Ventilation panels on Gen 3 FJR

[montanaman]

Anyone adjust the side ventilation panels on their Gen 3 fjr. Wondering if they will provide any extra wind deflection in the open outward position. I'm curious if they provide a warmer ride in the winter for your legs.. Thanks Dan

I just spent 45 minutes adjusting the side panels which is really a 5 minute job if you know how to do it. They work just like the GEN2 side panels except it is a much cleaner look. The purpose would be much clearer if Yamaha referred to them as "IN" or "OUT" because there isn't anything that is open or closed and all you are doing is increasing the width of the lower faring by about an inch on each side. Does moving them to the OUT position do anything? My experience is that when you are riding in cool temperatures and your legs are just barely comfortable, having the vents in the OUT position to give more wind protection can increase your leg's comfort zone by 5-10F.

This seems about right. Right now I'm often riding in the dark with temps about 45 F. I performed an experiment the last few days. With the deflectors "in" my lower legs and (especially) feet were a bit cold. Not numbing, screaming cold, but enough to notice and be a bit uncomfortable in the long run. Feeling around the fairing with my bare hands while riding I couldn't detect any warm air making it to these regions. With them "out" there was clearly warm air being deposited at my ankles and feet. I couldn't detect any differences anywhere else, but I can say that at these temperatures I have been riding the last few days with them out and feel no sense of being cold anywhere, including feet/toes/ankles. From a temperature standpoint I might as well be in my car.

In all these cases I am riding with the handgrips set at 4 (out of 10) and Hippo Hands. No heated gear otherwise and I am wearing an Olympia mesh jacket (with liner in) and Olympia riding pants with no liner. (FWIW grip heat setting at 5 gets the grips uncomfortably warm for me. I haven't tried them higher.)

One other thing - I have skinny legs. So the deflection aspect may be more effective for me than some others.

Thanks for that analysis. I was test riding a K 1400 Concours and a 2013 FJR at around 45 degrees. At 6' 4", I did notice my knees a little colder on the FJR. I would love to ride the FJR year round up here in the Norh East.. Wondering, any ideas for an after market mod to increase the wind deflection for the legs during the winter months? Dan

I've got a set of the foot fairings that I am going to sell. They came with my 2013 so they are that color. I live in ride mostly in Arizona so I don't need them

Let me know if your interested..

 

[PapaUtah]

On my 13 I would say the adjustable side panels work. They move the air blast off the front of my knee to the side of my thigh. With my airwings in the closed position it is actually quite comfortable down to the mid 30s. Below that, I am a wimp. Besides, here in the great white north, below 30 is usually accompanied with the white stuff and ice. Winter time is maintenance time.

 

[art miller]

I think I read somewhere, Yamaha did extensive wind tunnel testing on the GenIII proto type bike to achieve just the right amount of wind deflection from these panels. They determined in the out position it created reverse napistration thus achieving double medium berni off-set. Unfortunately I cannot recall where I saw that.

 

[MartyO]

The vents are kind of funky to work and don't seem to do much on my gen III. They worked better and I used the ones on my gen ll. I just leave them in where they look better and don't scratch the paint on my gen lll.

 

[MartyO]

That's my problem. I need a berni off-set.

 

[Warpdrv]

So what's the consensus.. Out for warmer weather and in for cold... Or the opposite... Haven't read the manual so please excuse...

 

[HotRodZilla]

Supposed to be out for cold. To keep the wind off the rider. They'd be a great idea if they actually did something besides look like shit and break before the first 10 times they get moved.

 

[mcatrophy]

So what's the consensus.. Out for warmer weather and in for cold... Or the opposite... Haven't read the manual so please excuse...

The manual doesn't say, simply :

Opening and closing the cowling vents

The cowling vents can be opened 20 mm (0.79 in) for added ventilation to suit the riding conditions.

Whether it's helpful having them out depends on how hot. I have heard someone say they allow engine heat to come out, but I've not found that. For me, all they do is reduce the airflow over the rider's legs.

In cold weather, having them out reduces wind chill.

In very hot weather (I'm talking seriously hot, something I never see), having them out may reduce cooking somewhat.

If the bike's moving slowly or stopped, they make no difference.

Personally, I leave them in all the time. I do enough messing about taking layers on and off, without grovelling on my knees to mess with plastic that does little more than serve to make the bike look ugly.

 

[Uncle Hud]

On March 1, Warpdrv wrote: So what's the consensus.. Out for warmer weather and in for cold... Or the opposite... Haven't read the manual so please excuse...

OK, here's the obligatory: RTFM.

Personally, out for winter (to carry wind past my lower legs) and in for summer -- although I have not yet owned the bike through a summer.

The Hud Theory of FJR Vent Operations is based on deflection of road wind, not venting warm engine-heated air onto my lower legs. Of course, if they DO vent engine-heated air, then the Hud Theory still applies.

Note: My theory is in direct opposition to the HRZ Useless POS Vent Hypothesis. See posts 13, 15, 29, 33, and 46. (Yet another failure of the Gen3 FJRs.)

