KLR aftermarket fairings (go high or go low?)

[Odakyu-sen]

That sucks...have you tried these http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/moto...-503042829.htm

Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.
The best earplugs I have had are those ones where they inject a silicone mix into your ear canal to take a mold. Its amazing how one ear canal can have a very different diameter and shape from the other (a bit like rabbit holes...). Unfortunately, after 2 years, they split (soft silicone). The guy who made them had moved out of Auckland, so I couldn't get new ones made.
I went to the University of Auckland Audiology Department, who made up a similar set of plugs, but they were never any good. I don't think any of the researchers were motorcyclists.
In the end, I went back to using my old rubber ear plugs. (They actually work quite well.) They're a lot more effective than the expanding foam rubber ones.

[pete376403]

http://kiwiriderproducts.blogspot.co...gs-4-lugs.html

BTW - tinnitus can be fixed. In my case it took a $50,000 cochlear implant. Ironic - I've been deaf since age 8 or 9 yet tinnitus was the loudest thing I could hear. Since the op I've not had any tinnitus at all and my hearing now measures about the same as a 20 year old (one side only, the other side is still totally cactus)

[Sable]

Go get hit in the head with an axe, get a fractured skull and a burst eardrum, then come and tell me about tinnitus.

[Padmei]

http://kiwiriderproducts.blogspot.co...gs-4-lugs.html

BTW - tinnitus can be fixed. In my case it took a $50,000 cochlear implant. Ironic - I've been deaf since age 8 or 9 yet tinnitus was the loudest thing I could hear. Since the op I've not had any tinnitus at all and my hearing now measures about the same as a 20 year old (one side only, the other side is still totally cactus)

Wow It woud have been awesome to get that hearing back - good stuff. Do you have an external attachment to your skull to help with your implant? Seriously - I saw a couple of kids with coloured plastic things sticking out of their heads & was informed that was part/ or a different type of implant. Apparently something to do with resonation off the bone????

I've never had timmitus however there is one spot in the forest where we ride under some trees where the cicadas are truly deafening - that is what I imagine it to be like.

While we are talking about plugs - has anyone ridden with plugs then halfway thru taken them off & found their riding to be a lot better? It has happened to me a couple of times & am unsure if it was;
a. all in the mind,
b. I'd got kinda warmed up & loosened up or
c. if the inner ear was working better being able to breathe etc.

[pete376403]

Wow It woud have been awesome to get that hearing back - good stuff. Do you have an external attachment to your skull to help with your implant? Seriously - I saw a couple of kids with coloured plastic things sticking out of their heads & was informed that was part/ or a different type of implant. Apparently something to do with resonation off the bone????.

1. the reciever is inset in the skull bone just above and to the rear of the top of my ear, and obviously under the skin. The external part uses a magnet to hold it on and the reciever is powered by induction. The sound processor sits behind my ear like a normal hearing aid.

2. There is another type of implant called BAHA (bone anchored hearing (aid?, assist?) where the sound resonates through the skull, This is for cases where there is no inner ear (cochlear)

Both amazing technology . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochlear_implant

[Odakyu-sen]

Success! I used 2-mm-thick polycarbonate sheet and made the lowest possible screen. I got a hint of the shape when I rode the bike without a windshield. There was no wind rumble; only the hiss and rush of the clean air past my helmet.
The trade offs are: 1) a little more wind pressure on my upper body, but this is not a problem, even at 120 km/h; 2) a little bit of a quirky shape, but I'll get used to it. Well worth the $16 for the sheet + my own time (about 2 hours).

Before: ROOOOOOOOOOOAAAARRRRR!!!! After: hisssss

[Padmei]

Good work - hope you never get pitched tho - Ouch

[Odakyu-sen]

Good work - hope you never get pitched tho - Ouch

Yes, I don't like the pointy bits much, either, but I don't want to cut off the original fairing tabs. I found that simply making the fairing flush in an arc across the top (5 cm lower than stock) didn't make a difference to the wind noise. I really had to radically lower the shield height to get the noise reduction.

Still, having those two sharp points is a potential hazard. I have a second sheet of polycarbonate, so I may make a second screen that has rounded "ears" instead of those sharp "horns."

[Odakyu-sen]

Yes, on second thought, having those two sharp points is a potential hazard. I have a second sheet of polycarbonate, so I'll make a second screen that has rounded "ears" instead of those sharp "horns."

[gav24]

While we are talking about plugs - has anyone ridden with plugs then halfway thru taken them off & found their riding to be a lot better? It has happened to me a couple of times & am unsure if it was;
a. all in the mind,
b. I'd got kinda warmed up & loosened up or
c. if the inner ear was working better being able to breathe etc.

I thought that was just me!
When I used to road race, I tried ear plugs a few times but always felt more "in touch" without them, so I stopped using them. Same now, I usually remove the lug plugs when the tarseal finishes and the real fun starts.
Probably just all in the mind, but I definately feel a bit "woolly" and disconnected from my surroundings when trying to concentrate at 100%...

[NordieBoy]

I thought that was just me!
When I used to road race, I tried ear plugs a few times but always felt more "in touch" without them, so I stopped using them. Same now, I usually remove the lug plugs when the tarseal finishes and the real fun starts.
Probably just all in the mind, but I definately feel a bit "woolly" and disconnected from my surroundings when trying to concentrate at 100%...

I'm too mechanically sympathetic to ride off road without plugs.
I can't stand hearing all the bike noises, clunking from the suspension, squeaks and vibration from the dash...

On the Clarence ride, I sped* up quite a bit after putting the plugs back in.

*From the old Norse, Spedding. Not to be confused with speeding. Totally different.

[Odakyu-sen]

I glued and pinned on a pair of "ears" to make my windshield safer. I tested it on the motorway (in two directions) and it is a massive improvement over the original. The wind is now striking me just above my sternum (which is the best place). The wind rumble has gone, leaving just the sound of the wind flowing past my helmet. Additional wind force on my chest is negligible. It's good to have the "feel" of the wind without all the racket.

[Padmei]

Yes but did you make up some plugs for its' ears????

[Odakyu-sen]

Yes but did you make up some plugs for its' ears????

Well, actually, I did. Since the glue is not that strong, I drilled and pinned each "ear" with a plug made out of a sawn-off nail (glued in place). Of course it would be better to make a second shield from scratch, but why throw away a perfectly good item?

I am surprised that there are very few "short" aftermarket windshields for the KLR650. I guess most riders assume that "bigger is better" and go for the monstrosities. "Hey, look at my big, swinging d**k (windshield)."

[Box'a'bits]

I am surprised that there are very few "short" aftermarket windshields for the KLR650. I guess most riders assume that "bigger is better" and go for the monstrosities. "Hey, look at my big, swinging d**k (windshield)."

Nah, he's sold Gonzo now.

I like the look of the short one you've made. The little horns were even appealing, but I do understand the safety concerns.