My CalSci tinted shorty arrived last night, and even though we are still awaiting spring I really wanted to see what it looked like on the bike, and what the buffeting would be like, so I put it on so I could ride to work with it today, despite being worried that the decreased protection was going to leave me cold and wet after the commute. Short answer on the shorty, I love it! Has totally changed my perspective on shield size and the FJR's adjustable shield capability. Sorry for the length of the rest of this post…
Now, I know everyone is different and different people get different experiences with the same shield, and different people's tolerances and tastes are different so I can only speak for myself, (oh, and for physical comparison I'm 5'10", 175#, 29" inseam, sit fairly upright and now have handlebar risers and a Russell Daylong) but…
When I bought my bike new and rode with the stock shield, the buffeting was really bad. I had constant headshake that I could only stop by laying on the tank to get completely below the shield or standing on the pegs to get above into clean flowing air. I couldn't believe that Yamaha could have produced the bike with such a flaw that ruined the riding experience (for me) so badly on what was otherwise such a great/awesome bike (well, that and the lack of rearward visibility from the mirrors - only two flaws I find really). No adjustment of the shield would make it stop. I either got headshake with air flowing from the front (shield down), or headshake and being pushed from behind with back pressure (shield up) and no relief anywhere in between either.
So, I read reviews trying to figure out the best option. The CalSci was well liked at the time, the V-stream was just beginning to be talked about, and most of the discussion around Rifle was the Gen I tuning blocks (along with Skyway spacers or just adding washers, nuts, or other spacers). There were and are of course folks with Cee Baileys, Laminar Lips, etc. but for some reason (well, the reason on the lips is because they are just plain ugly and fiddly) those never interested me. I talked with Mark at CalSci, who is great to deal with, got advice on what size of shield to buy, as by size chart a medium was recommended, but since I have a longer body and upright riding position, and was so afraid of not getting enough clean air, we settled on a large. Which I bought, installed, and happily rode behind for the next two and a half years. During that time I almost never raised the shield. turns out that once the air wasn't buffeting me, I kinda like wind in my face, even when its cold and even more so when its warm. Also, while the air flow decreased when raising the shield, and I could feel it move higher, the overall effect wasn't as nice as just clean flowing air. Not head shaking, maybe minimal buffeting?? but somehow not right/perfect.
After two and a half years I wrecked my bike (my stupidity, documented elsewhere) but loving the FJR, I bought another one just like it (same year/color even!
) the 'new' bike came with a CalSci XL on it, and I still felt nice clean flowing air, now just even a bit higher then the Large I had before and even less motivation to raise the shield ever. Besides, its winter here. However, I begin thinking about how I might like a summer shield and maybe something that would *look* cooler and sportier then this huge thing I was sitting behind. I do ride with sports bike riders and wanted to 'fit in' a bit better… and while I like both the CalSci screens I have ridden behind, I don't think they were 'perfect' for me. Add to that all the positive reviews of the Rifle since my original purchase and the availability of tint with them, and then reading all the threads about cutting down stock shields and I knew I had lots of choices for a summer shield and could always keep my larger CalSci for winter… One afternoon a few days ago, I decided, "what the heck?" and ordered the tinted shorty… it arrived last night and I put it on to get the first impression on how well it would improve the look, keeping in mind that was part of my motivation for getting it. It looks good! Not as much "wow" as I was hoping for at first impression, it almost blends in too well on a black bike, and since I commute daily on the freeway, and my bike gets covered in spray, the new clean windshield is blacker then the rest of the bike, which detracts from the overall impression as a cool sporty black bike. I'm sure it'll look better when I wash the bike (and I'll mention this here while I'm on looks, it also looks better when out of the garage in natural light and from farther away then when standing almost on it in the garage, and it also looks a lot better from the riding position when going down the road).
But, what's it like to ride with it? Wow! within just a couple of miles on my commute, I'm impressed. Mark's comment that , "The shorty is designed for looks, but it still is an improvement on the stock windshield for airflow." sells this shield short, no pun intended. I start out with the shield in full down, and I am getting a lot more air, but its completely clean. Its like standing on the pegs with the stock shield. Wind noise is more then with the larger CalSci windshields, but that's because I'm now actually getting a volume of air on my chest which is then deflecting up into the chin bar on my helmet and whooshing past. Despite the volume of air, it is completely stable, with no buffeting, and I am still able to hear the engine at 55 and 70 miles per hour (I have my in-ear speakers in, but music off). I decide to try raising the shield. Wow! it works when up too! I am sitting in completely neutral air, wind noise down to almost nothing, still no buffeting, and a completely natural experience, no back pressure either. And I'm still looking over the shield. If I tilt my head I can feel the air flow hit the spoiler on the back of my Shoei so the air is *just* clearing my head.
I now have the choice of neutral/still air, or clean flowing air. Now I understand why there is this rocker switch that makes the shield go up and down cause I'd never saw the purpose before. I thought it must just be some marketing gimmick. I also now realize that a shield doesn't have to be huge to give you protection or stop buffeting. And that being able to customize the airflow on the fly is a good thing.
Early in this thread someone noted that the tinted shorty was made from thinner material… probably due to the shield being smaller, the thinner doesn't seem to be an issue. Over my 37 mile commute at a variety of speeds and shield heights I never observed any shaking or flexing. Shield is very stable.
Actually, after the first 16 miles of two lane highway I was so high in windshield nirvana that I was actually disappointed when on the freeway at 70 mph and passing trucks I could still feel the wind turbulence they were generating, though no worse then any other time, or with any other shield. (and I still wouldn't characterize it as 'buffeting' just that you can feel the air turbulence of vehicles around you as is normal). Its just that my expectations were getting set to a completely new level.
This is an awesome shield and with being able to raise or lower it, I think it can be both my winter and summer shield. I had expected to just use either it or a cut down stocker in the summer and keep the larger CalSci for winter, (or maybe try a Rifle) but after a little under an hour so far, I don't know why I would want anything else. Maybe I'll change my mind after I get mirror extenders which might impact airflow, but for now, I am one happy guy!
