Hollow Road Rider Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 I had a nice R750 and then the family thing happened (no time to ride). I recently picked up a nice '04 R1150RT and I am re-learning a lot and learning a lot of new stuff. Can someone tell me about the buffeting feeling I start getting at 55 - 60 mph? Kind of like being shoved around by a couple of tough guys who aren't trying to hurt you. The bike has the stock windscreen. Link to comment
gottabmw Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Can someone tell me about the buffeting feeling I start getting at 55 - 60 mph? Kind of like being shoved around by a couple of tough guys who aren't trying to hurt you. Sounds like typical body buffeting from following another vehicle through the turbulence that vehicle is causing. Pretty unavoidable. Does it smooth out if you're not behind someone? Some motorcycles even cause significant turbulence. The worst has to be log trucks. Link to comment
Paul Mihalka Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Try to adjust the screen lower. Often it gives a smoother environment. Link to comment
Selden Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 The bike has the stock windscreen. The stock screen is notorious for buffeting. There are lots of after-market screens available, in both polycarbonate and acrylic. Each has its fans.... ~$200. Link to comment
10ovr Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Remember,,25 Years ago there were not A holes out there with cell phones,,Texting,,,Be careful out there.....Things have changed a lot in 25 years,, Link to comment
E30TECH Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 I had buffeting with my old helmet - even with an aftermarket windscreen. The newer helmet design made a big difference (Nolan N100E to a Nolan N102). Get used to those power assisted brakes. The brakes, weight, and height are the biggest thing you will have to get accustomed to Link to comment
Bullett Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 I can't help with the buffeting, but I can say welcome to the board! I'm sure somebody here has the answer. Link to comment
russell_bynum Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Welcome! First...as long as you keep your upper body loose and keep a loose grip on the bars, normal aerodynamic buffeting should not move the bike around. If your upper body is tense, the buffeting will be transmitted back into the bars and will cause the bike to move around. You'll fight that and make your upper body even more tense...which makes the problem even worse. So...first off...make sure you're nice and loose up top and have a gentle grip on the bars. The bars should really just be a convenient place to rest your hands...the only reason you need them at all when going straight is to hold the throttle. If you're having trouble with being loose, let us know and there are things you can do to work on that. As for the actual cause of the buffeting...assuming you're in clear air (i.e. not following a truck or something like that), try the stuff that's been suggested...change the windshield position, change your riding position, etc. You may find that you just need the screen in a slightly different position or you need your head a bit lower/higher to get into smooth air. Link to comment
Bologna Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Welcome back Tom, get a new windscreen and learn about modern cage aerodynamics and how they control air flow and just dump it out the back. Semi trucks are rough but a mini van can really be brutal in traffic! Link to comment
russell_bynum Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Welcome back Tom, get a new windscreen and learn about modern cage aerodynamics and how they control air flow and just dump it out the back. Semi trucks are rough but a mini van can really be brutal in traffic! FWIW, My R1100RT gave me very smooth, clean airflow with the stock screen in the low position. That's for me the way I sit on the bike (I'm 6'4", btw) and it might not work the same for other people. Also, some people don't want clean, smooth airflow...they want to sit in a pocket of relatively still air. Solving for that requires a completely different strategy. Also, the OP didn't say anything about other traffic causing the turbulence...just that it happens around 55-60mph. Link to comment
Bologna Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 6'2" and a Cee Bailey #2 +4 1/2" euro took care of the turbulence for me. The stock shield was too short for my height and body position and my bride was uncomfortable with the buffeting. Link to comment
ka5ysy Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 Welcome back to the saddle ! Please do yourself and family a favor and sign up for a MSF or Harley RidersEdge basic rider course to brush up your skills. We get a lot of re-entry riders in my courses and they all say they were impressed with what they did not know even when riding before. Stay safe out there ! Link to comment
bayoubengal Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Welcome back Tom. My best recommendation is to read Proficient Motorcycling by David L. Hough. Link to comment
Hollow Road Rider Posted November 18, 2009 Author Share Posted November 18, 2009 Thanks. I took the MSF course (worth it), and I just picked up Hough's book. Now I get to read 'till spring. Link to comment
drsales Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 I came back to riding also after 30+ years. Started with a 2002 R1150R for the past 1.5 yrs. Now just bought late summer a 2004 R1150RT. It has an after markest CB windshield. I can dial it in and have very little buffeting. Good luck, I just love how this bike rides. Link to comment
VinnyR11 Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 Regarding the buffeting, I found an Aeroflow windscreen almost completely eliminated this for me on my R1100RT. Other shields may have similar improvements,but I only have long term experiene with the Aeroflow, It was kind of hot in the summer, so you may want to keep your stock shield through one summer before selling it in case you want to swap them. Welcome back! Link to comment
Rider1200RT Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Good for you to get back into riding again. You did the right thing by taking an MSF class and picking up a book or two about riding. Someone else said it already, but traffic has changed a lot and you have to pay exta attention to the new crop of texters/cellphone addicts.... Link to comment
redbeemer Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 I,too, have returned to riding after a 20 year lay-off. Although I came from a dirt background,with a little street mixed in there,I'm living the dream on my beemer. I noticed a lot of buffeting at first but since I replaced the original screen with a Cee Bailey's 3 1/2" over stock screen, I don't have the problem anymore.But I don't have it all the way up very often, just when it's raining or very cold.I still like to ride with the wind in my face. Link to comment
pmdave Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Buffeting is a symptom of the air curling around and over the fairing/windscreen/helmet and collapsing into the partial vacuum. Some windscreens have slots or vents cut in them, or are raised slightly off the fairing, to allow some air to go behind the screen. That reduces the vacuum, and the two air flows come together at the top--similar to wind moving over and under an airplane wing. Some folks call this "laminar flow" Manufacturers have not always designed their windscreens for best airflow. And of course, the position of your head and torso in the equation may be different from the ideal for which the screen was designed. Some riders attach a "laminar lip" to the top of the screen, to help create some laminar flow. I've built a small pivoting wing for the top of a windscreen on a different machine. I can tilt the wing to produce the least buffeting. I prefer to have the top of any screen just below my line of sight, so I'm looking over the top, not through the screen. Sometimes it's better to lower the screen even farther. If you feel the air around your screen and helmet while riding, you may discover that the buffeting is at the back of your helmet. The solution to that may be a different helmet or a different riding position. pmdave Link to comment
Survived-til-now Posted February 8, 2010 Share Posted February 8, 2010 Tom Welcome back Buffeting from other traffic is a likely source; you could try: "Officer, I was doing over 100 mph in an attempt to stabilize my bike, as the buffeting caused by other traffic was threatening my life" (i.e. plead necessity) Don't try this on a motorcyle officer..... Andy Link to comment
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