wind and noise abatement

[peels]

I'm looking for advice from some more experienced folks on quieting/smoothing out the 1150r. on a budget.

I have the sport screen, it blocks the blast pretty good, and I really like its looks, so Id like to keep it.

I find that the wind at high speed is flying right up into my helmet. It gets loud...But, I can make it go almost away by shruggin my shoulders up. NOTE: I'm a scrawny old man with a long neck LOL. is most of this turbulence from above the tank and below the bars?

I'M curious as to what some others have tried at and succeeded or failed...homemade or otherwise...

here are what i'm searching right now:

tank wings: anyone have these WITH the OEM sport screen?
windjammer: slap this on the helmet? do they help?
laminar lip: on top of the sport screen.
I was briefly daydreaming today of fashioning my own fork mounted wind deflectors.... anyone try this. or if there's some on the market that will fit even...

i'm sure this has been hashed out in an old thread, but not finding it.

thanks.

[Buckster]

Not to sound funny but, you might want to buy an RT.

[riceburner]

I sort of agree with Buckster to be honest. you can waste a lot of time and effort converting a naked bike with all sorts of add on screens, and end up with a system that kinda works, but looks a bit of a hodge-podge, OR you can trade the naked bike in and buy a bike that was designed in a wind-tunnel and has all the 'quietness' built in.

Roadsters are built to be naked and give that 'wind in the teeth' experience, RTs are built to cosset (and both do their jobs well!).


For what it's worth - the only reason I have a small screen on my bike is to push the wind blast up an inch or two from my chest to roughly shoulder level (I actually prefer that), and to make the bike look a little better - with the hand-guards fitted, the handguards are higher than the top of the eyebrow (Rockster) and I thought it looked rather odd. The flyscreen I fitted brings the center of the bike up above the edges (when viewed from directly in front) and is aesthetically more pleasing (to me!)

[vwdoctor]

If you wear full face helmet that is your shield anyway. As far as noise goes there is no replacement for earplugs: cheapest, fastest, and most effective solution.

[Cohiba54]

If you wear full face helmet that is your shield anyway. As far as noise goes there is no replacement for earplugs: cheapest, fastest, and most effective solution.

Good one vwdoctor, I'm with ya on that call!
I rode all my yout and most of my adult years without earplugs untill about 15 years ago. So now I put up with a bit of hearing loss and ringing all the time. The saving grace is I don't hear my wife all the time....... and when I do I respond, with WHO, WHO and she just drops it. Life is good.

I use to use the foam ones now the company has these so I grab a handfull.

[Rags]

I made this and it works good





I have a Laminar for my Touring shield and love it. But there products are too large for a sports screen

Rags

[peels]

Not to sound funny but, you might want to buy an RT.

LOL that is funny.

thanks VWDOCTOR, I do wear earplugs and a full face.

And, I'm not trying to "cosset" myself as riceburner says the RT's do...An RT would bother me riding every day-those things are tanks(awesome tanks though) I like the wind in the teeth feeling for everyday riding, just not the rumble on a long trip, it can get tiring, which causes loss of concentration. What say the committee about having a tall shield to swap out for when I do take off on the road?

also, thanks Rags. I remember your post...I was thinking that and the same sort of deal for down below...

i suppose ill just keep-on-keepin-on for now really. Its just a "I love the bike the way it is, what fun things could I do to stay on it longer?" sorta thinking, not reinventing it..

[billbeemer]

just get the tall touring windshield at parrabellum. i did and love it..............

[sweatmark]

Recommend that you remove the sport screen and ride. Establish your baseline with naked Roadster conditions, then add windshield to assess the impact +/-.

Fwiw, I've ridden 4000 miles in the last month on my Rockster, no shield/screen, and no handguards (which my frozen fingers regret). For the most part, riding without air deflection works best for me, with full face helmet, earplugs, and usually some type of audio through an Autocom. I did have a 700 mile day pushing into 10-20 MPH headwind, which increased wind noise and beat me up a bit: I crouched over the tank for hours until back cramped up.... I would have traded the naked bike for an RT on that day, except I like the simplicity of the R1150R, and I'm a stubborn sob.

So try riding sans plastic, then add your screen, then ante up to one of those barn door screen monstrosities if you must. But give simplicity a chance.

[peels]

Recommend that you remove the sport screen and ride. Establish your baseline with naked Roadster conditions, then add windshield to assess the impact +/-.

Fwiw, I've ridden 4000 miles in the last month on my Rockster, no shield/screen, and no handguards (which my frozen fingers regret). For the most part, riding without air deflection works best for me, with full face helmet, earplugs, and usually some type of audio through an Autocom. I did have a 700 mile day pushing into 10-20 MPH headwind, which increased wind noise and beat me up a bit: I crouched over the tank for hours until back cramped up.... I would have traded the naked bike for an RT on that day, except I like the simplicity of the R1150R, and I'm a stubborn sob.

So try riding sans plastic, then add your screen, then ante up to one of those barn door screen monstrosities if you must. But give simplicity a chance.

Yep sweatmark, I might try that. seeing as how while messing with my rattly clock, I noticed one of the allen bolts that holds the screen bracket backed itself out... Im 1/4 the way there already LOL.

just get the tall touring windshield at parrabellum. i did and love it..............

I often wonder about tall vs short... I put a tall screen on an old yamaha vstar I had. I did not like it. to quote James May from top gear: "BUFFETING....BUFFETING"

I want to add here, my wife solved 99% of the issue for me...which was SOFT earbuds that don't suck, dont block too much noise, fall out... It was my bday AND fathers day sunday, I had asked for some new ones (also for jogging) that are low profile that fit inside the helmet. I meant like 11 dollar jobbies from Target.


