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Rider Buffeting - 2018 R1200RT

4K views 20 replies 17 participants last post by  thebitterprinter 
#1 ·
Good afternoon all,

More of a lurker than a poster. I did a few searches and did not see anything but if you know this topic is out there please direct me to that link.

I purchased a New 2018 R1200RT last May. My previous ride was a Road King Classic that I still have. I love the RT and the wife does too but says that she gets more wind buffeting on it than the RKC.

I am 6'0" 220 and she is 5'2" 120. things are OK at lower speeds 35-40 mph or less but she notices an increase starting at 40-45 depending on the road. Blue Ridge Parkway is less than a 4 lane primary or interstate route. I have varied the stock windscreen height to try and help but it seems to not help.

On the RKC she sits lower and directly behind my noggin. On the RT she sits higher and can see better.

Any ideas on what would help make her ride better.
 
#2 ·
On the RKC she sits lower and directly behind my noggin. On the RT she sits higher and can see better.

Any ideas on what would help make her ride better.

No ideas, but in a similar boat. I have a
2014 Street Glide, and a 2013 RT. Wife expressed that even though the suspension is nicer on the BMW, and the exhaust doesn’t get hot like the harley, she actually hates the fact that her seated position on the RT is much like a sports bike. She hates it, and prefers the harley every day of the week.

Spoke about this to a bmw tech and he said that’s where harley has bmw beat. Passenger riding whether on the RT or K is not as comfortable as the harley tourers...


2013 BMW R1200RT 90 Years of Motorrad 2014 Harley Davidson Street Glide

Past Bikes:
2009 Suzuki GSX-R 600
2009 Suzuki GSX-R 1000
 
#18 ·
Harley and Honda (Wing) and Yamaha (Venture). Unfortunately, they all come with their own set of issues.
 
#3 ·
Which windshield do you have? When I bought my '18 some of the bikes had a "sport" windshield with a convex top while others had the larger "comfort" windshield which was concave at the top. My bike has the "comfort" screen. I'm 5'6" when I stretch and I sit on the extra low seat. My wife who sits on the regular pillion seat says that she is never bothered by excessive wind or by buffeting. I run my screen well below my eye level.
 
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#5 ·
I cannot relate. Neither my wife nor I have any buffeting on the RT. I am 6' 185 lbs and my wife is 5'6". Coming from an FJR where I had lots of buffeting, I feel BMW has mastered this with the shape of the concave dish shape of the top of the windshield along with the adjustable height. For me it creates a nearly silent, movement-free air pocket.
 
#7 ·
Have the stock windshield, 6' 200 lbs. My wife rode last summer for 3,500 miles on our "new" 2018 RT through Quebec and the Maritimes, New England, etc with no complaints.:grin:
 

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#9 ·
The windshield, and how it is designed, makes a lot of difference for the passenger. On the BMW they sit taller than many other bikes. So while YOU may think your windshield is just fine, they may be getting the same effect you would if you lowered the screen substantially. One of the advantages, on the RT and some others, of the windshields with the slight curve at the top is that they push the bubble of high pressure air up and further back before it comes down to fill the lower pressure area where the riders sit. That makes a HUGE difference for the passenger.

The standard, or basically flat screens can be raised till you look through them to help the passenger. But most don't like to look through a screen.

Helmets DO make a difference. Especially in noise. But when buffeting is the problem, the screen should be doing a better job of not allowing the turbulent air to hit the helmet in the first place.
 
#12 ·
Even with no passenger and being regular height, I highly recommend the Quiet Werks. The pocket is nice and quiet.

When my wife bought her 2017, she didn't really want a new shield. I bought it anyway. She loves it. She's short enough that she rides with the shield almost all the way down. So we get less wind resistance for better MPG's.

For you being tall and a passenger, I'm thinking the little taller shield might be best.
 
#13 ·
Finally...I kept seeing this thread title and pretty much ignored it until I kept seeing it stay active and posts kept piling up. Perhaps I would have clicked earlier if the title stated "passenger" buffetting. Anyway, if you folks don't mind a little hillbilly engineer speculation, perhaps it will at least humor and distract during our current "Hunker Down Virus" situation.

In one of my (too many) careers, I sold paint spray booths. Not just for your neighborhood body shop, but all types for industrial manufacturing. By necessity, It taught me a good bit about AIRFLOW. Think of airflow as equal to current. Even a lazy lowland river has current. Buffetting equals turbulence. (white water) So...what we are seeking to do is stabilize the airflow and reduce the turbulence. The solution will not be exactly at the windshield, but the area where the air current meets that tiny wisp of a little lady sitting behind you. (Lucky you)So, it is not just the height of the windshield, but the angle, and you too...your size, and perhaps riding position.

