I bought my 3XW ABS 1991 machine last October and have ridden it very little. Appalling wind noise was the most notable characteristic. I have replace the tall flip-up aftermarket screen with the genuine Yamaha finned screen in the hope that this would improve things but have yet to try it out (there's snow outside). I love the look of the bike and it is so easy to get at everything. I must admit that I bought the bike on looks more than anything. My bike is fitted with XJR1200 mufflers and I wonder what effect, if any, they will have on the performance. The site is great by the way!
efjayfan, I don't know what screen you started with so can't comment on whether the finned one will be an improvement or not.
I have done 60,000k with the finned screen and at 5'10" the wind hits half way up my visor. If you move your hand around while riding you will notice a very defined edge to the protected area behind the screen. I find it very noisy but if I slouch a bit it improves greatly and if I stand on the pegs with my head in clean air it's excellent. I had considered going smaller but I ride all year round and I like the protection it offers which is very good and you don't have to hold your head and upper body against the wind. We don't have much choice over here (Aus) and they are expensive so experimenting is limited. I spent $220 on a screen (Eagle) and didn't like it after 5 mins.
I know my helmet is noisy which doesn't help. My solution has been ear plugs for the open road.
The best solution appears to be a Laminar Lip or similar which is a deflector mounted at the top of and standing off the screen which deflects the air over your head while allowing enough air to pass under it to equalise the pressure and reduce buffeting.
Noel
I just wanted to say WELCOME ! Snow and black ice here also so not much motorcycling going on. I have a stock screen and wear foam ear plugs on longer trips. Like a lot of us I have played with my hand on the windscreen while going down the road defecting to wind a bit and I am guessing an adjustable defector would be about as functional as you can get. I had a BMW RT 100 with a full touring windscreen and played with it also for many years. Nothing is perfect it seems. Lot of variables, your height, how you sit on it etc.. Don't forget to look at your helmet design. Some helmets might quieter than others. Two issues that I know are noise and buffeting (wind turbulence) and they can wear on you.
George
Windscreen size is ALWAYS a trade-off between protection, wind noise, helmet buffeting, back pressure and amount of screen in your vision.
There's no prefect solution, just what works for you or what you're willing to put up with. It is the same on all motorcycles.
Good ear plugs work wonders!
DavidR.
Thanks for those replies. What I did find with the tall flip-up screen that was fitted was that with my visor up the turbulence ceased, although at speed the pressure on the visor made it go back down. In any case I did get bugs in my eyes!
Protein washed down with beer.......
Welcome from downham market Norfolk! There seems to be a few of us on here from this side of England. I reckon with these burgeoning numbers we are defiantly in for a uk FJ rally!!
Catch ya soon. Loads of help on here if you need it!
also a very new member, Leicestershire UK, and searching for things about a taller/MRA screen. Regarding the rally idea, I have already joined the UK FJ owners club and they have several arranged for this year already if you are interested
Quote from: manomega007 on January 24, 2013, 05:19:36 AM
also a very new member, Leicestershire UK, and searching for things about a taller/MRA screen. Regarding the rally idea, I have already joined the UK FJ owners club and they have several arranged for this year already if you are interested
Each to their own, but I'm not convinced about having to pay 40 or 50 quid just to join a forum dressed up as an owners club! Besides the info and product support I have found on here has prooved it is worth more than its weight in gold!
A rally of owners club enthusiasts.... You just know that's going to be full of 'anoraks' and 'train spotter' types!
Quote from: nurse on January 24, 2013, 01:36:56 PM
Quote from: manomega007 on January 24, 2013, 05:19:36 AM
also a very new member, Leicestershire UK, and searching for things about a taller/MRA screen. Regarding the rally idea, I have already joined the UK FJ owners club and they have several arranged for this year already if you are interested
Each to their own, but I'm not convinced about having to pay 40 or 50 quid just to join a forum dressed up as an owners club! Besides the info and product support I have found on here has prooved it is worth more than its weight in gold!
A rally of owners club enthusiasts.... You just know that's going to be full of 'anoraks' and 'train spotter' types!
+1 if it was only say a tenner then ok but 40 - 50 isn't worth it especially when there is this place. Good people with excellent knowledge?
There's a large, unspoken cultural gap between the British and North American rally expectations.
