You have probably heard it if you have spent any amount of time aboard a faired motorcycle. It may be better or worse depending on the motorcycle. It may be quieter or louder depending on your height. It may be very annoying for some riders, and not at all for others. But it is always there. At its best, it sounds like the gentle flap-flap-flapping sound of a hankerchief fluttering in the late afternoon breeze, sending off loved ones aboard the Titanic. At its worst, it sounds like the angry FLAP-FLAP-FLAPPING of bed linen on a clothesline as Hurricane Gloria is rolling in. (Oh, you think that's bad writing? Read this!) "It" of course is turbulence.
I don't like wind noise. On long rides it makes me more tired. On race tracks it distracts me. And over time, it will reduce my hearing acuity to the point where I can't tell Run Lola Run from Segovia. This is a summary of my ongoing search for the perfect windscreen for my motorcycle, a 1994 BMW R1100RS.
The stock wind screen has a small flip up at the top. This is probably BMW's compromise to provide more wind protection without increasing the size of the windscreen. Unfortunately it also makes for very turbulent air coming off the top of the windscreen. At my height (5'6") and with the adjustable seat in the middle position, this turbulence is right at ear level. I can tuck in a bunch, or I can stand up on the pegs a little to reduce the noise level. Neither of these is a long term solution.
 |
My first attempt was the low budget approach. I used masking tape and a marker pen to mark a line on the windscreen where the curvature changes from concave to convex. Then I used a coping saw to cut off the flip up part. The airflow is much smoother. However, wind protection is also greatly reduced. This is actually good in the summertime, but not so good when fall rolls around. |
 |
Next I bought an Aeroflow screen from San Jose BMW. This screen also has a flip up at the top, but it is also significantly taller and wider than the stock screen. Wind protection is much more, wind noise slightly less. Overall, this is an improvement compared to both incarnations of the stock screen, but not it is not perfect. From some angles, this flat-ish screen looks like a tombstone. Probably OK for a Harley, but slightly odd on a BMW. |
 |
My current screen is a Wudo from Cascade BMW. This screen resembles a classic racing bubble, being curved front to back as well as side to side. I happen to like this shape best. It also creates the least turbulence of the four screens I have tried. And it has a bit more coverage than the stock BMW screen. On the downside, the mounting holes took some fiddling to line up. The easiest way was to raise windscreen height adjustment before installing it. As of this writing (21 August 2000) I have had this screen for a year and 5000 miles, and I still like it. |
The Wudo is a keeper! The screen has held up well. Not many scratches -- and I'm not particularly good about taking care of it. I have never raised the screen adjustment above its lowest setting. With fresh ear plugs on, the ride is about as serene as anything short of a Buick. Here's some more pictures.