Windshields...

[Timbo2015]

I had the Rifle Sport for about a year. I wasn't sastisfied with it, so I sold it to someone else on this forum. It was generally good, but full up it was about an inch too short. (I am 5'10", 32 inch inseam) Full up, it left the top of my head in a very noisy area. There was no buffeting, but I found myself having to crouch down just a little bit to get into quiet air. I now have a Cee Baileys.

 

[Pierre]

I like what.
I also run the stock shield but have modified it by cutting holes in the lower portion similar to the calsci screen.

It smoothed out the airflow, reduced backpressure, and made for a more comfortable hot weather ride. I still need earplugs and find that at full up position I get a high frequency buffeting but I typically ride with the screen in the lower half of its range.

I'm 5'11'', same outfit, modifies the stock shield the same way, and I have the same report !

 

[dbvolfan]

Two months ago I woulda told you the stocker on the '05 absolutely sucks but with some fiddling and Skyway's spacers it's pretty darn good. I am still leaning towards getting a Vstream but with the sportrider.com setup and the spacers I can actually listen to music with my headset and there is virtually no buffeting.

 

[johnny80s]

I am 6'2" with a 32" inseam and size 50 jacket. I ride with the seat in the high position. I will discuss my experience on the freeway at speed 70-100 mph with both the stock and V-Stream screens. The stock shield hit me in the chest and shoulders when it was down. All the way up blocked more air but it still hit me in shoulders and really blew me around. If I ducked down I could get total silence but that is very uncomfortable. I bought a V-Stream and have about 550 miles on it. I have ridden with and without earplugs (wax based moldable plugs) on the V-Stream and much prefer the earplugs if I want silence. I still hear wind noise and can change the noise depending upon how high I put the screen but there is always noise. I have seen many people tall people say this screen is silent and I have to challenge that because in my experience that is not true unless I ride with the seat in the low position and duck a little. What I like about the V-Stream is that it is wide enough to cover my shoulders and keep me from getting buffeted around even in the lowest position. It is big and wide and when I put it all the way up it is tall. I can still see over it a little and that is why I don't have total silence. I ride with it down most of the time and with earplugs that is fine If I want to be able to turn my head on the freeway and look at the scenery then I put it up a bit. If you want total silence then find a screen that is taller than you with your helmet on sitting on your bike. That will give you silence. If you want wide protection the V-Stream is great for that. I like the V-Stream and would not consider going back to stock. I also liked how sturdy and well made the V-Stream was.

That's my two cents worth.

John

 

[user 3529]

Has anybody tried the v-stream with a tuning block or spacers yet? Also, how much taller than stock (05 model) is the v-stream?

I am 6'2" with a 32" inseam and size 50 jacket. I ride with the seat in the high position. I will discuss my experience on the freeway at speed 70-100 mph with both the stock and V-Stream screens. The stock shield hit me in the chest and shoulders when it was down. All the way up blocked more air but it still hit me in shoulders and really blew me around. If I ducked down I could get total silence but that is very uncomfortable. I bought a V-Stream and have about 550 miles on it. I have ridden with and without earplugs (wax based moldable plugs) on the V-Stream and much prefer the earplugs if I want silence. I still hear wind noise and can change the noise depending upon how high I put the screen but there is always noise. I have seen many people tall people say this screen is silent and I have to challenge that because in my experience that is not true unless I ride with the seat in the low position and duck a little. What I like about the V-Stream is that it is wide enough to cover my shoulders and keep me from getting buffeted around even in the lowest position. It is big and wide and when I put it all the way up it is tall. I can still see over it a little and that is why I don't have total silence. I ride with it down most of the time and with earplugs that is fine If I want to be able to turn my head on the freeway and look at the scenery then I put it up a bit. If you want total silence then find a screen that is taller than you with your helmet on sitting on your bike. That will give you silence. If you want wide protection the V-Stream is great for that. I like the V-Stream and would not consider going back to stock. I also liked how sturdy and well made the V-Stream was.
That's my two cents worth.

John

My guess is that there is a difference from gen I to gen II bikes? from what I understand the v-stream was out for some time for the earlier bikes before the shield was made for 06+ so perhaps the older one has better coverage??? I'm guessing here. This is definately the kind of discussion I was looking for though, so how bout it you guys that say it's dead quiet?

 

[Bagger]

I tho't the stock '06 windscreen was crap. I hated all the noise and buffetting it gave me. If it continued as such ... I would have sold the bike.

I did some research last year and decided to try CalSci Large (I think it's a large, it sure is not a medium). Bolted that puppy up and the bike was TRANSFORMED! It does the job for me. Yeah, it whistled for a few weeks, but not now. Don't know why either way.

