? on touring windshield

[songster]

The 1150R I am looking at has a BMW touring windshield. Can someone offer a good review of this? I currently have a Concours with that great barn door full fairing - which is actually too much in the summer heat sometimes but is fantastic in the rain and cold. Years ago I had various bikes with just a plain windshield and do not remember any particular problems with it. I am just trying to get a feel for how the riding experience will be behind this shield under all the different conditions I ride in around the upstate NY area. Rain, cold, wind, heat,. I average between 10 and 15K miles per year, full face helmet, riding pants and jacket with armor. I am 5'11" and sitting on the bike am a full head to shoulders over top of the windshield which probably means windflow at the helmet level - which is fine - but what kind of buffeting can I expect?

Thanks again for your help.

[crashfaster]

I'm about the same height as you, and I've got some issues with the touring shield.
When the shield is on, the airflow is directed preciccely at eye level, causing a great deal more noise and subtle, yet persistent buffeting.
This buffeting actually caused a little bit of a headache the first couple of times I used it, but I have since become used to it.
I recently had the windshield off to install GS handguards, and went riding around without it for a bit. It felt A LOT better off.
It does do a pretty good job of keep the cold air off you, so I've decided to leave it on until it warms up a bit.
In the meantime, I just purchased a laminar lip, which I will install today (it finally stopped raining in the bay area). I'll let you know if that solves any of the problems I'm having.

[Dr. Strangelove]

I have an 04 with the touring windscreen and Laminar lip.

I am almost 5'8". The laminar lip helps ease buffetting (compared to the naked screen) and the air flow is just at the top of my helmet. I think generally the screen keeps the elements off fairly well, but I do try to avoid rain riding.

I have no experience with other screens.
I have ridden without the screen and it is cooler and more "fun," but I am very concerend with lack of protection from road debris, so keep it on.

One thing I do NOT like is the mounting system. IMHO, the wellnut design is a PITA. I have to check them before every ride because I have little confidence in their reliability, though they've only failed me twice. It is a little disconcerting to look at the mounts while riding and see missing screws or a very loose mount. The design is supposed to be a safety feature, giving the screen a breakaway in the event of an accident. I think the cure is worse than the disease.

But, all that said, I am not in the market for another screen.

John

[crashfaster]

I agree with Dr. Strangelove's assesment. The mounting system sucks. The bolts that connect to the triple clamp shook loose almost every time I went out riding. I recently added lock tite and that seemed to remedy the problem.
I just added the Laminar Lip this morning and went tooling around for a bit...it actually did make quite a difference.
The wind is now pushed all the way up to the top of my helmet, and the overall ride is much quiter.
I would definitely recommend the lip to anyone who is having problems with buffeting and noise.
It DOES look pretty ugly, though...

[Dr. Strangelove]

I agree, crashfaster, it is pretty ugly, but you get used to it. I've had the rr for about over 8k miles now (13k total)and I don't even notice it now --the windscreen or LamLip.

Other screens look better, but are they as functional for protection from road debris. bugs, rain? probably not??? someone correct me if I'm wrong.

btw, you can get those wellnuts at Lowe's and Home depot; I think they are 8x32's and they are in the hardware section in drawers, sold separately. Someone posted that if you use longer ones they hold better.

I went both the loctite route and contact cement--they are equally effective and both a mess when cleaning.

fyi---I use plain old rubbing alcohol to clean the screen and it works very well---better than commercial products and the screen is less prone to hazing.


John

[Biff's R]

I have both the touring and sport windshields. I like the sport(smaller) shield much better. It has plenty of protection, and less buffetting. I think that unless you get a parabellum barn door, it is better to go smaller on the windshield. I would like to try the Cee Bailey's Sport screen sometime.

I am 5'11".

[NHighCotton]

Anyone got a picture of the Touring shield with the Lip on it to post?

Being 5'7" the stock Tour shield works just fine for me and with the addition of handguards it's like having a full fairing.
It's not a replacement for a barn door but great for cool weather or long distance riding for someone who likes a bit of wind on them.

I've had no problems with the mounts or the wellnuts.

[songster]

Thanks for the reply's. Windshields are such a strange animal and unfortunately, nothing is perfect for every situation. Living where I do I understand this as well as anyone. Over the past 30 years I have had several bikes with a plain windshield, a GoldWing (1981 - long before they became a Winnebago) with a full fairing and now the Connie. When I first got Connie, I really disliked the windshield. I am well overtop of it and the wind noise and buffetting gave me a headache as well. I also got somewhat used to it. What helped even more though was the purchase of a new helmet that fit a little snugger. It's an HJC CS-12 and sells around here for about $100 bucks. This alone made such an amazing difference in the overall ride quality. I was ready to try a different shield but changed my mind after getting the helmet.