Quote from: nurse on January 24, 2013, 01:36:56 PM
Quote from: manomega007 on January 24, 2013, 05:19:36 AM
also a very new member, Leicestershire UK, and searching for things about a taller/MRA screen. Regarding the rally idea, I have already joined the UK FJ owners club and they have several arranged for this year already if you are interested
Each to their own, but I'm not convinced about having to pay 40 or 50 quid just to join a forum dressed up as an owners club! Besides the info and product support I have found on here has prooved it is worth more than its weight in gold!
A rally of owners club enthusiasts.... You just know that's going to be full of 'anoraks' and 'train spotter' types!
The UK owners club is only £17 a year - they do not have a forum
They don't even have a forum! That makes it even worse! £17 for a news letter and and a list of owners club approved spares does not good value make!
Quote from: nurse on January 25, 2013, 03:47:28 PM
They don't even have a forum! That makes it even worse! £17 for a news letter and and a list of owners club approved spares does not good value make! I note I wasn't corrected on the collection of anoraks and train spotters!!
Ay up, from Bingham just down the road other side of Newark. I got a years free membership to the FJ Owners when I wrote them an article about my FJ on the drag strip for their Mag. Didn't bother to renew it though, not really my thing.
This thread has gone way off subject since I started it; not that I'm complaining! The snow of the last fortnight having melted in overnight rain which also washed the salt off the road, I went out on my 3XW today for the first time since fitting the finned screen in place of a tall flip-up screen. It was very windy and for the first 5 miles I was beating into it. It still isn't at all quiet (I've ordered 20 pairs of earplugs to replace my old waxy ones!) but it's definitely less turbulent, and it looks better. I'll wait for the new earplugs before I decide whether to modify the screen upwards, which would make it look worse. Despite loads of standing water and muck, I enjoyed the 18 mile ride although the bike is now completely filthy. I've only done just over 100 miles on it ever and this is the first ride I've really enjoyed. The English winter has been horrible so far. On this outing I really appreciated the incredible smoothness across a huge rev-range of TORQUE, and I noticed how comfortable the FJ is. Would you believe my insurance cost me £85 minus £40 cashback which I have now received?! I agree with comments about the FJ club here in the UK. People have their bikes serviced by the FJ 'club', but surely this is just a commercial FJ specialist, and isn't it the same business that's running the online 'club'?
As soon as you can make sure you wash all that salt off! It can take a week of heavy rain to completely wash the salt off the roads!
Glad your having fun. I only have issues if following a HGV and getting buffeted in its wake! However I'm only 5ft 10 so I may have a height advantage/disadvantage!!!
Good day Chaps
Andrew here from South Africa, also a newbie. Originally from Derbyshire been out here 30 odd years. Bought my FJ1200 1991 just over 2 years ago in Cape Town from a chap who was from Yorkshire! Had the original flip up windshield, the 1800km ride back to Johannesburg played hell with my tinnitus and gave me major pain in my shoulders from the buffeting. As soon as I could, I got a new helmet, replaced windshield with an after market one that didn't have the lip and wore ear plugs. This helped considerably, have experimented with the windshield making the slope of the windshield follow the slope of the fairing making it much lower, this did put my head into clean air and less noise, which is a priority for me with regards to my tinnitus but did put the wind more onto my chest to a degree, but as mentioned by one of our colleagues there are so many variables there will be some trade off somewhere.
Quote from: nurse on January 24, 2013, 01:36:56 PM
Quote from: manomega007 on January 24, 2013, 05:19:36 AM
also a very new member, Leicestershire UK, and searching for things about a taller/MRA screen. Regarding the rally idea, I have already joined the UK FJ owners club and they have several arranged for this year already if you are interested
Each to their own, but I'm not convinced about having to pay 40 or 50 quid just to join a forum dressed up as an owners club! Besides the info and product support I have found on here has prooved it is worth more than its weight in gold!
A rally of owners club enthusiasts.... You just know that's going to be full of 'anoraks' and 'train spotter' types!
I've been organising forum rides on FJRider for a while now. They are great we have had three in the North West over winter and our last is a borders run which for some of us will be around 400 miles. I don't ride on the club runs much but I will attend a few this year.
Whilst I'm not a train spotter, I have been involved with FJs in one way or another for thirty years. (My Dad was the first guy in Lancashire to get an 1100 back in '84)
The Club subs are £17 a year or there abouts and although I'm not a big fan of Hacker and co I do know their workmanship is second to none even if their spares prices are a little salty for my taste.
I'm just trying to work out whether this was posted after your bit of self promotion on the other forum, hence the insults?
