of the time.

I put the tuning block on yesterday for the commute into work this morning. I'm 5'9". There is a significant improvement at speed on the bike buffeting. Lower noise levels also observed. The shield does need to be all the way up though. The air flow is right at the top of my helmet but I don't feel any turbulence. If I lower the shield even a little, the flow drops down to eye level so if you're taller than I, this setup would not be satisfactory.

I'll evaluate a while longer to decide if I want to look at a CalSci or Rifle for further improvement. For now, I'm satisfied.

Regards,

 

[odot]

Good to hear, big......good to hear.

 

[CAJW]

If you still have the 03' stock windscreen, try that with the Rifle tuning block. That's what I'm running now and it is truly the cat's ass. I like it better than my Cal-Sci medium, although it was a tad cool this evening coming out of Yosemite as it's much shorter and narrower than the Cal-Sci.

 

[Niehart]

I thought they quit making the Rifle tuning blocks ...

 

[CAJW]

I thought they quit making the Rifle tuning blocks ...

Check with ftompa here on the forum. He made me one for about $25 and it works great!

 

[Bearly Flying]

Try a couple of cheap washers as spacers, does the same thing.

 

[carlson_mn]

Try a couple of cheap washers as spacers, does the same thing.

I did washer spacers for a long time before getting my hands on a true Rifle tuning block and I'll tell you that the tuning block is much more effective. They both raise the bottom to let more air flow in but the tuning block moves the shield closer to you and it changes the angle much much more than washers.

And yes my favorite setup on a Gen1 was stock shield with rifle spacer.

 

[Fred W]

Try a couple of cheap washers as spacers, does the same thing.

Not really. You can change the angle with spacers or washers, but the tuning block also offsets the brackets and adjusts the angle a bit. I started with the spacers, moved on to the tuning block. TB is a bit better. YMMV.

 

[BigFJR]

Rifle still makes the tuning block cuz I just got one.....

Washers would not create the same angle, offset perhaps so. I'm still happy with the improvement after using this combo for a while. I'm toying with the idea of trying a CalSci windshield since I only live about 90 min away from their shop. I try to demo a couple of sizes with and without the TB. Don't know when that will happen but I'll report back for anyone who may be interested.

 

[SeattleTy]

Wonder if you can find a way not to install the tuning blocks, mine lets in too much air as a result to the rider.

 

[odot]

Hm, I think I have a tuning block somewhere on my parts shelf....

 

[SacramentoMike]

Two things. Just wondering if the same Rifle tuning block is interchangeable between both (or all 3, I guess) FJR gens? And the other thing is:

Wonder if you can find a way not to install the tuning blocks, mine lets in too much air as a result to the rider.

What? Ty, I think the way not to install a tuning block would be, don't install it. That's just a guess. But by the way, I agree with you. I don't much care for the effect of the tuning block with any of my three shields and probably will pass it along one of these days to someone who appreciates it.

 

[Fred W]

Well... first off, the tuning block is for first gen FJRs.

Rifle does make some sort of a similar thingee for the second gens, more of a bracket as I recall, but they are most definitely not interchangeable.

On the first gen you can mount the Rifle windshield without the tuning block if you wanted to. But then you would not have any of the benefits of their "system". The Rifle shields are considerably larger than even the Ahamay touring shield, and also they are straight in cross sectional profile, meaning the face of a Rifle shield would be extremely vertical without the tuning block to tip it backwards. That would result in massive vacuum behind the shield and turbulence far exceeding the stock Convex profile shields.

But, to each their own.