Thanks again for the help.

[Dr. Strangelove]

just went and shot a few-not great pics. In daylight it looks a little better.









Hope this helps

John

[Mitch]

I am 6'2" and have 23" windshield from http://www.parabellum.com. This is tallest one you can get. It is pefect for my height. Don't go with anything less then 21" for your height ( 5'11"). You want to have your eyesight just above the top of the windshield. This is the only way to get quiet and protected behind on highway speeds and that is when you need it the most.

I learned if you go with windshield that cuts off around your neck, it creates tooooooo much noise and buffeting. My advice is to have two windshields. Short one for summer and very tall one for winter.

Let me know if you need picture on my parabellum 23". BTW, folks @ parabellum are very nice. Call them if you have a question.

Regards,
Mitch

[NHighCotton]

Just curious, is anyone running with the Scout?

Parabellum Scout that is. What's you opinion?

Looks pretty sharp on the "R", IMO

OOOPS, nevermind.....http://r1150r.org/board/viewtopic.php?t ... parabellum

[R1150RX]

Greetings, all. This is my first post after having purchased a 2004 R1150R about a month ago....it's a great bike! In the interest of helping others make a decision on a windshield I'm passing along my findings after trying several, as this is a critical area for me, as well.

For perspective I'm 5'10". I bought the bike with the BMW Touring Windshield already installed. While it did provide protection to my upper body, the wind seemed to hit me right in the eyes. Since I like to ride with an open face helmet, I knew I had to do something. So I purchased the Cee Bailey 21" screen, but it seemed to be pretty similar to the BMW screen in where the wind hit. So then I tried adding a Saeng wing, which adds a few inches to the top of the screen. This definitely moved the wind above my helmet, but I may not have installed it incorrectly because the tape that holds it on didn't stay put. So I decided to try what I should have done in the first place, which is to get the Parabellum screen (the only reason I didn't was because my R1150R already had the BMW windshield mounts for the Touring Screen and I couldn't easily get to the triple clamp bolts to remove them). I went to the BMW dealer to get the windshield bolts removed, then purchased a 21" Parabellum from another owner on the BMWMOA forum.

Installation of the Parabellum was reasonably simple, the only hassle being that you have to remove the turn signals temporarily, which for me meant I had to snip the turn signal wires and reconnect them when I finished. There might be another way but I couldn't easily find the connectors. The mounting points are two stays coming from the handlebar mounts and the other two on the headlight bolts. It seems to be a very solid mounting. After about 1 hour I was ready to try it out. The Parabellum seems to have a more "upright" angle so I was optimistic it would be better than the others.

I immediately took the bike out and found the Parabellum to work great! The wind is now pushed above my helmet and overall there seems to be move coverage. When I am riding the top of the windshield is right about my eyesight level, so I can either look above or below the top. I also have a Corbin seat but I think the height is about the same as the BMW seat so perhaps this is not a factor.

Hope this helps others who are not quite sure what to do. For those that are taller", Parabellum also offers the same screen in a 23" height.

[madbinkster]

I am 6'2, and the stock touring shield caused a tremendous amount of buffeting and noise for me. Got the sport shield and things are better, but still could be improved. I'm intrigued by the Aeroflow tank wings...a lot of guys swear that they eliminate the great majority of dirty air around the rider...I do think that a properly fitted helmet helps a lot as well. If there's any question about how much the shield creates noise and discomfort, just stand up on the pegs at any speed and get your head completely in free air...makes a huge difference. The sport shield and tank wings could be a good fit for you.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Congrats and good luck with the new ride, R1150RX

Do you have the Parabellum--ie just the windscreen or do you have the Scout with the fairing?

My left upper wellnut came out again last Sunday and I am getting tired or dealing with it.

If the Parabellum, how is it secured to the bracket? Please don't tell me "wellnuts."

John

[riders]

I have an 04 R1150R with 65,000 miles on it. I bought the touring windshield when I bought the bike new. I wear a full face helmet and if I keep it cracked open an inch or so I don't get any buffeting; I am 5'10." The mounting system is crap. I drilled through the mounts and put long screws and nuts after I lost one of the originals going down the road. Also the frame bolts came loose and I put loctite on them after loosing one of them.