KLR aftermarket fairings (go high or go low?)

**Odakyu-sen** · 6th August 2012, 18:57

Hello All,

I got my 2012 KLR (red) last week. I'm 180 cm tall, and I noticed quite a lot of wind roar off the stock windscreen. The air stream hits me about 5 cm below my helmet. When I stand up a little bit on the pegs, the wind roar largely disappears, and all I get is the hiss of the wind whipping past. When I sit down, the wind roar comes straight back.

Maybe the stock screen is a little high. Has anyone had an experience with cut-down wind shields?

Godiva (formerly Visual Plastics) make a taller screen for the KLR, but I'd prefer to go down than up.

Any suggestions?

BTW, the KLR handles really well in the tight twisties, thanks to its light, neutral steering. It really tracks around corners well.

**Padmei** · 6th August 2012, 19:52

Konichi wa Odakyu sen
I made up a ridiculous looking screen for my green one however it worked brilliantly in all situations. The stock screens are prob the worst thinga about them apart from the stoc tyres they came with. I know they look geeky but I think the best protection comes from a higher one. marks will hipefully be along with a pic of his one.
I also took off my front fairing & enduroised it for going offroad.

**Odakyu-sen** · 6th August 2012, 20:46

Hello Padmei,

So, it's not just me who doesn't like the stock KLR screen.

I think I'l take off the original screen and tape a sheet of heavy cardboard in its place. I can make the cardboard dummy as low as possible, then test it on the motorway to see if the wind roar is less. (I might get more wind pressure on my upper body, but we'll see.) I don't want to butcher the original screen as they are $264 to replace. If the low screen works, I will make one out of heavy black polythene sheeting. It should be rigid enough to take the wind pressure. (Aluminium sheeting might also be easy to work.)

If my experiment doesn't work, then I'll think about going for a taller screen.

Does anyone else have any suggestions?

**Box'a'bits** · 6th August 2012, 20:49

Might wait a loooong time for MarkS to arrive. But here is his bike none-the-less.

I think its a Godiva (?) with a further aerofoil on the top

Interesting that the only place I recall the sign being was outside MarkS's Motel room at Reefton...

**Odakyu-sen** · 6th August 2012, 21:07

That's one I haven't seen before: an aftermarket screen on an aftermarket screen.

I am not sure that a tall screen will be the answer (yet).

A couple of years ago, I got to ride a mate's Honda ST1300 that had an electrically driven windscreen that you could raise or lower while riding. I found that at the lowest setting, I got wind pressure but a fairly quiet ride. As I raised the windshield, the "zone of calmness" crept up my torso, but the wind roar really increased. When I raised the windscreen all the way up, everything went deathly silent, but the wind rotor sucked me forwards towards in the seat. It felt unnerving. Ever since then, I have been prejudiced against tall screens; I would prefer to experiment with a super-short screen, and trade off wind protection for a quieter ride.

Has anyone had any experiences with the tall Godiva KLR screen?

**Padmei** · 6th August 2012, 21:09

Enduroised with a old UFO headlite from Nordieboys Eporium.

Saved me many breakages

Big Screen. Toasty warm in winter & very quiet in summer

I tihnk I prefered the enduroised one for comfort over the plain stock screen

**Odakyu-sen** · 6th August 2012, 21:13

Originally Posted by Padmei

Enduroised with a old UFO headlite from Nordieboys Eporium.

That is a very minimal fairing, but was it quieter than the stock? (Like, when you stood up on the pegs, did the wind roar go away, or had it already disappeared thanks to the little fairing?)

As for the larger fairing, I like the way you have used the original fairing as a support. I think I will try something similar if my super-short fairing experiment is a flop.

**NordieBoy** · 6th August 2012, 21:31

Originally Posted by Padmei

...however it worked brilliantly in all situations.

But if you were taller than Padders however

Right in the middle of the visor and vibrated your brain out your ears in a grey mush...

**Odakyu-sen** · 6th August 2012, 21:41

Originally Posted by NordieBoy

But if you were taller than Padders however

Right in the middle of the visor and vibrated your brain out your ears in a grey mush...

I suspect that many people think "taller is better" for windscreens, but after my experience on the ST1300, I feel that "less may be more."

Personally, I hate wind roar, and will willingly sacrifice a little wind protection for a quieter ride (which is why I am going to experiment with lower fairing heights after I get my KLR back from its 1,000 km first service on Friday).

**Box'a'bits** · 6th August 2012, 21:41

Originally Posted by NordieBoy

But if you were taller than Padders however

Right in the middle of the visor and vibrated your brain out your ears in a grey mush...

Is that what happened.

Padders

**pete-blen** · 6th August 2012, 21:49

These...

http://www.rallyraid.co.uk/shop/prod...?prod=RRXR650F

**Woodman** · 6th August 2012, 23:08

I got a gen1 KLR and have removed the screen and it is way more relaxed and quieter with almost no buffeting.
Only issue so far is when riding in cold weather and the cold wind hits me in the chest making me colder.