Screens on Cruisers - Yay or Nay?

[turtleman]

I have a small Givi screen on my VT750 C2 - keeps a bit of the wind off, but does slow ya down a little. Still get wet in the pissing rain, but that's why I have the wet weather gear
Doesn't look too bad, imho, but whatever floats your boat I guess - they're not for everyone. I like mine

A few pics here:
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/photopost.../14186/cat/500

[Big Dave]

It maybe different for girly men.

my new kit & screen for adventure riding

[onearmedbandit]

my new kit & screen for adventure riding

You look, um, a lot different than I expected. Guess you shouldn't read too much into user names.

[Big Dave]

I have a small Givi screen on my VT750 C2 -

Yeah - my bike has a small screen that I keep on for the looks. But i painted it to look like the bodywork.

Small is the operative word. There is an optimum height - but it is infinitely variable - and when they are bad they are very bad.

I had the Triumph tiger with the tall screen recently - the turbulence hit exactly under my helmet and made it a dead-set miserable ride at touring speeds on a brilliant bike. Standard plastic and it's superb.

C90T - couldn't open my visor at 110kph - Ed thought it was great.

My Triumph Trophy was the noisiest bike I've ever ridden till I changed the screen.

I can cite a dozen more examples.

I just think they are false economy.

I do Akl - Wgtn in a day on the Buell and it's just as easy as on the Trophy
Small is good.

[johnnyflash]

Depends on whether you are a real cruising/tourer or just a short blat cruiser to the dairy cruiser, Personally I love the screen when doing longish cruise or tour, I get where Im going as fresh and relaxed as I was when I left, Take the screen off and after 500-800kms of solid riding into winds or at speed and my arms have stretched 3 inches and knuckles now hit the ground. Behind the screen I can cruise at any speed I like with no weight on my chest or arms. I do on rare occassion remove it when doing a decent clean and will gfo for a short blat without, Once you have it, it looks odd without it actually..

[Big Dave]

You look, um, a lot different than I expected. Guess you shouldn't read too much into user names.

Kiwi rider out tomorrow has some of my 'other' looks.

Road Warrior! aka - Mad Dave.

[mudthug]

Very nice streetbob there !!!!!!!!!!! but do ya like it with the windshield.

Yeah never had a windscreen on any of the bikes. Long trips I guess they be a good idea specially traveling in a group help keep the stones and bugs off ya as well as protect you a bit from the elements. Like ya said they just look a tad off !!

[spookytooth]

been thinking about a small screen on mine under 80 mph its fine over and i need to hunch a bit to get under the wind off the speedo/revcounter.

[P38]

I've always had bikes without screens untill I bought the C50T.

I used to love not having a screen but now I probally wouldn't go back.

I guess it comes down to personal choice.

[Horse]

I don't have a problem with people not liking them, personally I love that big touring look. HD Ultra Classic = sex on a stick, personally.

I also like the look of Goldwings. Perhaps it's a form of sickness?

[Badger8]

I also like the look of Goldwings. Perhaps it's a form of sickness?

Definitely... Seek professional help...

[lemure]

I don't have a problem with people not liking them, personally I love that big touring look.

I've got one and I remove it in hot dry weather to keep cooool. I put it back on today 'cause it was raining, and it stops most of the rain. Likewise, I don't care what anyone else thinks - it's my bike and me riding.

[lemure]

Depends on whether you are a real cruising/tourer or just a short blat cruiser to the dairy cruiser, Personally I love the screen when doing longish cruise or tour, I get where Im going as fresh and relaxed as I was when I left, Take the screen off and after 500-800kms of solid riding into winds or at speed and my arms have stretched 3 inches and knuckles now hit the ground. Behind the screen I can cruise at any speed I like with no weight on my chest or arms. I do on rare occassion remove it when doing a decent clean and will gfo for a short blat without, Once you have it, it looks odd without it actually..

Well put JF - but didn't know you could ride that beast for 500-800 kms without the screen on one tankful.

[Usarka]

I don't have a problem with people not liking them, personally I love that big touring look. HD Ultra Classic = sex on a stick, personally.

I also like the look of Goldwings. Perhaps it's a form of sickness?

Yep very sick.

But seriously people have their own taste and preference. If anyone has a problem with *your* ride then it is just that, their problem.

[crashe]

I ride my virago without a screen...... I don't mind the wind hitting me full force. I am just used to it.

Now I did borrow a screen off scorpygirl's virago for about 3 weeks about 18 months ago. It is one of those screens that you attach onto the bike.
I tried it at different heights over those weeks, in the rain, the wind out on the open roads and in the city.

What did I find: yes I didn't get wet on my front, but my arms still did get wet.
It did keep the wind off my front, BUT my head took the full force and it caused my helmet to get shaken around a lot more (no matter what height I had the screen at).
Open road: Going around the bends it seemed to catch the bike a heck of a lot more on the side of the bike than normal and it pushed the bike all over the road. I found that I wasn't comfortable with that.

So after the 3 weeks I took it back to scorpygirl and it went back onto her bike. She has ridden with a screen since day one and likes it.

It was a good experiment for me....... as I had always wanted to try one out, but wasn't prepared to spend a heap of dollars and then find out it wasn't for me.

Maybe its because I had never ridden any bikes from the start with a screen.
I'm thinking if its all you know then you wont change. I tried..... and yep I feel that trying a screen out for those weeks was a good go.


Some screens are in-built on the bike so maybe they handle different than one that is attached to it by clips etc. Maybe the way the wind travels up and over the bike on in-built screens make a better difference.... I don't know.


If you are thinking of attaching a screen to your bike.... find someone who will let you borrow theirs, from their bike for a few weeks before spending out big $$$$ on one.