Setting screen height

[Tank]

As mentioned in my post yesterday - I just grabbed myself a DL1000 V-Strom. :woohoo:

One of the bits it has is a Givi screen.

First attempt with the screen wind came across and it felt like I have Mike Tyson tapping on the top of my helmet.

Lowering the screen helped a ton - although there is still some buffering.

I 'could' (and will if necessary) try each and every setting and ride, but was wondering is there a 'rule of thumb' about setting the height?

Like - should be at nose height etc etc etc

Any help will be appreciated.

[Jantar]

There is a lot of information on StromTrooper http://www.stromtrooper.com/ about screen adjustment. Basically, you need to adjust it so that your helmet is fully out of the wind flow, or fully in it. The worst place is if the wind hits your helmet at ear level.

I have fitted a Madstad Bracket http://www.madstad.com/s.nl/it.A/id.55/.f?sc=7&category=67 as a cheap way of quickly adjusting the screen for any riding conditions. It allows you to adjust screen height as well as angle.

[Devil]

I 'could' (and will if necessary) try each and every setting and ride, but was wondering is there a 'rule of thumb' about setting the height?


Not really as everyone is slightly different shapes and heights and wears a different helmet, but as Jantar said, either have your head totally in the windstream or totally out of it. It's the grey areas where the turbulence is.

[Big Dave]

BD's Rule of thumb (for tall men):

No screen: Excellent

Small screen: Tolerable.

Big Screen: Devil Spawn.

[sinned]

BD's Rule of thumb (for tall men):

No screen: Excellent

Small screen: Tolerable.

Big Screen: Devil Spawn.

Doesn't the rule apply to big or small men?

The issue is more related to speed:
Up to 110kms better without a screen
110 - 140 put up with some turbulence
140 + - small screen and tuck under it

[EJK]

Oh my Gawd! Well congratulations (first) and sorry I can't help you with the screen thing...

[Griffin]

This is the advice I was given by a wise and helpful KB member... (copied n pasted)

Adjusting the screen is simple really.

Try this.

You need a length of wool (red works best ) and some cellotape.

Cut a piece of wool so it reaches from the top of your screen to almost touching your helmet when in your normal riding position.

Cellotape this to the top centre of you screen.

Ride off down the road at 100kms, the wool should float in between the high and low pressure zones, this is what sets up the buffeting your experiencing.
You need to get your helmet out of this disturbed airflow
Adjust the screen up/down and sometimes changing the angle also helps, untill the wool floats just above your helmet.

Job done

Hope this helps

[Tank]

This is the advice I was given by a wise and helpful KB member... (copied n pasted)

Adjusting the screen is simple really.

Try this.

You need a length of wool (red works best ) and some cellotape.

Cut a piece of wool so it reaches from the top of your screen to almost touching your helmet when in your normal riding position.

Cellotape this to the top centre of you screen.

Ride off down the road at 100kms, the wool should float in between the high and low pressure zones, this is what sets up the buffeting your experiencing.
You need to get your helmet out of this disturbed airflow
Adjust the screen up/down and sometimes changing the angle also helps, untill the wool floats just above your helmet.

Job done

Hope this helps

I like it!:woohoo: Thanks for that. I hope to get a few runs this evening to give it a try. Bling well deserved (please pass onto the wise old man who gave it to you)

[Winston001]

Yeah Griffin, great idea, I'll give it a spin myself.

I've played around a lot with the tall fairing on my BMW and could never get it quite right. Eventually as a pure experiment borne out of frustration, I forced back the rake - which seemed counter-intuitive. And it worked.

The roiled air tumbled and produced turbulance behind my helmet, instead of both sides. Job done.

My mate has a tall Givi on his VStrom 650 plus a small adjustable lip at the peak. The result is nearly perfect - no wind noise or turbulance. However he sees the road ahead through the screen so needs to keep that clean.

[xwhatsit]

Take the screen off, and ride the motorcycle how motorcycles are meant to be :yes:

[Big Dave]

Doesn't the rule apply to big or small men?

The issue is more related to speed:
Up to 110kms better without a screen
110 - 140 put up with some turbulence
140 + - small screen and tuck under it

Smaller guys can get 'in the pocket' with a big screen at normal speeds. Giraffe heads no show.

[Griffin]

Take the screen off, and ride the motorcycle how motorcycles are meant to be :yes:

And how do you know that motorcycles arent 'meant' to be ridden with a screen? Horses for courses dude... :yes:

[Stromble]

Hey Tank, as one of the other guys said, Madstad brackets are the way to go..fully adjustable height and angle with easy thumb screws.. Had some on my DL650.. come to think of it, I removed them when I sold it, so they are probably in the garage somewhere..

Let me know if you are interested and Ill try dig em out..



As mentioned in my post yesterday - I just grabbed myself a DL1000 V-Strom. :woohoo:

One of the bits it has is a Givi screen.

First attempt with the screen wind came across and it felt like I have Mike Tyson tapping on the top of my helmet.

Lowering the screen helped a ton - although there is still some buffering.

I 'could' (and will if necessary) try each and every setting and ride, but was wondering is there a 'rule of thumb' about setting the height?

Like - should be at nose height etc etc etc

Any help will be appreciated.

[Tank]

Let me know if you are interested and Ill try dig em out..

Thats awesome - thanks! PM sent.