I really like the CalSci Large. 6'2", 215lbs, 34" sleeve, 48 jacket, seat in high, risers. I can see over it and run it at about 2/3 high. No back pressure (non with my Gold Wing either ... there is NO back pressure), plenty of air from the hole in the shield, too. And, it looks better than most of the other aftermarket shields. JMO

 

[Fred W]

There's another factor that you are not adding in to your analysis, and that is: riding position.

I have an '05 with the Heli handlebar spacers. I am 6'2" with a 32" inseam. and I ride in the "master yoda riding position", (https://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Number=80560) which essemtially means that my pelvis is tilted forward and my back is curved (concave, not hunched). This puts my head and shoulders up pretty high, but is by far the most comfortable position for a long ride for me.

I have a V-Stream that I bought from Fairlaner. I mounted it with some home-made ~5/8" "tuning block" type spacers. It works very nicely in the colder weather to deflect wind from chest and shoulders, but even in the top postion I easily see over the shield and the wind still buffets the top of my head on the highway. The one thing that I'm not all that jazzed about is that the large size of the shield, especially in the up position, has a big effect on blowing the bike around. Like when passing a truck on the highway. The other thing is I can't lower it far enough, even with the spacers, to get decent air cooling on a hot day

In summer I use the stocker with the same tuning blocks. I much prefer to just keep my head up in clean airflow and pop-in some earplugs rather than deal with the buffeting. Unfortunately I have big ear canals and all of the better reuseable earplugs I have tried do not fit well. I'm stuck with the squishy foam type which are a PITA to put in.

I am considering cutting some air ports in the lower part of the stock shield I have now since it's starting to get scratched up anyway.

I'm also considering getting a laminar lip to play with as it may be transferrable betweem the different shields.

 

[user 3529]

Anybody else getting blown around with their v-stream? I was starting to lean towards this shield but it seems that there are a lot of people getting rid of them or saying that they aren't much better than anything else except that they deflect air off the shoulders.

 

[LancasterFJR]

CalSci medium: works fine, but poor fit and finish, rubs aginst the mirrors, and quite expensive ($200+).

V-stream: high quality product with decent fit and finish. Takes some getting used to, but works very well. Also expensive ($200+).

Yamha touring: looks best with perfect fit and finsih. Works as good as the V-stream and much cheaper ($84 from UM).

I am 5'9" and 190lbs. 2006 model with Heli TC and risers.

My vote: Yamaha Touring 1st, V-stream a close 2nd and CalSci Medium a distant 3rd.

Sam

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

Am I the only one that has a problem with the Vstream because it is twice the thickness of the stock and other aftermarket screens? It's so large in coverage and thick that it weighs over 6 pounds.

 

[user 3529]

I have read some stuff about the weight of the v-stream and the size. Is there any danger of damaging the mounts because of this?

 

[johnny80s]

In the end you just need to pick one and dive in. If you are shorter then try the Yamaha Touring shield since it is cheapest. If you are taller go with the V-Stream.

Let us know what you finally choose and how it works out.

John

 

[UweRoss]

For warm weather, I like this one:

I think it's Cee Baily's, stock width, -3in shorter than stock (not 100% positive since it came with the bike). With it all the way down, I get clean smooth, air on my helmet and plenty of airflow on my arms and chest, which is good for keeping cool. I keep it full down all the time except when it's raining, when goes full up and does a decent job of keeping the rain off my torso, but it's somewhat noisy and turbulent at the helmet in that position.

[FWIW, that's a buddy of mine in the picture who I swapped bikes with for a few hours on a trip recently -- he's from South Africa and normally rides BMW dual sport bikes. He owns an F650GS, an R1150GS, and an HP2, so I lent him my V-Strom for the trip, which he thought was just OK, but he had a huge grin on his face the whole time he was riding the FJR]

When the weather gets cooler, I like the tall Calsci:

Full down it provides excellent protection for the torso and is acceptably quiet at less than highway speeds. On the highway, running it up about half way eliminates almost all wind noise. But there's simply not enough airflow behind it for summer use in any position, i.e. it's too hot. It also seems to affect the airflow down low making the heat from the engine more noticeable on the legs -- great for cooler weather, not good for warm weather. The edges are a bit rough and could use better finishing, but I have no interference problems.

I have no use for the stock shield at all. For me, it's turbulent and noisy in all positions.

I would try the V-Stream, but I can't get past the looks. Sorry, but it just doesn't look like it belongs on an FJR.

-Uwe-

 

[TWILKIN650]

Windshields are subjective, but I wonder if with enough data points to define the variables, it might be possible to say that a 6'3 tall rider with a 34 inch inseam, and a RF900 the following three screens, X, Y and Z are considered suitable 75% of the time on an '05 FJR. Or something like that. We have all seen hundreds of these threads, but without a poll and evaluation of the data, there are simply too many variables to consider for the reader to decide to try an expensive screen that he/she may not think is any better than stock. Data, we need Data! Poll designers, submit your questions! Either that or a massive screen swapping fest as some have suggested.