They went nuts and I got these:

http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Universa ... B00H0CV9TM

I absolutely LOVE them. Electronics collar goes around the neck beneath my leather riding jacket. wires com up into helmet....they drown out much of the wind noise, but I can still hear the engine and the outside world. NEVER have to fumble with a wire! Phone is on the bar mount... Really, i wanted nothing to do with bluetooth...but I can honestly say, I am pleased as can be, with something so simple! It says you can make a phone call but i would doubt youd hear me...and also, motorcycle time is ME time LOL

but again, I think ill try sans screen, as the hot days are coming.... the sport screen really is doing nothing for the bugs.

and GNATS! anybody else sick of this?! Clean my visor at work, its covered when I get home....

[sstein]

I was wondering - I think this is related to this thread. I noticed my helmet has a strip of Velcro inside the chin area. Does anyone use this? And for what? I agree that it seems that a lot of the rumble in my helmet is from air blowing across the opening of the helmet. Like getting a tone from blowing across a bottle opening. Bringing my shoulders up cuts a lot of the noise, maybe 40-50%.

[peels]

I was wondering - I think this is related to this thread. I noticed my helmet has a strip of Velcro inside the chin area. Does anyone use this? And for what? I agree that it seems that a lot of the rumble in my helmet is from air blowing across the opening of the helmet. Like getting a tone from blowing across a bottle opening. Bringing my shoulders up cuts a lot of the noise, maybe 40-50%.

this is exactly related to my thread. I get the same thing. It doesn't bother me commuting, but the few times ive ridden far...it takes a slight toll...

I'm not trying to get myself out of the wind, as the "go buy an RT" jokes might suggest... LOL... just some of the shake and pressure my helmet gets.

MY helmet is a scorpion EXO-1000. It has a little flap of lycra buttoned on in front of the chin.... it does help for the cold, but does nothing for the noise. Really was thinking about one of those "windjammers"

[sstein]

I have thought about a windjammer as well. My only hesitation is I can imagine a lot of heat building up in that helmet. My biggest concern is progressive hearing damage. Once you lose it, you can't get it back.

[peels]

Yep. my 15 minute ride to work every day...no prob. But for example, I rode a straight 2 hours and forgot my earplugs. I bought some, but it was an hour later.

I felt miserable...tired. head hurt... It WAS a windy day and I was haulin ass though....I was in a hurry to pick up the mrs' Mothers day present without her knowing, so I bailed work on lunch lol

[jwagreen]

I agree with riding the bike naked with no screen. I tried with my sport screen and a tall screen and turbulance was all over the helmet. So I bought earplugs and watched. 3m youtube video on how to install them and use doam 34 db ear plugs. I have a hjc helmet and i use the windjammer and it works great! I live in orlando florida and find no issues with heat. the velcro in your helmet is for a breathbox and you can get a cheap one on amazon. i tried it in winter to keep warm and it worked ok. The simple solution for me was no screen and ear plugs!

[peels]

I agree with riding the bike naked with no screen. I tried with my sport screen and a tall screen and turbulance was all over the helmet. So I bought earplugs and watched. 3m youtube video on how to install them and use doam 34 db ear plugs. I have a hjc helmet and i use the windjammer and it works great! I live in orlando florida and find no issues with heat. the velcro in your helmet is for a breathbox and you can get a cheap one on amazon. i tried it in winter to keep warm and it worked ok. The simple solution for me was no screen and ear plugs!

In Florida, keeping warm has a different meaning than here LOL. Here this means get to work without losing an appendage to frostbite. HEE HEE thanks for the reply. Alot of Clean air is better than a small amount of really turbulent air I agree.

[todehnal]

I was wondering - I think this is related to this thread. I noticed my helmet has a strip of Velcro inside the chin area. Does anyone use this? And for what? I agree that it seems that a lot of the rumble in my helmet is from air blowing across the opening of the helmet. Like getting a tone from blowing across a bottle opening. Bringing my shoulders up cuts a lot of the noise, maybe 40-50%.

I also have been making efforts to reduce some of the wind noise. All I use on my 04 R1150R is a fly shield, AKA speed shield, which does seem to eliminate helmet buffeting, and reduces chest pressure. I read about raising the shoulders, and couldn't imagine that it would help. Wow!! What a difference!! If you haven't tried it, you are in for a surprise. Even with ear plugs and a sealing face shield, I was hoping for a bit more. The shoulder shrug may look a bit unorthodox, but it sure does help. Thanks sstein.

Tom

[gregor]

As you may notice on another current thread there is more than one fly screen/sport screen. I use the genuine BMW pale blue tinted one. The screen protects me adequately at up to 80 mph cruising.
The main reduction in noise is from the earplugs. I'd recommend buying a mixed pack and seeing which works best for you. The 'QUIET' brand works best for me. Orange , baby comforter shape, with a short black drinking straw type gizmo in the centre to aid insertion. Having the helmet visor propped open is not a good recipe for quietness. My visor is firmly shut when on the move and I have my AGV helmet vents open.
Last week I had my first hearing test since I was a wee bairn and have 25% loss. Normal age related profile for 63 apparently. Free for us NHS users in the UK and got free hearing aids to boot. Obviously they will be removed for biking.

[sjbmw]

I had this problem for a few years. I tried a Parabellum, a fly screen, and finally solved it with a MRA Vario screen with the adjustable lip.

The windscreen directs the strong air flow over my helmet, so the paint shaker is gone.

I bought a used one from Bob, the picture of it is here. It's now on my bike.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=14029

I think this is the exact model.

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/mra-vari ... otorcycles

[gregor]

I find that the wind at high speed is flying right up into my helmet. It gets loud...

What do you mean by high speed? Exceeding the local speed limit or going flat out everywhere?