[xwhatsit]

And how do you know that motorcycles arent 'meant' to be ridden with a screen? Horses for courses dude... :yes:
It's a slippery slope -- I've seen it -- first they start out with a screen, next thing they're adding 'leccy starters an' fuel gauges an' hydraulic disc brakes an' more'n one cylinder an' CDIs an' fuel injection an' then they've got a car, dunnit?

[awayatc]

Before you know it they wanna take da trainin weels off an break the ton.....
an das illeegul......

[Griffin]

then they've got a car, dunnit?

ummmm... nope... then they've got a Gold Wing :msn-wink:

[shafty]

Looks like Jantar has the solution with the Madstad product,..............but I've always thought, that anyone trying to sort out the ideal screen height for their build/height, should take an ST1300 or FJR1300, and have a play with the electric screen.

In a few moments you'll know the ideal height for any speed you dial up..............

Good luck. Post a pic of your DL. Did you get a bargain?

[PrincessBandit]

My limited experience is this: rode my ginny without one and wondered whether a screen would offer much protection on the wee dear. Fitted a Givi screen and I hate it. Ripper Roo92 pretty much only rides the ginny now and he finds it quite ok. For me, the height is such that the top edge is right in my line of vision, plus the noise inside my helmet when i ride it is terrible. Balu has an electric screen on his burgman and I find that one is rather nice in the "up" position. Happily tootle along at 100 with visor of helmet up and still feel comfortable. But......took the burger to Hamilton last week in the drizzle and I found it completely annoying to look through 2 sets of rain coated screens (wind shield and visor). Once the rain got a little heavier it wasn't too bad as it beaded away, but prior to that eeewwww.
So for me, think I'm happiest sticking with my bandit with her little windshield. Happy girl content with what she has - who could ask for more? :yes:

[Draig]

Tank - a word of caution with the Givi screen.

I bought one for my DL650 a while ago and it came with a sticker on it saying that you should always park the bike facing tha sun!

Aparently - and this has been verified by a number of people on stromtrooper, if you park with the strong sun behind the screen it can reflect and focus the rays onto your speedo and rev counter and MELT them!:shit:

D

[Tank]

Tank - a word of caution with the Givi screen.

I bought one for my DL650 a while ago and it came with a sticker on it saying that you should always park the bike facing tha sun!

Aparently - and this has been verified by a number of people on stromtrooper, if you park with the strong sun behind the screen it can reflect and focus the rays onto your speedo and rev counter and MELT them!:shit:

D

I read it last night also. But hopefully with the new adjustable mounting bracksts Im picking up this weekend I will be able to move back to the stock screen.

Thanks for taking the time out to pass on the warning!!!

[Tank]

TSMJ and I caught up today and I grabbed the madstad bracket of him.

Using it and switching back to the standard screen is night and day different over the standard bracket and the Givi - this bracket rocks.

I cannot believe the difference it makes - recommended for any V-Strom owner.

[Jantar]

Yes, its absolutely incredible. I find that for my general riding its full up and hard back. But for slower going in the gravel its all the way down and slightly forward, but not too much.

[awayatc]

if you park with the strong sun behind the screen it can reflect and focus the rays onto your speedo and rev counter and MELT them!:shit:

D

Cool!

No idea how fast I was going officer.... my speedo melted.....
:Police: :scooter:

[Stromble]

Sounds like things worked out well..! Now if only they made them for the Versys... :weep:

Good to meet you Tank, was your mate with you the one that dropped the demo bike? Bloody sad story that one.!



TSMJ and I caught up today and I grabbed the madstad bracket of him.

Using it and switching back to the standard screen is night and day different over the standard bracket and the Givi - this bracket rocks.

I cannot believe the difference it makes - recommended for any V-Strom owner.

[The Pastor]

It's a slippery slope -- I've seen it -- first they start out with a screen, next thing they're adding 'leccy starters an' fuel gauges an' hydraulic disc brakes an' more'n one cylinder an' CDIs an' fuel injection an' then they've got a car, dunnit?
dude you just described magua :D although i think he took his screen off now?

[duckonin]

Tank, Griffin is right but if all else fails, try to get your screen on the same rake as the forks, go for a ride and look over or close to or just under your site line or around 50 feet in front of the bike, but over the top of the screen now if still too much turbulance, play with it up or down and if still not right place a rain coat across your bars at the bottom of the screen to reduce wind from the bottom as this will give disturbed air on the inside of the screen and will be bad...

Now when you do get it right as you do not have a screen that can be moved while riding you may have to put up with buffeting at different time due to some cross currents but these are generally short lived...My screen is there to stay on my bike, OH and make sure your helmet visor is tight or it may vibrate, try it all and be paitent...

[Winston001]

The red thread idea still sounds the best and most simple technique applicable to all bikes. Everyone sits a bike slightly differently, tall, sort, forward, more upright etc.

My own experiments with the BMW RT which involved clamping/bolting perspex sheets to the top etc took a long time to find the right result. In the process I discovered that the buffeting I was experiencing on my helmet was turbulence on both sides, about ear level, and also turbulence behind my head. You can ride these bikes in the rain and literally not get wet, so the fairing is very effective.

As I said earlier, success only came about when the rake of the screen was forced back - beyond the adjustments, which involved much undoing of small bolts and bad language. Worth it.