sold my klr today

[Dan Oaks]

Here's my take on windshields: 1. If they're short enough to look cool, they generate enough wind buffeting to wear you out on even a short ride, unless you wear a full face shield and a neck brace. 2. If you get one tall and wide enough to cover you, they annoy you because they're completely in your face. 3. Every windshield I've ever rode behind collects and reflects engine and road noise directly at you. The taller and wider, the noisier. The shorter they are the less you hear because of the constant buffeting. One exception was a tiny semi-sphere of a windshield on my 1981 Suzuki street bike that curled back about 3 inches over the bars and kept the wind off the odometer reset knob, but it looked cool as hell. For my riding enjoyment, I like the constant wind (not buffeting) in my face, and as nearly quiet as possible. When I get tired of the wind in my face I hit the dirt in my 4 wheel drive Tahoe. All my windshields belong on cars and trucks. Besides, the constant wind at my face reminds me of . . . well . . . motorcycling! bierdo Robert T. Heywood wrote: BUT!!! You get a constant blast of wind. Dan Oaks wrote:

> I know I'm repeating myself, but if you remove the windshield > completely, all the turbulance goes away! > > -- > BIERDO > > bierdo@...

[gyb@sprynet.com]

Dan Oaks wrote:

> I know I'm repeating myself, but if you remove the windshield > completely, all the turbulance goes away!

Robert T. Heywood wrote:

>BUT!!! You get a constant blast of wind.

Robert, listen, there are only three screws holding that windshield in place. Go to your garage, remove it, and go for a ride. Then come back and tell us if it was *that* bad, or maybe Dan is right and this is the better solution. My experience is that if you want good coverage, it has to be a really tall windshield, to make a complete bubble around you (like an R-RT), if they are not tall enough, you get so much turbulance that it's worse on long distance rides. For example, the stock windshield on a Honda ST1100 is not tall enough for me. It drives me nuts on the highway, fighting the turbulance. OTOH, my VFR has a short, windshield. It drives the air to my shoulders, and I can do 500 mile days without a problem form the wind. When I lean forward, there is a spot where it's actually worse than sitting up, for that reason, it's also noisier than sitting upright. YWindshieldMV, Gustavo

[racing43rd@aol.com]

I think it really becomes a personal preference "thing". I have a tall Rifle on my Transalp and there is some turbulence. I'm not tall (5' 11") but with a 30" inseam most of me is up in the wind. I like the Rifle mostly because I ride in some really ugly weather. Cold rain, snow, and sleet and the windshield does keep me warmer and dryer. I have a VTR250 that I have put a lot of 500 mile days on and I agree about having no problem with the wind, in fact I think it tends to buoy me up and take some weight off my arms. Ed Windsor Ohio

[jackfrontz]

There is a new company making windshields. www.ceebaileys.com/kawasaki/kawaklr650.html They make aircraft windshields and started making motorcycle shields a few months ago. They make one for the KLR. I have one order for my R 1150 GS. I'll post if I like it. Jack Frontz Coshocton, Ohio

[jimsherlock]

I recommend that anyone seeking a windshield, to get a handlebar mounted one. They have fairly beefy hardware, it provides a very nice pocket of air behind it, plus it's easily removable. Those windshields that attach to the mini fairing are too susceptible to damage or not providing enough protection. Jim Cedar Creek, Texas [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Martin]

As much as I enjoy my KLR the head buffeting is a real conundrum. I have tried the standard shield, the KLR tall, a clearview + 9", cut down standard, no windshield at all....and now finally I have taken the little front fairing off completely. Hey! It works. A naked bike = no head buffeting. Reminds me of riding my old Triumph (the REAL Triumph) Try riding your machine standing on the rear pegs. Clean airflow! Little noise ( I can actually hear my exhaust...Laser Pro-Duro...sounds nice!) Will have to come up with something to protect the back side of the instruments. Maybe a handle bar mounted windshield for longer/inclement rides. Ride naked (a naked bike!!!) It feels great. cheers Martin Polach

[don_detloff]

Martin, My first "real" bike was a '65 Bonneville waaaay back when I was in high school. I now have a '00 Triumph Sprint RS and a '00 KLR650. I had my dad sell the Bonneville when I was in Vietnam and have been kicking myself ever since. Lots of great memories on that bike. Part of the deal when riding the old Brit bikes was learning to be a mechanic. That was part of the character of those bikes. The new Triumphs are great bikes too. I think they have a lot more character than any of the Jap bikes that they compete with. That 955 triple really has a nice howl when you wind it up. It's nice to just jump on and ride for a few hundred miles and still have everything attached to the bike. I still like to fiddle around with bikes though. I guess that's why I have the KLR. It's a lot like my Jeep. There are just so many things you can do with either one. Now, if Triumph would just come back out with a Cub single, high pipe, knobbies ... Don Detloff Fair Haven, MI USA '00 KLR650 '00 Triumph Sprint RS '64 Yamaha Trail 80 (Ret.)

> ..... Reminds me of riding my > old Triumph (the REAL Triumph)

. . . .

> Ride naked (a naked bike!!!) It feels great. > cheers > Martin Polach

[ron criswell]

Naw, get BSA to bring back the Gold Star. Never could figure out why they dropped the Gold Star and started making the Victor. But the British motorcycle industry bungled a lot of things in the mid sixties when they had the market by the ......... er ......... gonads. Criswell (who had a 73 Triumph 750 twin - until I crashed it) don_detloff wrote:

> Martin, > > My first "real" bike was a '65 Bonneville waaaay back when I was in > high school. > > I now have a '00 Triumph Sprint RS and a '00 KLR650. > > I had my dad sell the Bonneville when I was in Vietnam and have been > kicking myself ever since. Lots of great memories on that bike. Part > of the deal when riding the old Brit bikes was learning to be a > mechanic. That was part of the character of those bikes. > > The new Triumphs are great bikes too. I think they have a lot more > character than any of the Jap bikes that they compete with. That 955 > triple really has a nice howl when you wind it up. It's nice to just > jump on and ride for a few hundred miles and still have everything > attached to the bike. > > I still like to fiddle around with bikes though. I guess that's why I > have the KLR. It's a lot like my Jeep. There are just so many things > you can do with either one. > > Now, if Triumph would just come back out with a Cub single, high > pipe, knobbies ... > > Don Detloff > Fair Haven, MI USA > > '00 KLR650 > '00 Triumph Sprint RS > '64 Yamaha Trail 80 (Ret.) > > > ..... Reminds me of riding my > > old Triumph (the REAL Triumph) > . > . > . > . > > Ride naked (a naked bike!!!) It feels great. > > cheers > > Martin Polach > > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at www.dualsportnews.com. List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > Unsubscribe by sending a blank message to: > DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com . > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[Alan L Henderson]

> Will have to come up with something to protect the back side of the >instruments. Maybe a handle bar mounted windshield for longer/inclement >rides. > Ride naked (a naked bike!!!) It feels great. >cheers >Martin Polach >

What we need is a short shield that curves back to pull the air flow down so as to not generate so much turbulence off the back. I'm sure some one familiar with aero dynamics could give us some ideas. I've been thinking of this for a while but haven't had the time to mess with it. Alan L Henderson A13 Iowa about as aerodynamic as a 350lb boulder

[Alan L Henderson]

.

> >I had my dad sell the Bonneville when I was in Vietnam and have been >kicking myself ever since. Lots of great memories on that bike. Part > >Now, if Triumph would just come back out with a Cub single, high >pipe, knobbies ... > >Don Detloff >Fair Haven, MI USA >

I was planning to get a BSA 441 Victor when I got back from Vietnam but somehow let my family talk me out of it. Been kicking myself ever since. Alan L Henderson A13 Iowa got a 1960 Triumph TR3 (car) instead