Just checked.....This was back in January so, you call us names and make presumptions and then join our motley band?......Nice one Matey.
Not quite sure what your trying to say Pete?
Quote from: nurse on April 05, 2013, 02:25:40 PM
Not quite sure what your trying to say Pete?
What I'm trying to say is get your facts correct before you go airing your negative and incorrect opinions about the FJ Rider Forum or the UK FJOC.
You seem confused in your previous posts as to whether the forum is linked to the club or not, historically it is, but it was set up and is owned by Bob (pugwash). It is now a totally separate entity which welcomes UK FJOC members and non members alike.
My forum runs have been great with a strong social side and good rides to boot, there is always an element of "anorakism" on forums and clubs and this one is no different, otherwise all the brilliant mods and truly astounding bikes you see posted on here wouldn't happen (Which make me wonder why on earth I spent £10K on an FJR)
You also said that it was £40-£50 to join, It is around £17.
As for UK FJ rallies, I'm afraid I may have beat you it, as I'm organising an FJ@30 rally for next year as it's thirty years since the FJ1100 was launched in the UK. I should add too, that after your previous behaviour on FJRider if you did hold a run I don't think you would get big numbers, simply because most people who are FJ freaks are either in the Club or on the forum and have seen what you have written here.
The bummer of that is if you hadn't of bad mouthed the gaff you would have always had a strong North Western contingent on any runs or rallies you wanted to organise. It's up to you to put that right with guys and girls you don't know.
We are having a ride through the Borders on the 21st of this month so why don't you come along and get to know some of us? We don't hang around, the pace will be brisk as we have a lot of miles to cover but I'm sure you could handle it.
So instead of flicking the acid about in all directions, get to know us first, does that make some sense?
Sorry for going off topic EffJayDan, I'll say no-more on the topic.
Pete If ever you are my way you or anyone else is welcome to stop by and share a good cuppa tea and a bacon roll. There olive branch offered!
If you would rather hijack someone else's 'welcome thread' to start a conversation with negative undertones (which is extremely poor forum etiquette-but as a newbie you probably didn't know that, so I won't make an issue out of it) then I suggest you start a thread dedicated to it.
There are several issues which I should really respond/ set you straight on but I am simply not going to get involved.
I have re-written this response several times, but settled on a more diplomatic response, as I do not have the time nor emotional energy to justify engaging in conversation of this nature. It has clearly had more of an emotional impact on you than the whole issue has on me.
I have my own beliefs (which as can be read are shared by others) and it is my right to share them. No one else has to agree or accept them and I do not expect them to. Wouldn't life be boring if we All agreed!
There is no confusion on my part about which forum is which. And as said I have my views ( which have resulted from negative historical experience) in relation to owners clubs, however I have never extended that to any other forums which may have a similar name. I am unsure how this conclusion was drawn but is incorrect.
Thank you for you kind invite to the borders however on that date I'm riding on an organised event with the local police and IAM-riders so will be unable to attend.
The offer of tea and bacon butties for you and any other of the fj'ers is there and you are always welcome.
#IssueIsClosed
Do you now what I must be some kind if right gullable twat, but I'm also a suspicious ol git!
Quote from pete-m taken from an alternate site" The plot thickens, I have slapped a glove across Nurses' face"
What because you are deliberately trying to thicken it?!?!?
Then the hypocritical follow up of " It's about us being the better people"
Oh the irony! It would appear that this really is just the work of an unpleasant little troll! With any luck the mods and or marsh will see you for what you really are and just kick you off! The camp fire ethos on here does not extend to this type of unnecessary attitude.
It appears there may be some unresolved psychological issues which results in you feeling you need to behave in such a way, I would hypothesise its a result of some childhood trauma. I can genuinely put you in touch with a really good counsellor/psychologist if you would like. It may help to talk about the things that are troubling you.
If its a case of having nothing better to do then why not do something meaningful/worthwhile with your seemingly vast amount of spare time and energy and volunteer at a local hospice, or help out a local children's charity. It has to be more rewarding than wasting all the energy you have clearly felt all this warranted.
Any who the kettle is still on , the bacon rolls are still on offer and the olive branch is still extended to all....with exception to Pete, who can bend over and.....well you can imagine the rest!
I will not enfage in any further conversation on this (especially as I highlighted the poor show that is thread jacking for this sort of conversation).
bacon roll would be nice, ill be there in 5,