 

[Warpdrv]

One of the things I will miss about the 05, in winter pull the engine blanket off... Plenty of warm air coming at the seating compartment..

Back on in the summer..

Was very predictable !

 

[HotRodZilla]

On March 1, Warpdrv wrote: So what's the consensus.. Out for warmer weather and in for cold... Or the opposite... Haven't read the manual so please excuse...

OK, here's the obligatory: RTFM. Personally, out for winter (to carry wind past my lower legs) and in for summer -- although I have not yet owned the bike through a summer.

The Hud Theory of FJR Vent Operations is based on deflection of road wind, not venting warm engine-heated air onto my lower legs. Of course, if they DO vent engine-heated air, then the Hud Theory still applies.

Note: My theory is in direct opposition to the HRZ Useless POS Vent Hypothesis. See posts 13, 15, 29, 33, and 46. (Yet another failure of the Gen3 FJRs.)

Haha...Well, at least no one has to wonder where I stand on this issue. However, IF the panels work, I am in agreement with your theory. Normal and hot temps are panels in. Cold is panels out to create a larger wind block. Maybe...maybe good for extreme hot temps too since 'the blow drier effect' makes hot wind worse. On the GenII bikes, there is no provision for a venting change for more engine heat to reach the rider. Hell, a feature like that might actually make them useful.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

After all the discussion here, I had to move mine just to have done it. Heat management wise, no different. It simply essentially makes the fairing about a half inch wider on each side, which covers a little bit more knee/thigh from direct wind. Since the fairing on this bike is too shallow/narrow to provide full-growed adults wind coverage for the lower body ala ST/RT bikes, it's a positive thing. I like the panels better out. If I was in Yuma, I might miss that tiny bit of extra airflow. YMMV.

 

[Bogus]

After all the discussion here, I had to move mine just to have done it. Heat management wise, no different. It simply essentially makes the fairing just under a half inch wider, which covers a little bit more knee/thigh from direct wind. Since the fairing on this bike is too shallow/narrow to provide us fat **** adults wind coverage for the lower body ala ST/RT bikes, it's a positive thing. I like the panels better out. If I was in Yuma, I might miss that tiny bit of extra airflow. YMMV.

Fixed it for ya......

 

[CA G-Man]

FWIW, I was so excited to get out on the bike on Saturday (a day when, in any "normal" winter the road would be covered with a metre of snow for the next 6 weeks) that I forgot to put my right side panel on after I unplugged my battery tender. I rode 250+ km like that (1 panel in the "out" position and the other in the "missing" position). Didn't even notice until I went to plug the tender back in after I parked the bike, so....

Guess I'd better start being a little more diligent about those pre-ride inspections (a panel is one thing, a fluid leak is another!).

 

[RERfjr]

Bogus you are a natural born editor. I just got the tears out of my eyes. On topic, I have noticed very little difference with the panels in or out. I did get stuck in traffic on a 90+ degree day with panels in the out position. It seemed hotter at traffic lights as if more engine heat rose onto the rider. Now, I just leave them in, looks better.

 

[Uncle Hud]

FWIW, I was so excited to get out on the bike on Saturday (a day when, in any "normal" winter the road would be covered with a metre of snow for the next 6 weeks) that I forgot to put my right side panel on after I unplugged my battery tender. I rode 250+ km like that (1 panel in the "out" position and the other in the "missing" position). Didn't even notice until I went to plug the tender back in after I parked the bike, so....
Guess I'd better start being a little more diligent about those pre-ride inspections (a panel is one thing, a fluid leak is another!).

DING, DING, DING!!

Ladies and gentlemen, what we may have here is the first data collection experiment -- as accidental as it may be -- on the effectiveness of FJR ventilation panels, or what I prefer to call "The Cosmic Question of IN versus OUT". (OK so it's really missing vs out. Same-o same-o.)

At great personal sacrifice, and solely for the furtherance of human knowledge, CA G-Man has collected 250 km of data points comparing the IN vs OUT positions of FJR ventilation panels under climatically identical conditions. His objective analysis is ....

no difference.

 

[HotRodZilla]

Dude...We knew that a long time ago. You have got to stop drinking!

 

[Rexford]

On my '14 they are black.......that's about all you can say about them..!

Rexford

 

[CA G-Man]

At great personal sacrifice, and solely for the furtherance of human knowledge, CA G-Man has collected 250 km of data points comparing the IN vs OUT positions of FJR ventilation panels under climatically identical conditions...

Well you know, I'm here to serve.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

It was correct in the first place. For a rider of normal (not obese or malnourished) weight and proportions, myself for instance, it's not a fairing that offers a rider the level of protection normally found on sport tourers. Teens or girly-men (diminutive ones) might fare better.

After all the discussion here, I had to move mine just to have done it. Heat management wise, no different. It simply essentially makes the fairing just under a half inch wider, which covers a little bit more knee/thigh from direct wind. Since the fairing on this bike is too shallow/narrow to provide us fat **** adults wind coverage for the lower body ala ST/RT bikes, it's a positive thing. I like the panels better out. If I was in Yuma, I might miss that tiny bit of extra airflow. YMMV.

Fixed it for ya......