Motorway speeds and buffeting

[davidn]

Tried a few M-way blasts purely for research you understand and I'm struggling with buffeting. It just feels really uncomfortable to the point that I don't feel in control and I'm talking sub lepton.
Is it something I just have to grin and bare or is there a technique to it?
David
Suffering from excessive wind!...

[RemaL]

Do you find this wen passing large vehicles, I find if I'm flowing a car I also bet buffed around

[dern]

If you mean your head bobbing about then it's more than likely the screen or you have the neck of a girl . Changing the screen may make this better (or make it worse judging by an st I test rode a few weeks ago) but you will strengthen your neck muscles over time.

If you mean your body is being buffeted around then ride with your arms slightly bent and hold on (if you need to) with your knees. Then your bike will be buffeted but you'll be insulated from it.

Cheers,

Mark

[davidn]

No not as bad as I thought when passing an artic and yes a little worse when following something big but feels just as bad when nothing in front.
No don't even have the neck of a girl, hardly got one at all in fact (head and shoulders was designed for me I think).
I did change my helmet for an Arai as the AGV I had originally was getting loose and lifting at speed. It's helped as it's a much tighter fit and has a slightly smaller frontal area.
I'll try the tip though about relaxing the arms more before looking at a different screen, i'm pretty sure mine's standard (apart from the colour) although compared with other sports bikes the 954 set up looks fairly steep so I'd expect it to do a reasonable job.
So would a double bubble help or is that just 2 Greek blokes?
Cheers
David

[Yoda954]

I wear either a one piece or 2 piece leathers. My standard 'Blade screen causes odd 'buffeting', almost an urge to weave a little if I'm behind a lorry (IIRC this was mentioned in one of the early road tests too). With a bubble screen I don't have that problem.
What jacket are you wearing/gear...that may well make matters worse. FWIW I have a Rukka one-piece waterproof (it's several years old now) & when I did wear it it turned me into a barrage balloon...so much so that anything over 70mph (this was on my ZX6 which had a higher screen than the Blade) felt dreadful!

EDIT: David I see you have a 954 Blade...it'll be the screen I'm sure of it
EDIT #2..looking at your bike photo the screen looks a bit taller than my standard one...is it one of the (genuine) Honda screens you can get with are a little higher than standard?

Edited by Yoda954 on Wednesday 15th October 19:30

[davidn]

Had a sneaky look at your profile Yoda and noticed the screen so hoping you'd offer a reply. I've got 2 peice leathers which are a fairly snug fit although I'm a little on the bulky side it has to be said and feel the wind pulling my torso about as well as my head. If it was consistant then fine you know what to expect but it feels more like sudden gusts that come out of no where that seem to grab hold of me even though there isn't much wind about. I'm gonna have another go tomorrow with the technique suggested by Dern before splashing the sadly lacking cash on a screen.
Cheers
David
Spotted your edit about the screen, dunno, not marked and it's an iridium one so I'd guess a retro fit. Doesn't have the same shape as yours though which I assume is the 2 Greek blokes one.

Edited by davidn on Wednesday 15th October 19:37

[RizzoTheRat]

I know some people who've managed a big reduction in buffeting by putting some washers between the screen and the faring to put a gap around the screen, which in theory increases the pressure slightly behind the screen and reduces turbulance. Probably very dependant on the bike though.

[YZF600R]

1. Screens make a big difference to the buffeting your head gets, but the choice is obviously limited to what bike you have. Sometimes bigger screens are a PITA as they channel the air up and straight into your face.

2. Your riding position will affect the amount of buffeting you feel on your chest/shoulders. Hunching down a bit (if your bike allows this) takes the pressure off your upper chest and creates less wind resistance.

3. Your clothes will make a difference. Big textile stuff tends to flap around a bit, whereas 1 piece racing leathers don't. If you're in a Nike top and tracksuit you're basically a human shaped flag.

4. Bike fairings. Naked bikes are horrid above 70mph for any distance!

5. When passing lorries, you'll notice you'll get 'sucked' into their direction. Lean out a bit when passing lorries but remember to lean in/straighten up when you're about to clear the front.

[Yoda954]

davidn said:

Had a sneaky look at your profile Yoda and noticed the screen so hoping you'd offer a reply. I've got 2 peice leathers which are a fairly snug fit although I'm a little on the bulky side it has to be said and feel the wind pulling my torso about as well as my head. If it was consistant then fine you know what to expect but it feels more like sudden gusts that come out of no where that seem to grab hold of me even though there isn't much wind about. I'm gonna have another go tomorrow with the technique suggested by Dern before splashing the sadly lacking cash on a screen.
Cheers
David
Spotted your edit about the screen, dunno, not marked and it's an iridium one so I'd guess a retro fit. Doesn't have the same shape as yours though which I assume is the 2 Greek blokes one.

Edited by davidn on Wednesday 15th October 19:37

If the screen is iridium then it'll more than likely be a double bubble. I (don't at the moment) use a Fabbri screen (shown in profile pic) which made the difference...I've refitted the original screen just for looks really & I don't do long journeys ATM...the missus has commented on how much more wind blast she gets on the back which must be down to the lower (standard) screen.

This is another pikky of the bike & screen which may be a bit better to see...but norra lot:



More edits: It does sound odd the buffeting you describe...very much like I get with the (lower) 'standard' screen. I'm about 5'10" with a gut , but relatively slim otherwise. If you have broad shoulders it may affect the wind flow too...dunno really?

Edited by Yoda954 on Wednesday 15th October 20:01

[dern]

davidn said:

I'll try the tip though about relaxing the arms more before looking at a different screen, i'm pretty sure mine's standard (apart from the colour) although compared with other sports bikes the 954 set up looks fairly steep so I'd expect it to do a reasonable job.
So would a double bubble help or is that just 2 Greek blokes?
Cheers
David

Your 954 should be the same as my 929 and I didn't experience any buffeting with the standard or the later double-bubble. The db does help with getting the wind off your chest though but I just found I simply rode faster until I experienced exactly the same wind blast as before . I'd try the lose arm thing but also check your tyre pressures, tyre wear (my blade gets distinctly weird with a worn stepped front tyre and also check your head race bearings.

Good luck,

Mark

ETA: As YZF600R said, loose clothing will make a difference.

Edited by dern on Wednesday 15th October 20:44

[Graham]

I ride a monster with a small bikini faring around the instruments, and I find it fine most of the time even at 100 leptons although the longest i've been at that is about 45 mins.

what I have noticed though is its really susceptible to side winds, the slightest side wind makes it much more unstable.

also if i grip the bars too tight it starts to get a gentle wobble on untill i relax my grip again

G

[davidn]

Wow, lots of stuff to try out then, thanks for the tips and advice chaps, day off tomorrow and looks like the A12 has got my name on it.
Thanks all.
David