Took my first overnight trip on my 1984 R100RT since becoming an Airhead in May. Went from Galveston, TX to Denver, CO area, 2500 mi. round trip. Hit a tremendous amount of constant 30 to 60 mph crosswinds on the Texas high plains where there are a lot of wind farms.
Before this trip I was considering a taller windshield than the stock unit currently in use. Now with all this fighting the wind and the unfortunate spill for Matt Parkhouse I am re thinking windshield replacement.
The stock windscreen buffets my helmet around when I am in a comfortable riding position. The tilt and height appear to be as high and forward as it goes. It was tilted slightly farther back and the turbulence was worse. If I crouch 2-3 inches my line of sight is still above the top of the windscreen and buffeting is a non factor.
I may be asking for two things that are mutually exclusive but here goes. Does anybody have experience with a windscreen that will extend the calm air height and not catch so much crosswind?
Laminar Lip should take care of that problem.
www.laminarlip.com/
You are asking 1 question, but discussing 2 topics which leaves me somewhat unsure what's really bothering you.
Not an expert and certainly never ridden in those states, but the effect of cross-winds has to do with the amount of sail being presented. That is, it's directly proportional to the solid area exposed from the side. On a fully clothed RT, the windshield (as seem from the side) represents only a small fraction of that total area when full fairing, tall engine, side panels, tank bag and rider are factored in. So changing windshields will represent only a marginal improvement to cross-winds at best.
Head buffeting, on the other hand, is caused by frontal wind. That can be effectively dealt with by varying the windshield height and adding various shapes and accessories to the trailing edge. From experience, this can take months of experimentation to get "dialed in" becasue (since every rider is unique) solutions are highly individual. In one particular personal case, an older retired windscreen was sawed off 3/4 inch at a time until I discovered what delivered the best results.
As has been mentioned, another cheap and easy tact is add-on "wind deflectors". Some are below the trailing edge and others are above. These allow a lot faster experimentation with height and lip angle. A quick Google search will turn up about 15 units in the $25 price range.
Hope this helps.
Owning an old Airhead is easy.
Keeping an old Airhead running great is the true test.
How does this wind deflector work? This guy seems vaguely familiar.
How does this wind deflector work?
It takes all the air further than 3/4 inch off the windscreen, and deflects it at a different angle with that little curved section. This shoots it at a higher angle, over the rider's head. In essence, it's the same as ordering another identical windscreen with the "flip" or deflector angle built in.
Owning an old Airhead is easy.
Keeping an old Airhead running great is the true test.
Thanks for the help guys. Looks like crosswinds I just have to live with. Now to work on the frontal blast. Let the experimentation begin.
Thanks for the reminder on the cross section profile Wobbly. Going to ditch the tank bag when possible, lose the sleeping bag rubber pad for an air mattress, and utilize the fairing pouches more.
What brand is your deflector?
Advertisement
