Windscreen or no windscreen?

[vito_imp]

Most any bike is fine up to about 50 mph, but once at that speed or faster the wind can make you feel like your body is a sail being pushed backwards. Do you have a windscreen on your bike, and if so, which one?

[beardyweirdy@me.com_imp]

I tried but it caused more turbulence than it was worth. I find the clear air preferable to all that jostling I get from a short screen.... noisier too. Still, I know a lot of people on here have found solutions they are happy with. I guess it takes a bit of perseverance and it's down to your needs.

[emptysea]

You will see a number of options offered in upcoming posts and I'm sure that a quick search of the forum will get you even more opinions. I've tried two different screens that worked for others here, but just didn't do much for me. I opted for a quieter and more aerodynamic helmet to solve the helmet shakes and wind noise at speed and have just learned to adjust to my body being a parachute. The thread title posed the question and my answer is: no windscreen for me.

[LongRanger_imp]

No windscreen for me. I find the absence of buffeting and turbulence to be very relaxing.

[Haggard Rider_imp]

I have a Dart Marlin (?) fitted to mine. No buffeting upto 70-75mph, then a bit after that. Nothing compared to the wake of a passing truck though.

As for noise, I have a flip-front helmet so noisier than most, but all I do hear is wind noise, no/very little engine or exhaust sound. Whether it is made worse by the screen - no idea

[peterbaron]

Yes , tall screen for me, perfect on hwys above 100 km/h

National Street Shield EX

http://www.nationalcycle.com/media/wysiw..._Rider.pdf

http://www.nationalcycle.com/catalogs/me...ld-mt.html

Make your own decision upon feedback and have an enjoyable and safe rides.

[the Ferret]

On trips and during colder months I throw on a NC Street Shield EX cut down 7". Keeps the wind off my chest but lets my head be in clean air.

[Retsel_imp]

I had a 1999 Valkyrie that had terrible head and chest turbulence at highway speeds. I added a tall wind screen and it was perfect. That said, the air is so clean on the CB I haven't felt the need. Open face helmet and ear buds work for me.

Sent from my SM-T710 using Tapatalk

[VLJ_imp]

Pros:

-that giddy feeling when your UPS package arrives
-that giddy feeling when you've bolted everything up, and there were no unused nuts or screws
-warmer in winter
-protection against rocks and other road debris
-reduced wind fatigue on the freeway, if your bike sits too upright for comfortable freeway work (doesn't apply to the CB1100)
-that giddy feeling when you finally come to your senses and remove your ugly, hot, noisy windshield

Cons:

-headache-inducing wind buffeting
-annoying, noisy airlflow
-having to look through a windshield is for cars, not motorcycles
-optical distortions with taller shields
-a windshield full of splattered bugs
-scratches on your windshield
-big gusts of wind grab onto your tall windshield, turning it into a big sail
-your beautiful naked bike now looks hideously nerdy and downright awful
-reduced fuel mileage (with a tall shield)
-reduced acceleration (with a tall shield)
-reduced visibility at night and in the rain (with a tall shield)
-much hotter in summer
-extra cost and complexity
-absolutely not the way God and Soichiro intended

Unless you're on a feet-forward cruiser, sitting bolt upright, to where you need some sort of windshield in order to do freeway speeds without being blown off the back of the bike, the best windshield for any naked bike is the smallest windshield possible, or no windshield at all. People who say there is too much windblast on a CB1100 have simply never spent any real time riding one. In terms of wind fatigue, it will do normal freeway speeds without any problem whatsoever. You won't maintain 100+mph Autobahn speeds, but you can comfortably do 75 mph all day and night, no worries.

Enjoy the feeling of freedom that comes from riding your CB as it was intended to be ridden, in clean, smooth, quiet air.

Skip the windshield.

[GoldOxide_imp]

VLJ's opinion captured quite a bit.

I use a Dart Marlin on the CB and it is great for speeds up to about 120 km/h. After that, I don't think it makes a difference. Impact on bike "looks" is minimal.

- - -

I have used large windshields on other bikes are they are great for long freeway cruising, albeit with some side effects mentioned by VLJ. I suppose the biggest beef I have for large shields are:

* They are hot in summertime,
* They get murky to see through, especially at night and in the rain,

... and some VLJ missed ...

* They can trap birds, garbage and wasps in the negative pressure vortex between you and the screen,
* If you are tall, your helmet can sometimes hit the top of the screen, usually in stop-and-go traffic because you might be standing up to stretch, and generally hacking around because you can't lane split.