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Passenger Wind Issues


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I just downsized to a 14.5" narrow F4 windshield, and my wife hasn't complained at all. She says there is no problem with buffeting.

 

We kind of like some wind, as that's part of the freedom of riding a motorcycle, is getting some wind in your face. I get a chuckle out of some on here who have to have a deflector for this, or a visor for that, because they don't like the wind touching them. You're on a bike, for cripes sake!:stickpoke:

 

 

It is less about the wind, than the wind noise and the headaches it gives me..

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I honestly think that the wider shield makes more difference that the higher one...

 

This has been my experience too -- well at least what my passengers seem to indicate. Although it gets mighty windy here in 'West' Texas so frequently the crosswinds negate any effects that the different windshields would have anyways.

 

Lets see I am on windshield number 4 in less than 2 years. My first was replaced because I couldn't see through it. The best I could tell it was a Yamaha 'extra wide' one. That was pretty good on the passenger. My replacement for that was a standard width Yamaha one. that lasted less than 5 hours on the bike thanks to a friendly bird. My passenger did notice an increase in wind buffeting on her body but not necessarily on her face. The next replacement was a Clearview XL or XXL (tinted with a vent), courtesy of fellow member here. That was a huge improvement (over OEM height/width) for both driver and passenger in weather protection as well as wind protection. Thanks to a wet and oily parking garage the clearview snapped off and now I am back with an OEM shield. I am pretty sure it is a wide one because going back to the OEM from the clearview I did not notice a big difference in wind or weather protection (for the driver). I put on about 2500 miles within a few days of replacing the clearview (and a bit of riding without a windshield) so my perception may have been skewed a bit.

 

Point of story: I am quite certain that the extra couple inches in width greatly helped limit the wind buffeting that MY Passengers experience.

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When my wife has the wind I don't let her ride with me!! Adjust her diet a little, she'll be okay!! OH! Not that kind of wind??? HUh!

 

Guess my wife is short enough or I'm tall enough, plus I've got the tall stock windshield, so she's happy back there!

 

Happy wife, happy life!!

 

:cool10:

 

Brian

 

Perhaps I misunderstood her complaints... Could she have been referring to the wind I generate? I do like spicy Mexican food :)

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The new shield came today. 15 minutes to install and we were off for a test run. Purely for scientific research purposes, we ran it up to about 95 on the highway. To me it feels like I'm not getting sucked forward and have a little less wind noise. Much more importantly though, the wife is happy! No more getting knocked around by the wind.

 

Another bonus is that I think the new shield looks way better. The stock one was just too narrow compared to how wide the fairing is and in my opinion, was the only part of the bike I didn't think looked very good. The Clearview XXL is a fair bit wider and in my opinion suits the bike much better.

 

I can't see over it, but I couldn't see over the stock either. For those days when I want a shorter ride with the wind in my face I can always jump on the Volusia. I don't know how anyone can make due with just one bike. :)

 

Here is a picture of the old one leaned up against the new to get an idea of the size difference and another picture of it on the bike.

 

Cheers,

Dan

 

 

http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z351/danzoom/03-28-11-010.jpghttp://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z351/danzoom/03-28-11-021.jpg

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thanks for this thread. i am also in the market for a new windshield and considering the clear view. I'm only 5'6" tall so I may get the medium shield that is 3" shorter. My last bike was a goldwing and I never liked the realy tall windshield, but i did like the vent. my wife and frequent passenger is a little shorter than me so I hope the shorter shield will be ok. I still wont be able to see over it but if I get one that short im afraid she will get to much wind. the shield in your picture looks great very clear.

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An alternative to the Clearview is the Golwing riders favorite for years, the Tulsa Enterprises windshield. wider taller and choice of clear or tinted and sheds rain at 30mph just like they did on my previous ride a Goldwing of course, but I am a convert. I now bleed Yamaha blue.

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  • 3 months later...

I have the clear view XXl with the vent and I am 6'2 and she is 5'8 and even with it she gets alot more wind than I do and if she wears a helmet it bounces her head around she said. I have my stock one that I cut way down to get me more air and she doesnt like it at all says it to noisey.I cant hear worth a crap anymore anyway so it doesnt bother me.

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It is hard enouhg to manage turbulence for the cockpit, durn near impossible to improve the wind situation for the pax, due to the distance and height of the pillion from the windscreen. I learned this from solo riding in the pillion with cruise control set.

 

It also needs saying that how a particular windshield acts in dead air will be very different from how it acts in a headwind, or tailwind, or crosswind.

 

About 4 years ago I let my beard grow long. Now it is about down to the very top of my gut protrusion. The beard flopping around tells a lot about what wind is doing in the cockpit. On a bike like the Venture mostly the wind is scooping up from below. Some is coming around and flowing back into the lower pressure area behind the faring. It is such a maelstrom in there! If I don't tie the beard down, it beats me to death from the air flowing up from the lowers.

 

I also own an old VTX1800. No windshield at all. On that ride, I don't have to tie the beard up. The wind flows naturally from front to rear as I move through it, and the beard rides smoothly over my shoulder. Nothing noticeable flows up from below. If I've got a pax behind me, she moving her head slightly behind mine will cause my head to move side to side in reaction.

 

Size of windshield is important, the bigger-wider the better. With the Tulsa you get a very quiet cockpit, but the poor pillion rider has blurred vision and an itchy nose.

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My only suggestion is that if you do get a bigger shield, get one with a vent installed. I have the clearview XXL and if I didnt have the vent I would get overheated very quickly. When I ride with the vent closed, I have almost no air movement.

On the plus side for me, a friend of mine had installed the 8" smoke on his venture and my wife loved the look. I now get to ride with my face to the wind again for tooling around home and the clearview for long trips! :080402gudl_prv:

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