So...your challenge is to find the combination of elements that promotes smooth air current to her space and if turbulence occurs...have it happen behind her. A predictable stream of airflow can be a pleasant experience. Turbulence is unsettling... like being slapped around. Don't merely think about how tall the windscreen is, but pay a lot of attention to the angle and especially...width. I don't have the exact magic answer in my shirt pocket, but hopefully, you will be able to find the combination that extends your airflow past your sweet companion and leave the turbulence to flutter and dissipate in your bike's wake.

Back to spray booths and airflow. I learned that air loves to flow in a straight line. I can give you a great quality of clean filtered air if we can control the entry and exit of the air in a predictable linear flowing manner. But introduce obstacles, twist & turns, and the resulting turbulence/buffeting (little tornados) will pick up trash, & debris that would have otherwise not taken flight.:frown:

If you find an acceptable solution, come back and let us know. We can all benefit from such experiences. All the best to you and your mate.:smile:
 
#14 ·
So...your challenge is to find the combination of elements that promotes smooth air current to her space and if turbulence occurs...have it happen behind her. A predictable stream of airflow can be a pleasant experience. Turbulence is unsettling... like being slapped around. Don't merely think about how tall the windscreen is, but pay a lot of attention to the angle and especially...width. I don't have the exact magic answer in my shirt pocket, but hopefully, you will be able to find the combination that extends your airflow past your sweet companion and leave the turbulence to flutter and dissipate in your bike's wake.
This is why you cannot design a windshield on a computer, cut it out, mold it, and send it out to the market. That is being done in a couple cases, but the results are not what the "name" implies.

There is only ONE way to test how well a windshield works. Put your butt in the seat and ride behind it in ALL conditions. I'll bet you come back and make some changes the first few times you try that!
 
#15 ·
Thanks for all the replies. I have looked at other windscreens including the WERKS screens. I realize different bikes present different opportunities. The wife does like the ride but I'm just trying to do what I can to make it so we can do our trips that we have taken on the RKC. I did a few mods on that bike to help as well.

I guess that I need to figure out what height screen to order.

I really appreciate your time in giving me options to consider.

R/
Tim
 
#16 ·
I guess that I need to figure out what height screen to order.
Tim:

If you're considering the Werks Quiet Ride, I sincerely suggest that you call Terry, the main man there. Terry, aka RealShelby on this forum, is very pleasant and helpful and knows his product inside out. He will ask you about your height, inseam, what kind of seat you have and what position it's in, etc. and will recommend a size.

I called him last summer and am delighted with the screen (and size) he recommended.

Good luck with your search!
 
#19 ·
BMW designs their windscreens just like they design their seats, I’ll save my derogatory comments here, but suffice to say there’s not a lot of forward thinking spent on these 2 products a fixed to a $23k motorcycle.
My premium 2016 rolled off the showroom floor with a compromised seating and a windshield that only worked for me in one small area without buffeting.
By myself after the 500 mile break in period I took off for a small trip from California up into Washington to the Canadian border, then everywhere in between.
Ok, the stock windshield blocks wind at the expense buffeting from side winds like crazy, that mild and sometimes strong fluttering from the sides of the screen was noticeable, creating noise. Ok during that trip the seat drove me crazy with serious pain, but that’s another matter. I got home and started taking my wife out for a few short (200-300 mile) rides. She did nothing but complain about the buffeting and noise unless the screen was all the way up, I hated this for myself.
Knowing that this OEM screen was honestly unacceptable for 90% of my riding I knew that there had to be a windshield that fitted my needs much better.
It’s true that these are personal commodities that should be updated quickly by the bikes new owners. I bought the standard height (I’m 5’9”) WERKS shield, I will say it was a total transformation, period!
There was a review on YouTube from, Chris On The Street where he tested 4 screens for the newer R1200RT-LC his review was excellent, he is much taller than I and his reviews differed from mine, so rider height and if you carry a pillion or not play into which screen you purchase very much.
But bottom line the buffeting that most of us feel comes directly from the OEM screen, and when we stand back and look at the small cost of a device that will improve and quiet the ride (this is a biggie) for both the rider and passenger, help with rain penetrating the riders area why not give it a try?
I will absolutely never ride my RT-LC with the stock shield again, as I hate compromises...
 
#20 ·
You are compromising substantial impact protection using an acrylic shield rather than polycarbonate though. Life is full of compromises.
 
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#21 ·
Get the Werks windshield now that you have used the stock for a while. You will appreciate just how quiet and amazing it is. Terry is great to deal with, the fit and finish are perfect, and the price is right. Easy and affordable mod that makes a huge difference.
 
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