Best Distance Touring Windshields for the S

BMWSaint · 11-16-2005, 11:26 AM

O.K., I've scrolled through the archives and read about varios, baileys, parabellums and laminar lips.

I agree with the premise that taller can lead to head buffeting but I am looking for a bit more protection than the stock shield provides, particularly when weather picks up on long rides.

Useful stats: '02 'S', Rapid's barbacks, Corbin seat, 6'1.

repoe3 · 11-16-2005, 11:54 AM

the stock one did just fine for me doing 3k miles in 3 days and 3k miles in 4 days over the summer.

repoe3

Trex · 05:02 AM

You and I are in the same boat and I don't even know what to really look for: is the air stream to hit your chest and help support the upper torso or do you go out and get something like the Parabellum which is a huge barndoor and let everything lift up and over your head?

So, I have no advice for you.

One thing: make sure you know which windshield you do have on your bike. I have the higher standard S windshield, the Comfort model. You might have the lower one. I have heard that from 2002 on, the non-BCR 1100 S bikes got the Comfort shield.

Here's something I was thinking about over the week-end as I was riding on the highway. With lower pegs and barbacks (and being 6'1"), I have no difficulty with riding at 65 mph...or 70 mph...75 mph is not bad. It's at 80 mph on up that there is serious buffeting. Am I being too critical? Is it realistic to imagine an attractive (non-barndoor) shield will stop the push/pull at 90 mph?

One aspect of this discussion has to center on cost. It is not realistic to get five or six different screens and try each one (and we have to realize that no one else's perfect solution will be right for you and your riding style). One thing I will try next spring will be the Laminator Lip. It's about $85 as I recall. It can be moved up and down a bit. But, it's not pretty.

Maybe, like my stock seat, I should just get used to it.

Rapid Dog · 11-16-2005, 12:17 PM

ditto TRex...it's all individual.....the Lip is a good alternate but they all flap at high speeds and affect stability in wind conditions...
High Desert Wind Expert

shovelstrokeed · 11-16-2005, 01:06 PM

For me, 5'10", the stock low screen with bars below the triple and standard peg position works best. 700-900 mile days are cake. No buffeting at speeds up to 130 or so and no problem dealing with weather. IMHO, how you deal with inclement weather is much more a function of the gear you have than the bike you are riding.

jduke · 11-16-2005, 01:25 PM

Here's a picture of a 20" shield with a 6" extension on it.

E Caceres · 11-16-2005, 02:43 PM

I used the parabellum for a 6500 miles to Alaska, I am 6'0" and was great coverage, is not as good looking as the stock (tall) but I saw one (taller) at sierra BMW that I like it!

GotRoad? · 11-16-2005, 06:10 PM

I started off with the stock "tall" windshield (18") and changed after 6months to the Cee Baileys 20" touring for a year before finding contentment with the Wunderlich Vario screen.

flynford · flynford's Garage

Hey Jduke,
Who makes your windscreen, I like it very much; for which, it has a straight slope unlike the Wunderlich, CeeBaileys, and some of the others. It's much like an RT type of windshield.

Thanks in advance!

wswartzwel · 11-16-2005, 08:17 PM

Thats BenB's windshield. I believe he custom made it, himself.

flynford · flynford's Garage

Sorry for my ignorance, is BenB a fellow Pelican member because I did a search for his username and it came up with nothing... Wondering if he make them for others.

I like the fact that it is more upright. :-)

gigantic · gigantic's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by wswartzwel
Thats BenB's windshield. I believe he custom made it, himself.

LMAO!

Dan Alexander · Dan Alexander's Garage

ahhh .... BenB rises from the ashes

gigantic · gigantic's Garage

maybe we can meet him in Toronto too.

MoDog · 11-17-2005, 02:36 AM

In the past four years, I've tried a tall Parabellum, a short standard, and a custom made tall Gustafson. I liked what the Laminar lip did best. With a permanent solid mount, it is very stable, and I've found that the bike has better high speed stability
with it than without it...and believe me, I get lots of chances to ride in all sorts of wind conditions and weather.

Windshields, like seats, tend to be very user specific, so you're going to have to experiment to find what works best for you. Like Ed, I had the tall screen and low bars on my last S and thought it was perfect (I'm also about 5'10). I just acquired another set of low bars and plan on installing them the next time I have the bodywork off.

BMWSaint · 11-17-2005, 04:55 AM

Great comments, thanks!

Here in New England, the adage of 'if you don't like the weather, wait a minute' holds true. I ride some 10,000 miles and do 2 trips of extended touring each year. One of those trips, a northern California fantasy tour, will be published in January's Rider magazine.

The airflow is clean at the moment and I stay dry thanks to aerostitch and a flip-up helmet. Having more of a windshield to duck down behind in thunder and sand storms on the extended trips would be appreciated, tho.

Rattling, deforming windshields might be distracting at times when your concentration should be on other matters. Or do you get used to it?

shovelstrokeed · 11-17-2005, 05:02 AM

for the record, I use the low, stock wind screen that came with my 'prep'. Smooth air is far more important to me than keeping out of it.

I have done 50K miles total on my S since Jan '03 with 20K since May of this year. I have ridden in every weather you can imagine and haven't felt the need to stop yet. I do carry superb gear and use it as needed.

Trex · 11-17-2005, 05:08 AM

MoDog - what shield did you put the LamLip on? Was it the standard (low) BMW shield or the standard (Comfort) BMW shield?

Also...that Wunderlich Vario looks interesting.

BMWSaint · 11-17-2005, 05:21 AM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by shovelstrokeed
" Smooth air is far more important to me than keeping out of it."

Absolutely agree with you on this. Smooth air is important. At 6'1, I'm questioning whether a slightly taller or adjustable shield can still offer clean air and some weather protection besides.

shovelstrokeed · 11-17-2005, 09:05 AM

Saint,
Depending on inseam and body configuration we may well 'sit' the same on the bike. Without exception for the past 20 years or so, about 1/2 my total riding experience, I have found that a shorter windscreen serves me better than a taller. In particular this applies on a bike with the ergonomics of the S.
Waterproof gear will handle wind and rain, I like cruising at 80 or so as that is a really good balance between wind at my shoulders and load on my core muscles. Notice I did not say hands. I don't have any load on my hands while riding, even with the low bars. If I need to get down out of the weather a bit, say when a truck is spewing spray and road debris off the trires, I just scoot my butt back a little and bend further at the hips, down goes the upper torso and I retain good visibility due to correct posture.