BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

I am a newbie to this forum. I am still a little green so bear with me if I make a few mistakes. I just bought an 02 r1150r with a little over 21k. It was well taken care of. I had a vstrom and always wanted a BMW. I am only 5'6" and this bike seemed to work well for me. I live just south of Boston and use my bike for commuting most of the year. I don't like the flyscreen it came with and am looking for a windshield that looks good and offers decent protection.
I would appreciate any help in helping me to make the right choice.
Thanks, Steve

Windshield threads are close to achieving oil and tire status, but are far ahead of seat threads.

That said, tongue in cheek, you will find many many opinions, but the bottom line answer will be "(this particular screen) works for me or doesn't work for me." Trial and error. Expensive trial and error.

IN my case, my bike arrived with what is known as the touring screen and had the laminar lip attachment. Many like that, but I didn't. I didn't like the aesthetics, it led to buffeting, and the way the screen attached to the hardware bracket left MUCH MUCH MUCH to be desired--it used well-nuts, that in my case were never secure.

Others like that screen, and in truth had there been a better attachment system, I would still use it. You will hear that the well-nut design is a "safety" feature, a breakaway in case you are hurtling over the bars. In my case, they loosened at speed and I could watch my screen flopping in the wind; how's that for a safety feature.

So, I switched to the BMW Tall 380 screen, and have no desire to look again for a screen. It works well enough for me, I like it's "look." It is secure, BMW choosing to throw caution to the winds (pardon the pun) and using thru and thru bolts to secure it firmly and forever. On a low gravity day I am almost 5'8". So, I think it would work for your 5'6" frame.

But, when you look around you will see many third party vendors, with some nice looking screens. You can see mine in any of my "great rides" threads below, and look at bike pix here and ask.

I warn you your mileage WILL vary.

welcome to the board and ask away!

John

Expensive trial and error for sure. Picking the right screen could be harder than picking the right wife, although screen divorce is pricey too.

I started off naked, and then installed a very well made Parabellum, only to find that my eye height met the wind buffeting at 75mph, and my head would enter a paint shaker. Kept it installed for winter use, until the "put on and take off" annoyed me.

I then bought Bob's used MRA Vario screen from our Buy/Sell/Trade section, and found the "one".
I am at 5'7" and the lip jetisons the air over my head, but keeps air flowing on hot days.

I use the screen with the lip on full lift and the air goes over my head.

http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/pr ... /2136/354/

This is opinion #2, so get ready.....

I have the Parabellum super tour screen. It is very big. Solid mounting. Some people like them and some don't. I have nothing to compare it to. I like mine now. I actually cut it down to about the size of the 380 screen the Dr. was referring to. To me it looks better than it did and performs better as well. The wind used to come off the top of the screen and create a lot of noise. It still does to a certain extent, but not nearly as bad as it was. Strangely, I have a pic with John's red bike Stella! parked beside my black one from the Bash.

If you have the BMW flyscreen and want to get rid of it. I may be interested.
Oh and by the way...welcome to the site. It is great. You may want to contribute. It has been one of the best investments I have made for my bike!

Welcome!

The problem with windshields is that some of them use different mounting systems, and taking them on and off is difficult, expensive, and time-consuming. It makes it impossible to do a simple A/B comparison on the same ride.

Here is the MRA screen that sjbmw mentioned above



It was not quite right for me, but I forget why. It might have been buffeting.

I use the touring screen. It is big and ugly but I am used to it. I get some wind noise because the air flow seems to go to my head, so to speak, but it is off my chest.

i am also 5'6"

setup: completely stock

i've tried no screen (love the blast but can't stand it after 15min)

i've tried memphis hellcat (super uncomfortable)

then i tried givi a750 universal (very nice but the windshield rattles a lot)

since i liked the a750 i then sold it and bought the r1150r specific model a149a900 (same shield as the a750 but model-specific mount for our rr).

i've had this setup since january 2011. some wind on the arms and side of waist but i really like it. i think it preserves the naked bike feel with enough wind protection for me. some ppl cut the top 1.5" of the shield but i keep it the way it is. then again YMMV

hope this helps

For looks, the naked bike looks best, followed by the fly screen.

I'm probably getting a reputation as "that Parabellum guy." Anyway, my 2002 RR came with an OEM sport screen. The buffeting nearly ripped my head off and deafened me at the same time. So, I found a 19" Cee-Bailey's Eurocut on Ebay that used the exact same mounting hardware so I bought it. If anything, it was worse than the OEM. So I sold it all on eBay and tried the 21" Parabellum Super Tour. (www.parabellum.com) I Love It.

