Windscreen FAQ

[rattis]

I don't want to be cheeky but how tall are you Tall guy or rather gimme inseam, the transparency of my Aeroflow leaves somwhat to be desired so I'd like to try something new.
But at least the size of the screen has to be in the same ballpark my stubby legs are 38" inseam

[qman8]

Originally Posted by CessPool

Finally! GS windscreen nirvana for a short guy.

I have tried the stock GS screen and in some instances it worked OK for me but mostly it was uncomfortable with the buffeting. Of course I'm short: 5' 6", 28-1/2" inseam.

When I got my new replacement 2012 GS I figured since I read so much positive about the Touratech Desierto 3 screen I would just go with that and be done with it. While it was a very nice albeit very expensive windscreen, it just didn't work as well for a short guy as it seemed to be working for tall guys. So I took that off an put it up for sale in the flea market.

I tried the Givi AF330 Airflow screen and while it was pretty darn nice, I still would have times when the buffeting was giving me terrible headaches. Felt like getting your head thumped around and sounded like when you're driving a car with only 1 window open, you know that "thump thump thump" sound.

Tried the Laminar Lip on the stock screen and that just didn't do it for me either. It's a great product and all but again wasn't the magic I was looking for.

Finally decided to try the Givi DT330 windscreen. It looks very similar to the AF330 but is a one-piece screen. It also uses the same mounting hardware. Along with this Givi, I also used the Tobinators to give a bit more back leaning adjustment.

Strong side winds will still cause a lot of noise and buffeting but there's really nothing you can do about that on a bike. Overall though it's about 98% there and I'm very, very happy with with this setup. Very smooth and quiet at any speed I "normally" ride at.

Only drawback I can see is during extremely hot weather, there is not much air hitting you at slow speeds. Not sure yet, but during the heat of the summer, I'll probably just get a Cee Baileys or MachineArtMoto low screen.

I have the DT330 as well...and the winglets. VERY nice improvement over stock. I'm pretty pleased and it looks TONS better than the AF two-piece. The price is right too! I'm curious how much the Tobinators help with noise and flow. I'm 5'10". The bigger screen does make things pretty hot back there at times...(I was fortunate enough to be in record-setting temps in western Kansas this summer), but standing up will help to cool you down in a hurry!

[Izzy3]

Originally Posted by tallguy-09

What he said. 6'6" tall and love the Z-tech tall windscreen.

[tallguy-09]

Originally Posted by qman8

I have the DT330 as well...and the winglets. VERY nice improvement over stock. I'm pretty pleased and it looks TONS better than the AF two-piece. The price is right too! I'm curious how much the Tobinators help with noise and flow. I'm 5'10". The bigger screen does make things pretty hot back there at times...(I was fortunate enough to be in record-setting temps in western Kansas this summer), but standing up will help to cool you down in a hurry!

I'm 6'7" (198cm) with 36" inseam.

[bbb_12]

hey guys,
I've done about 1500km (1000miles) on my 2012 GS. Love the bike, but I think I'm going to go deaf. I simply cannot believe that any screen could be so bad! Well, sorry, the MRA Vario Touring was worse, so that's bs. Yeah, OK, why did I buy the bike without test riding it first? Well, I rode a friend's bike for at least 30 minutes at speeds up to 90mph. There was some buffeting but it was bearable. Maybe it was a perfectly still day, because the slightest cross wind induces a deafening low frequency boom. My two 5'9" friends think the screen is fine, but after a 2 hour ride my ears are ringing for a whole day like after a really loud rock concert - this is with custom made ear plugs. I've already got some tinnitus and this isn't helping. Apart from trying a new screen, I bought a new helmet - a Shoei XR1100 (I think that might be RF in the States). Boy, what a disaster that turned out to be!!!! It's worse than my old cheap helmet. Way worse.
So, I thought I was going to keep this bike for 10 years, and now I might have to sell it. Before you think I'm a pussy, I have been riding a CBR600 and I'm 53 years old. After an 800km day, my wrists, hips, knees, and backside ache intensely, but I put up with it. Ears are different.
The thing is, I'm just under 6' tall, so about average height. You'd think they'd make a screen for average guys. Not so. I've spent a lot of money already trying to solve the problem, and I can't keep throwing good money after bad. There's 100 pages of comments here, and I've read most of them. Clearly the screen is rubbish, but it's hard to find 2 people who agree on the effectiveness of any after market screen.
The Aeroflow gets some pretty good comments, but not 100% positive. I don't want the full Aeroflow touring screen, so is there a 6' tall guy out there who's got the Aeroflow sport fairing on a GS and thinks it's good? If so, what size screen have you got? I don't want an excessively tall screen as I don't want to look through the screen, but I don't want to buy the shortest one and find it doesn't work.
Your help will be sincerely appreciated. This is the bike's last chance.

[brainfreeze]

bbb12- I know exactly what you are talking about. I too am sensitive to the low freq boom and have bad tinnitus from previous bikes and mild hyperacusis sometimes. Almost had to give up riding. Have a 1200gsa now. Currently wear custom musicians earplugs with 25db etymotic filters., have a Aeroflow touring XL, and a strip a Saeng micro edge on the top edge of the windshield. Also have an Aria Signet Q helmet. Could not ride without these. No ear issues after riding, even very long distance. I am 6'3. Here is my write up on another forum about this. http://www.r1200gs.info/forum/15-acc...indscreen.html

There may be other windshield out there, but I am completely satisfied now.

[Mayfallover]

I bought an Adventure sized Z-Technic (Z2423) for my GS and the buffeting was so bad I was going to sell it, send it back or whatever because I couldn't ride behind it. After trying it for several miles on several different days and wondering why I was stupid enough to spend so much on a windshield that sucked, I found the answer by accident.

I reached across my chest to unzip a sleeve and the buffeting just stopped. Unbelievable!

The touring W/S in combination with PIAA 520's was causing wind buffeting to come UP off the lights and under my helmet. After moving my hands around to see where the air was mostly coming from I took off the PIAA's and the RCU mount and that WAS the problem.

Wanting to keep my lights, I decided to try some add on deflectors and they worked really well. After a year and a half behind the Z-Technic I'm still completely happy.....it's a quiet ride even without ear plugs. I can ride with my helmet shield open at 50 MPH with very little noise. The windshield itself is a pretty expensive solution but it absolutely changed my GS in terms of being quiet at road speeds. It's warmer in the summer but quiet all year long and really good in the winter.

The photos aren't great but they show the simple fix I used. I cut some some black 1/8" plastic to pieces about the size of a playing card and used insulated cable clamps and a couple of small screws to attach to the 5/8 tubing Z-Technic uses for the W/S support frame. After the test ride I never even took them back off even to remove a sticker that was on the plastic I cut. The Velcro on the left is just to route the cable for the GPS.

I'm 5'11 riding on a Russell saddle in the low adjustment slot with barbacks on the handlebar. The PIAA's are 520's on an RCU mount bar.

Hope this helps someone else who might have spent money on the Z-Technic and been disappointed.

I like mine all year long now. It's almost as quiet as the marketing video they use to try and sell 'em!