'06 ST Stock Screen road test

[NikosR]

I got to try my new ST in some highish speed riding. Following are my comments on the stock screen.

The bike has the stock grips and saddle and I'm 180cm tall (5'11'' for the metrically challenged) but my neck is quite long and my legs comparatively short so my findings would also apply to someone taller than me but with a different build. I wear a 5 year old SHOEI XCEED helmet.

Up to about 120km/h (75mph) the stock screen seemed comfortable enough. It let enough air to hit my helmet and my shoulders to ease the strain on my arms.

From about 130km/h (80 mph) I started feeling wind pressure on the helmet and some air going in my helmet from underneath. The Shoei net thingy that goes under the chin fixed most of that.

Upwards of 150km/h (90 mph) it's starting to be uncomfortable. After 160km/h I had to tighten my neck muscles too much and I started feeling helmet pressure on my face. At 185km/h (115mph) it was very tough for my neck muscles and I could feel the visor pressing against my glasses. Not good.

That was on a quite a crouched position, as low a position as I could comfortable maintain for sustained riding.

I like to get some wind on me as this helps ease the strain on my arms as I said, but I think this is too much. With this screen I did not feel the pressure on my shoulders or chest, just on the helmet.

I did not notice annoying turbulance or buffeting. Just pressure on the front of my head.

I have ordered the MRA double-bubble screen hoping it will ease the pressure on my head a bit while allowing some wind on my shoulders. I used to have an MRA touring screen on my '99 ST which I quite liked.

When I get it I'll post a comparison between it and the stock screen and I also hope I'll have the chance to compare it to the Triumph AERO screen as well.





[ This message was edited by: NikosR on 2006-11-30 07:43 ]

[ruscook]

Nikos your observations match mine. I'm 5'10" about 178cm with no neck (or so they say!).

I put the Eagle Screens Touring Screen on and it really relieves that pressure and especially the under helmet draft. Still too much buffeting so I guess I should have gone with a double bubble not a touring screen as I'[m not quite tall enough for this screen.

Russ

[Pcdabbler]

Watch the instant fuel consumption as you go above 90 .. it drops like a stone after being relatively flat. Once you work out the increase in the cost of gas you wont want to go faster ! :-D

[NikosR]

On 2006-11-30 06:14, Pcdabbler wrote:
Watch the instant fuel consumption as you go above 90 .. it drops like a stone after being relatively flat. Once you work out the increase in the cost of gas you wont want to go faster ! :-D

This is quite true old chap, but if my main worry were the fuel consumption I would have got a scooter. :-D

I always believed large bikes are an expensive proposition. As most other hobbies mind you.

[okcommuter]

Ok, so you're saying that up to 80mph the stock screen is great, but over that it starts to get uncomfortable?

So...you're buyin a new screen that may make it less comfortable below 80 so that you can be more comfortable at speeds in excess of 100mph?


Christ man, how often do you drive in excess of 100mph??? You'd think you'd want the screen to give you the right amount of pressure on your chest at speeds of 60mph-90mph, since those are the speeds that sane people spend the majority of their time!

Are you sure the Hayabusa isn't the right bike for you?

[ This message was edited by: okcommuter on 2006-12-01 10:16 ]

[NikosR]

Firstly, a double bubble screen is NOT supposed to stop the air getting to the shoulders. It's supposed to lessen and smooth out the air that gets to your helmet. At least that's the theory.
A touring screen would have the effect you describe.

The stock screen as I said feels uncomfortable at anything over 120-130km/h

Secondly, I do often ride at 130-170 cruising speed on the highway. That's both 40kms each way when I commute and in order to reach any really interesting bike roads outside the Athens metropolitan area. That would often be 100-200km rides one way on the highway.

If you don't do that when you're on the highway here in Greece, you're bound to get run over by speeding cars or have to stay at the right lanes doing 60. In any case its safer than trying to use the useless Sprint mirrors all the time.

Thirdly, have you ever found yourself riding the highways in Italy or Germany, sitting on the left lane doing 140km/h and getting pushed by speeding BMWs?

I got the Sprint to go up to 200 or thereabouts. I would get the Busa if I wanted to ride faster than that. I would have got a different bike if highway riding was not on my agenda.

And yes, the shrink said I was pretty sane last time I visited.
To each his own. You can keep the stock one. I'll try to find one that suit me best and I'll report here for the benefit of other nutheads like me. Do you mind?

Amen.





[ This message was edited by: NikosR on 2006-12-01 10:46 ]

[okcommuter]

Wow...I had no idea you crazy Europeans drive that fast!

If you drove that fast all the time here in the states, you'd find yourself behind bars for reckless endangerment sooner rather than later!

Our insterstate highways have speed limits of either 70 or 75mph 112-120kph). The fast lane on most is usually going 80mph (130kph) on average. You can get away with 135kph for the most part, but any faster and you're looking at a grande ticket. 15 miles per hour over the speed limit and they have the option of slapping you with "driving in a manner not reasonable and proper" and faster than 160kph (100mph) and there's the possibilty of jail time, especially if you have a prior history of excessive speeding.

In the us if you are speeding excessively and you have an accident that causes the death of another motorist or pedestrian you can be charged with vehicular manslaughter, which carries a penalty of up to 15years in prison.


What I was getting at, and I'm sorry if I came off as harsh, was that it seems like you would want your comfort zone to be in the range of 100-130kph rather than faster, since that's where the majority of your time is spent.





[ This message was edited by: okcommuter on 2006-12-01 10:54 ]

[NikosR]

High speed limits are similar in the EU as well. 120-130km/h seems to be the max, apart from stretches of autobahn in Germany. UK is 70 mph if I remember correctly. Been some time since I've ridden there and that was long before Gatso's and speed traps.

Now, how these are enforced and driver attitude differ from country to country. I promise you what I say about Italy and Germany is true. Especially Italy, which I like to visit once or twice per year for their wonderful twisties and road surfaces. UK is bad, France used to be relaxed but its much worse nowdays, the Netherlands is tough too.

Seems the US are exporting amongst other things (mostly bad IMHO) their traffic regulations to us. UK cousins seem to be the first adopters (no surprise here). It won't be too long till we all ride Harleys. I just hope to God/Allah/Buddah etc. that our twisties save us. Lots of twisties down here in mountainous Greece. Virtually no traffic once you leave the Athens area and head for the mountains either.

I remember once ridding in Italy, the Autostrada del Sole, highway that goes from north to south, the night of July 31st. August 1st, all Italians go for holidays, get in their cars and head south. Twelve o'clock at night somewhere outside Bologna, had to catch the ferry from a southern port to Greece next day, the autostrada (3-4 lane highway) was packed. The crazy locals drove literally bumper-to-bumber doing 160km/h on the left lane. I was riding at that speed with an Alfa Romeo 5m to my front and a Fiat 5m behind.

Anyways, speeding on a not crowded highway, I feel is one of the safest ways to be illegal. Being on a bike rather than a car makes it less dangerous to others also. There you go! I'm being politically correct.

Vivere Pericolosamente as they say in a neighbor country.

[ This message was edited by: NikosR on 2006-12-01 11:38 ]

[NikosR]

Sorry. User Errror here Pressed the wrong button. Must have been dizzy from going too fast.

[ This message was edited by: NikosR on 2006-12-01 11:39 ]

[okcommuter]

Hehe...well I guess I've been pussified from living in the US all my life. In all seriousness.