I ran my FJR from the Twin Cities to Reno, then a little further, and then back. I ran in ambient temps from 48F to approximately 120F degrees. Observations on the efficiency of the air wings follow:
In cool temps, below 60F, I shut the wings and enjoyed a quiet, warm and comfortable ride while still in my mesh riding gear with a t-shirt and shorts underneath them. These temps were cool enough that Machmann turned on his heated grips to keep his digits warm. I was comfortable.
From 60F to 100F in dry conditions I simply dialed in the desired amount of air and enjoyed the ride. Combined with the wet vests that Machmann acquired for us for the trip they were absolutely magnificient! A testment to their efficiency was observed as we stopped for gas in Hanksville after a spirited ride up Utah 95 in 105F+ heat. Machmann opened his half full tank and experienced a boiling calderon fuel. His tank was boiling at a very good rate. I opened my tank and pumped in 3 gallons of fresh fuel into a warm but comfortable tank. No boiling tank for the Cobalt Cooker the entire trip.
Above 100F, I moved the wings to a more neutral setting focusing the wind stream along my legs. Above 100F you are dealing with a blast furnace hot wind no matter what motorcycle you are on. I actually ran my windshield up a little higher in the hottest areas to protect myself from the desert heat we experienced. Combined with the wet vest I was as comfortable as I have ever been running across the desert.
Coming home I had 6 hours of riding in 105F with dew points around 60F across Nebraska and Iowa, very humid, with a cross wind of about 25mph. This affected wings performance, the left wing (downstream)caught and delivered a strong stream of air. The right(upstream) wing was muted. Still made the trip more comfortable than without.
After meeting many of you in Reno I am convinced that a drill and tap mount would not be the best for this group. While it would make the most elegant mount it would not be feasible for the masses to mount. I do have a simple two-piece clam shell design for the FZ mirrors and a similiar design for the FJR mirrors. Skyway and I had time to talk at Reno and I am sending him off the designs and samples. He can then work his magic on making them very beautiful.
I am also in contact with folks at Baker on wings specific for the FJR. I will keep you posted on all fronts and will make an announcement here on the FJRFORUM first as soon as we have things ready to go.
All in all I think we have an option here that really does handle the majority of the heat. Stay tuned for further developments. :yahoo: