Have you ever gone without a windscreen?

Well I tried it tonight.

While I'm waiting for my wings to arrive I thought I'd tell you about it.

I'm 6'4" and have the seat raised. I normally use a C Bailey's +4 reverse contour. Matter of fact 99.9 % of miles logged is with this. It's usually all the way up but occasionally all the way down. It's super quiet all the way up, no buffeting but no air flow either.

I tried stock a couple of times on short trips when it was supposed to be hot. Nice air to my chest but on the highway it's hard to hang on. All the way up, stock blows right on my head.

I also have a tinted shorty but I left it in Texas and have only used it a couple of story trips. Mild improvement over stock but looks sweet on an 09.

I've never been satisfied with any of them and still experiment. Tonight I took off the windscreen altogether and absolutely loved the result. Quieter than ANY of the other windscreens except maybe the CB all the way up. But laminar flow at any speeds save a bit of buffeting on my shoulders. I still am shocked at how quiet it was, even doing 90. But, it gets cold real fast if the temp is 75 or less. Surprisingly I don't feel pushed off like with the stock.

It also look like shut. But tomorrow is supposed to be a bag sticker so I'm leaving it off for a couple of days.

Wings are here.

I think a lot of us have ridden a lot without windshields...at least on bikes other than the FJR. My buddy Jamie rode a Sportster without a windshield, following me for 8000 miles a few summers ago. Came home and bought a FJR. JSNS.

The bike before this FJR was a Suzuki cruiser. I tried all sorts of screens, lowers and air deflectors and the buffeting was always so bad it made my eyes blurr. Finally, I just rode without one. It was much better like that. I put over 10k miles a year on that bike like that, but it had plenty of downsides: too cold, no weather protection, no bug protection, etc. I always seem to be more fatigued at the end of the day than my buddies that rode bikes with better wind protection. Unfortunately for me, it took changing to a completely different motorcycle to find bliss. I hope you have better luck.

Wind causes fatigue for LD riding, for me. There are bikes that are better without shields, because the designs of the shields available for those bikes just aren't effective. But unless it's around the neighborhood, I want a shield.

TomInPA said:

I think a lot of us have ridden a lot without windshields...at least on bikes other than the FJR. My buddy Jamie rode a Sportster without a windshield, following me for 8000 miles a few summers ago. Came home and bought a FJR. JSNS.

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That's how I got the nickname "Bugman".
A 1993 Sportster with a busted shock that rode like a hardtail for 8,000 miles and I need to keep up with Tom! Hell ya I bought a FJR! Hot damn we sure had fun though!

I once went about 200 yards without one, but I don't really think my experience is significant to your enquiry. Unless you want a way to remove it very quickly.

Every bike I had before my first Gold Wing was without a screen. Once I got away from pretending to be a sail, I never went back.

CB550, XSEleven, XS850.

Agree it's nice to ride without a shield for a lot of reasons. However for me that "nice" is overcome by the downsides of wind noise and the constant pressure the air places on your upper torso and head, pressure that leads to the early onset of fatigue on a long trip. I suppose youngsters can deal with it better, but not me. I tossed the stock, replacing it with the Vstream. Its a little better at air management, but I don't think any of the available shields are perfect in every aspect.

Always wear ear plugs guys (even with your full face on). That wind is a hearing killer. Ask me how I know. Sorry, could you repeat that??

I never realized how much force your get from the wind until I got my FJR, and almost felt like I was falling forward with the screen raised!

I have two FZ1s and a DR650. The FZ1s provide a little protection, and I have MRA Vario screens which are slightly adjustable, but the full screen on the FJR is SO much better on the highway.

I bought a DR650 with the intent of going to the mountains to play - even around town, highway riding is taxing..

No bike before my VTX ever had a serious windscreen. I either had small sport bikes or cruisers and I was too cool for an ungainly old-man windshield. Then one Sunday, my wife and I went on a ride with some friends to Socorro NM. On the way home, the wind was so bad, it was pulling my helmet off. Most miserable ride I have EVER been on.

On Tuesday, when the dealer was open, I ordered a windshield and had it by Friday. I even ordered one that was easy to remove because I knew I wouldn't want that ugly thing on my bike all the time. Ha! Idiot! That shield never came off my bike once. What a difference!

Now, wind protection is one of the things I look at when deciding on how much I really want another bike. The FJR's push-button adjustment has me pretty spoiled.

eflyguy said:

I never realized how much force your get from the wind until I got my FJR, and almost felt like I was falling forward with the screen raised!
I have two FZ1s and a DR650. The FZ1s provide a little protection, and I have MRA Vario screens which are slightly adjustable, but the full screen on the FJR is SO much better on the highway.

I bought a DR650 with the intent of going to the mountains to play - even around town, highway riding is taxing..

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I hear ya re: feel like you're falling forward.

The biggest surprise for me was how quiet and smooth the absence of a screen was. I've noticed a trend in the last couple of years of more and more bike without screens from the factory and often wondered how anyone could tolerate the noise, pressure and chill. But surprisingly, it's not bad at all and perhaps even better than any windscreen if you happen to be driving in hot weather at slower speeds.

I've been trying to become more "used" to the stock screen but find myself missing the big CB. Wish we could somehow enjoy the best of both worlds say with a easily detachable and stored screen or some kind of telescoping one that completely tucks away inside the fairing.

Hey...how to you enjoy your DR? I'm sitting on a fence between the Suzuki and Honda 650 for the same purpose as you. I've driven the Suzuki and it's not bad but am leaning to the Honda with it's greater suspension travel and higher stock height and seemingly simpler engine (air cooled). Thinking about a DR 400 too but not sure if it will be powerful enough.

The DR is air cooled also, but has an oil cooler as well. It's lighter. It's pretty much unbreakable, although there are a couple of things to "fix" first. The stock carb sucks - totally unsuitable for a big single, but an upgrade to an FCR from a YZ/WF bike TOTALLY transforms the bike. Also - suspension sucks for larger gentlemen like myself, but it doesn't cost much to get it sorted. I consider that essential for any bike.

It's even better with 17" street wheels/tires..

On short local rides i really enjoy a bike with no windshield. Tried the fjr without it once and was really impressed how quiet and smooth the airflow was compared to the stock shield. A rifle tuning block solved most of thr turbulence i ssues on my gen 1

I like riding on a bike with no windshield if it is slightly lean forward. Wonder if you can make a very short shield for the FJR and keep the nice airflow and not look like it lost something?

Or maybe modify a used upper fairing.....hmm........

First thing I did when I got my FJR, ditched the screen. Love the full blast of air. I made a really nice low screen that gives a great blast right across the shoulders. Perfect balance of torso protection and wind in face. Love it. Don't know how to post pics on this site yet. Do I need to go through PB ?

Rode my minimalist '76 R75 to work and back yesterday. I can feel it in my neck today. Vive le shield.

I love the lack of noise and airflow (here in FL) without it and love my Bobber without it. But it SUCKS in the rain and bugs hurt - so it stays on lol

BlueRider said:

Don't know how to post pics on this site yet. Do I need to go through PB ?

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Yes.