 

[RonBB]

First thing I put on my 05 when I bought it was a Rifle Touring W/S with the tuning block. I liked it-did 22,000 miles on it. I now have 2,200 on an 07. Still with the stock W/S. So far I haven't ridden any long distances on the 07 & I've been happy. I have done 750 mile days on the 05 with the Rifle. Thought that I would do at least a 500 mile day to see if I needed a different one before changing the W/S on the 07. Data point is; 6'3", 220 #, 34" inseam. Yamaha really did do a good job on air management on the Gen II FJR's

 

[user 3529]

I found a Rifle Sport at an unbeatable price right here on the board! Thanks Shep! I also have a line on a taller screen I may also try for cooler weather. When I have a chance to do some riding with the new screen or screens (have not yet closed the deal on the second) I will certainly post my results right here. :drinks:

 

[abarron576]

I'm 5' 10" weigh 202 and ride an 07. I have a CeeBailey 4' by 2" with no flip and like it fine. A friend has the same windshield with the flip ane dislikes it intensly and wants to trade!

 

[user 3529]

Well, I purchased the used Rifle Sport that I found here on the forum. So far I have only managed to take a few short rides but here are my impressions: Shield down with the tuning block in place the air stream is much smoother than the stock shield, up the air is less turbulent but I get quite a bit of noise in my helmet (louder than stock but I don't get my head pushed around like with the stock shield); with the tuning block out there is a LOT of turbulence in the down position, in the up position it is very quiet and still; just for giggles I put the tuning block on with the stock shield - it reminded me of my old RC51! In every position I was getting blasted with air. So there you have it until I get an opportunity to take a longer ride. So far the Rifle with the tuning block is staying. I just need to figure out if the wind noise is coming from air over the top of the helmet or air coming up under the helmet. I will then experiment with rumble strips or possibly one of those "Quiet Rider" skirt things, or maybe both? Oh, one other thing I noticed, the heat off the engine doesn't seem as noticable with the Rifle on with the tuning block. When I have a chance to ride some more I'll post the results.

For warm weather, I like this one:

I think it's Cee Baily's, stock width, -3in shorter than stock (not 100% positive since it came with the bike). With it all the way down, I get clean smooth, air on my helmet and plenty of airflow on my arms and chest, which is good for keeping cool. I keep it full down all the time except when it's raining, when goes full up and does a decent job of keeping the rain off my torso, but it's somewhat noisy and turbulent at the helmet in that position.

[FWIW, that's a buddy of mine in the picture who I swapped bikes with for a few hours on a trip recently -- he's from South Africa and normally rides BMW dual sport bikes. He owns an F650GS, an R1150GS, and an HP2, so I lent him my V-Strom for the trip, which he thought was just OK, but he had a huge grin on his face the whole time he was riding the FJR]

When the weather gets cooler, I like the tall Calsci:

Full down it provides excellent protection for the torso and is acceptably quiet at less than highway speeds. On the highway, running it up about half way eliminates almost all wind noise. But there's simply not enough airflow behind it for summer use in any position, i.e. it's too hot. It also seems to affect the airflow down low making the heat from the engine more noticeable on the legs -- great for cooler weather, not good for warm weather. The edges are a bit rough and could use better finishing, but I have no interference problems.

I have no use for the stock shield at all. For me, it's turbulent and noisy in all positions.

I would try the V-Stream, but I can't get past the looks. Sorry, but it just doesn't look like it belongs on an FJR.

-Uwe-

I really like the looks of that -3 shield, that's awsome!

 

[user 3529]

Got to do some more riding with the Rifle today, about 2 1/2 hours worth. Seems my first impressions were correct. All the way down the Rifle Sport with the tuning block allows more air to hit my helmet. The air coming over the top hits me just below the shoulders versus right at the chinbar of the helmet creating a much cleaner airflow around the helmet; however, due to wearing an HJC helmet this allows a bit of air to come up under the helmet and it gets a bit noisy but I still like it better. In the full up position with the same set up the airflow contacts the helmet just above the visor, no bad turbulance was encountered until I reached higher speeds at which time I ducked down a little and leaned in and it was fine. There was less back pressure than stock as well. In fact, while riding I put my hand against the back of the screen and was amazed at the force of air moving up the inside of the screen at all angles. The only thing that I find negative about the screen over stock is in the looks department. While it holds the same basic shape and looks ok with the bags on, I'm not crazy about it's appearance with the side bags off. It seems to make the bike look more unbalanced with such a large front end. Over all the screen seems to be more or less what I was looking for. I still love the looks of UweRoss's -3 screen, but up north here that wouldn't offer much protection from the mosquitos (affectionately referred to as our "state bird") and other lovely flying critters. So there you have it. I like the screen but I wouldn't have been satisfied had I paid full retail price for it.

 

[timk]

I think the 2 I have are the best :haha: