Shorty Windscreens - where does the air hit you?

[flatgrind]

Questions for those of you who run short screens:

1. Where does the turbulent air hit you (mid-chest, upper-chest, etc.)?
2. Is you helmet in clean air?

I've searched the forum and haven't found much about short screens in particular. If you run a shorty, I would love to get your input.

Background:

I'm the new owner of a 2012. Love the bike but have found the buffeting on the highway to be pretty severe. Removed the peak from my helmet and have played with the OEM screen in the high and low mount positions, and have also tried adding spacers on the lower mount bolts. No matter what I have tried, I still have dirty air hitting me right in the face with the typical vibration/noise. I know windscreen solutions tend to be very personal and I've been dong a lot of research on options. The MRA with the spoiler was highly recommended by the previous owner. I've read lots of threads on the forum here.

Since I am in a mostly hot climate, I am tempted to give a shorty screen a try first and see if that moves the buffeting down to my chest and gives me clean air around my helmet. I'm just not sure any of the shorty screens are likely to do that, as I haven't found much commentary about them.

I was looking at the Touratech short but two hundred bucks is pretty steep for a square foot of plastic. It would be a bargain if it worked well, but...who knows if it will? Anyone running one? Thoughts?

I am about 6'3" with a 35" inseam (long limbs, ave torso)

 

[Sierra1]

The only time I have "turbulent" air, is when I'm behind a car/truck on the highway. No way to fix it. The roads I usually take are traffic free, and air flow isn't an issue. Ironically, I noticed it today on the Chisholm Trail Parkway. I was behind just an ordinary pick-up. I could feel the turbulence behind my OE shield that's in the low position. I'm not sure a windshield change is going to change that kind of turbulence since the air is swirling around it.

I'm 6', but have a 31" inseam. So, from the seat to the top of our head . . . . we're probably quite similar. I have an Arai Corsair helmet that has large vent intakes on the top. My normal riding position has the intakes just out of the air flow. If I raise my head about 1.5 inches, I can feel the air entering the intakes.

There's more than a few Tenere riders here in the Metroplex. You might be able to find one that has made a shield switch, and is willing to let you try it out. Good luck.

EDIT: I just saw your windscreen. It is different than mine; '17, but still OE.

 

[flatgrind]

Hi Sierra1, thanks for the welcome. Yeah I know what you mean about the turbulence caused by other vehicles and I agree that it is unavoidable. Crosswinds are kind of the same. Not much you can do about them. But this is different. On a still day with no other traffic, when I am sitting my head is right in the "flow" of air coming off the top of the windscreen. I can move up and down probably about 4"-5" and my helmet is still in it. I can stand up and get clean air across my helmet or I can duck way down and get in the bubble.

I just went outside and measured using the CalSci method and according to that it looks like I would need a screen 3" shorter than the standard screen to get clean air on my helmet, or go up to at least the 22" screen to get my head out of the buffeting and into the bubble. Hmmm... As much as a shorter screen appeals to me, the taller one might be the safer bet in terms of reducing the buffeting.

 

[Sierra1]

I'll try and remember tomorrow to see , where the air hits me, and my helmet.

 

[firstime911]

I ride in hot and humid temperature 105F above.
I'm 181cm when you ride around 80-90 mph wind hit me on mid chest where nipple is, if you were an airflow jacket, is a weird feeling. LOL
Higher speed than that i.e. 100 mph need to tuck in

 

[Sierra1]

. . . . On a still day with no other traffic, when I am sitting my head is right in the "flow" of air coming off the top of the windscreen. . . .

So, 70mph, no traffic, and the wind hits right at the top of my visor. Only the very top portion of my helmet, above the visor, is "in the wind". The turbulence. . . . do you feel it, or just hear it?

 

[flatgrind]

The turbulence. . . . do you feel it, or just hear it?

Both! On the ride to Big Bend, I had to remove the peak from my helmet to calm the vibrations enough to see clearly. The buffeting was causing my vision to blur. Also put in in earplugs.

When I stand up I get a constant, smooth woosh of air flowing by my helmet. Sitting, I get the rapid bap, bap, bap, bap, bap.... of buffeting and of course more noise. I tried to record it with a mic in my helmet, and you can kind of hear it. (https://drive.google.com/file/d/18V1Hoo5BTFoWqjm3VTLfHhT6Lye7ibTu/view?usp=sharing)

Now that I've had the bike a week I've noticed that the buffeting can be worse with crosswinds at certain angles. With earplugs and the helmet peak removed it's not a huge deal, but it could certainly be better. Something about my proportions seems to put me in the wrong spot for the stock screen to do it's job.

All of that said, I didn't start this thread to complain, but to try and get some input to figure out what others have experienced with the the various different screens and sizes to try and figure out which screen and what size might work best for me. I found a guy who is selling a CalSci short screen, so I'm going to give that a shot first and see if it will put the "dirty" air at my chest and give me "cleaner" air at my helmet.

 

[Sierra1]

You also might want to try these. A lot of guys here have them. I don't 'cuz, like you, I want air flow in the summer. But, I don't have the turbulence. There is a difference between Gen 1 & 2. They bolt to those two holes on the fairing(s). There's one guy here that removed the windscreen altogether. Might be an option.

YAMAHA XTZ 1200 SUPER TENERE 2014-16 WIND DEFLECTORS - Slipscreens

YAMAHA XTZ 1200 SUPER TENERE 2014-16 WIND DEFLECTORS

www.slipscreens.co.uk

 

[Longdog Cymru]

Flatgrind, I sympathise with you. I almost didn’t buy my SuperTen because of buffeting. Mine is better, but not great since I bought and fitted a cheap adjustable lip to my standard screen. I hear that the MRA screens are good although I have no personal experience of them. They are shorter with an adjustable lip and they may just be what you are looking for.

BJ 10-13

www.mrashop.de

 

[yoyo]

I've found mirror extenders to be a big help. I first found it on my DL1000, it seems the wind hits the mirrors and deflects behind the screen which rolls up and creates turbulence, pushing the mirrors out seems to reduce the effects. I fitted a screen lip and mirror extenders and have ant issues.

Sent from my ELE-L29 using Tapatalk

 

[flatgrind]

You also might want to try these. A lot of guys here have them. I don't 'cuz, like you, I want air flow in the summer. But, I don't have the turbulence. There is a difference between Gen 1 & 2. They bolt to those two holes on the fairing(s). There's one guy here that removed the windscreen altogether. Might be an option.

YAMAHA XTZ 1200 SUPER TENERE 2014-16 WIND DEFLECTORS - Slipscreens

YAMAHA XTZ 1200 SUPER TENERE 2014-16 WIND DEFLECTORS

www.slipscreens.co.uk

I actually removed the screen as a test when I was testing the low and high positions. Buffeting was gone completely, and I had nice smooth air, so I don't think it is the mirrors that are the issue. I'd like to find a shorty screen that accomplishes about the same thing, and then see how winters go. May end up with a taller winter screen and a shorty or none for summer.

Edit:
I should clarify - I'm looking specifically for shorty screens that will put the dirty air on my chest and clean air on my helmet. It seems that some of the short screens still push the air high enough that your helmet still gets buffeting. So, any of you guys running shorty screens that you like, please speak up with the make/model! That's what I'd like to hear and have not been able to find much about in past posts. It would be nice to have it documented in a thread. Thanks!