Thanks, Richt. Yeah, it turned out better than I thought it would too. I was definitely going for function over fashion, but I think I got a little bit of both.

I think with a little modification along the bottom edge, I might get it to look better, but for now I am just focusing on performance testing. I just got it on late last night, so I haven't even ridden with it yet. Any other week and I would be riding it every day, but errands are forcing me to drive my truck every day this week. That particularly sucks, too, because the weather in NC right now could not be better for riding.

Chris

 

there is a BC guy there that had that "touring on a 250" post that has one too.

I kinda liked it, in a big harley dresser kinda way

 

Rode quite a bit at highway speeds this evening with the new windshield. I have two words to describe it: Sah-lid. It was rock steady. I was at about 75 mph (per speedo) and 8000 rpm with no visible movement of the shield at all. Looking through the shield, I could see the front fender wiggling a little bit, but the shield itself was a rock.

I am extremely pleased with the performance of this shield. I will probably adjust the rake angle a bit to make it just a bit more vertical. I need a little more wind protection than I am getting with the current slope.

 

H'mmm, I wonder if you could get to 75 mph with that shield and the stock gearing?

You are now pushing a lot of wind!

 

Marty, just to clarify, I don't think I was really going 75mph. That's why I put "per speedo" in parentheses. I figure I was really doing something like 65 or so. I was on a flat stretch at the time, and I felt like I could have gotten a little more speed if I had wanted it. Not much, though - maybe another 5mph or so. I am not sure how things would be affected if I went back to stock gearing. I guess I would have better theoretical top speed, but a little less power up there, which the added windscreen might need if it results in a net increase in wind resistance.

Actually, though, I am not sure how much the windshield limits the speed. In certain scenarios I guess it could actually reduce the overall resistance because it might smooth out the airflow that would otherwise be hitting my irregularly shaped torso (what with all of the bulging muscles and all ). I am not going to even pretend to know the aerodynamic principles involved because I know enough to know that sometimes things work backwards from what you would expect.

All in all, I think it is going to do a great job for me for what I bought it for - to keep most of the cold wind off of my body while I go back and forth to work. On that commute I never get faster than about 45 or 50mph actual. The highway speed test was just to put the new screen through its paces.

 

I'm one of those BC guys "riding the goat"... I think speed_2001 is the guy who started the "touring on a 250 thread"... He was from Vancouver Island. Yeah, I don't really give 2 sh*ts if people think it's funny lookin... They're just jealous of my goat. Actually, it's a sheep, but whatever. [sm=icon_rofl.gif]

 

bump...

Installed the National Cycle Deflector Screen DX on my klx this afternoon. Had to remove the crossbar brace for the Renthal handlebars to make room for the mounts. Not a big deal as I'm not going to be doing any jumps on it at my age (63). I had just gotten back from a nice ride so the bikes performance w/o the shield was fresh in my mind. The windshield definitely reduces wind drag. Before sixth gear into a headwind couldn't maintain 60 mph but now 65 is no problem. Should help fuel mileage too. I'm happy. The only drawback I can see is that the shield increases wind noise a bit. Not a big deal as I wear earplugs all the time though. My speedometer is a Vapor that is dead on accurate.

 

Yeah, I believe that one has a rake adjustment, but it's height is fixed. You might be able to get rid of some of the wind noise buy playing with the rake. Duckingyour head lower could tell you weather or not it's a height issue.

 

Well I might as well come clean.. I too have a shield. It came with the bike when I bought it and was the first thing I was going to remove.. but I grew to kinda like it. It pops off with no tools, so I bungee it to the rack once I get to the trails. Man does it cut wind noise, I don't wear earplugs and without it I couldn't stand the noise on the freeway(sometimes I have to ride a good stretch of pavement to get to some new trails.) Heres a pic, kinda hard to see...

 

Are you sure you didn't buy that bike from the guy who started this tread? He's Chris (forum name cwgoff), from Winston-Salem North Carolina. He sold his KLX250 awhileback and bought a KLR650.