John

My `03 came with the touring shield which I consider to be a decent screen, It causes some buffeting on the freeway but it gives pretty good protection. I also bought a Fallert fairing which looks good but doesn't offer much protection and a sport screen which is slightly better than the Fallert. My current setup is the Cee Baileys 22.5" Euro cut touring shield with the dark tint. It looks good, gives a little better rain and wind protection than the BMW touring screen and isn't as expensive as going with the Parabellum. It's as good as I think I'll do for a screen short of trading up to an RT. If you already had the BMW touring shield I would recommend not going with the Cee Baileys because the difference is a matter of degrees. The BMW touring screen is pretty good.

Welcome sir. You have found the best place on the web to find informed opinions about the best bike ever made.

I have the BMW sport screen and a touring screen with a Laminar Lip. They are interchangeable with the 4 wellnut mounts. I lost one like Doc did, but not since I replaced them with longer ones from Home Depot ~4 years ago.

I use the sport screen in summer to get cooling air, and the touring screen for winter warmth. It's nice to have both, but I could easily get by with just the sport shield since I like breaking wind and it's usually warm down here.

Really, it depends on how you want your ride to feel with the extreme's being protected behind a barn door, or out there naked in the real world, which can get a little too "real" at times Those who've preferred a barn door seem to like Aeroflow's full screen with tank wings. Those who ride naked often will install a flyscreen, which is little more than an instrument cover. I usually prefer the middle ground of the sport shield, with the option of more protection when it turns cold.

I should mention that I ride almost every day to and from work, and made a 3000 mile trip with just the sport screen last summer, and I look forward to doing again

I went through the same debate about windscreens, and just decided I was going to go with what I had and be happy with it, and I am

Doc:
Where did you get the bmw tall 380 screen. I can't seem to find it.

John

Sorry, I cannot remember, but it is called the 380 Tall screen and it is a BMW product.
I was cleaning it today and it has really taken a beating, but still is in decent shape and the hardware is solid.

And I came across this
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7361
you may be interested

Steve.

It all depends how much protection you want. I had a BMW sport shield, with Laminar lip. It worked great, got most of the wind blast off my torso. I like Sundbeemer's idea of having the option of switching from sport to tour and vice versa..
Right know I'm using the bike for mostly touring, and long trips, so got an Aeroflow screen with tank wings. Protection wise, the best set up so far..
Good luck.
Zamp

Not mentioned yet in this thread is the handling issue with screen choices. This bike is loosest with the bars in the stock configuration and no screen. Bar backs tighten the steering (wiring unchanged), and handling stiffens some with the Sport screen. It stiffens quite a bit more with the Touring screen. I really don't like that aspect of larger screens, personally, because the responsiveness of this bike is very cool. My compromise is the Sport (originally from Ztechic). Works Ok up to 70 or so and fits the bike aesthetically.
Regarding the well nuts, I've had issues with the very short ones BMW sells for the screens - and at $5 apiece! They're only 1/2 inch into the wells. The wells are a full inch deep and the nuts you can buy from Ztechnic ($1.50 each) are a full inch long. I've had no issues with those working their way out of the fittings.

I'm still here- been occupied with my house move and decorating etc.
Flyscreen works great for me!

Before you buy one, try going without. The first thing I noticed was that I had dirty chrome. The second thing was that I loved it. Yeah, you're in the wind, but it's smooth - no buffeting. I only put the screen back on when I took it to trade it in 25,000 miles later.

I finally took my cee Bailey screen off finding it was too hard to clean the instruments ( which have kind of cheap chrome that will pit if not regularly polished). I'm looking for options that are handlebar mounted if anyone has suggestions. Thanks.

I am in the minority. I used to switch back and forth from the sport screen to the flyscreen for winter to summer riding but finally just left the flyscreen on year round. I prefer the cleaner air to the blast most reasonably sized screens give me. Larger screens for quiet air just don't appeal to me.

I have done 700 miles days in all types of weather with the flyscreen, so it works for me.

BTW, if anyone has a flyscreen laying around unused, I am interested in buying one. Mine was scraped up in a recent 'incident' and I could use a replacement!

wncbmw wrote: BTW, if anyone has a flyscreen laying around unused, I am interested in buying one. Mine was scraped up in a recent 'incident' and I could use a replacement!

These pop up on eBay pretty regularly. That's where I got mine. I think I paid $70 with shipping? I've seen them as low as $30. Set yourself an automated search and you'll get an email every time one pops up. I used

BMW (windshield, windscreen, flyscreen, fly screen, screen)

In the search window. I know you probably already know this but I'm bored at work...

I paid £50 or so recently on eBay and am pleased with mine. I was hoping for nearer to $30 though...

Getting a less wind noise/turbulence than with my MRA two piece and the protection is fine for a summer rider.
At a steady 60mph the blast only just touches the top of my helmet and clears my bar ends.