Topic: Gearing and windshield ques

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Not a new topic I know but...
A while back someone had posted sprocket size with the diff RPM for each, and I thought I book marked it but didnt, and just cant find it.
I wanted to re gear for sturgis and was hopen to find that info. (K1 750).
Was also thinken about a windshield for the trip. Dennis Kirt has em for 118.00 is it a good shield?
Thanks.

[Gordon]

What are you trying to accomplish by changing the sprocket sizes?  I just did a circle around central Texas in April on my K1 with stock gearing, about 650 miles at 70-75mph most of the time, and had no issues.  You're not going to hurt the engine by running it at 6K rpm all day long, unless there's already something seriously wrong with it.

How about a link to the windscreen you're looking at?     

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http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/tpl/cmn/prodlist.jsp;jsessionid=OAKFZPJHMNDALQFIDYECM4WAVAPAUIV0?store=Main&category=405&np=&mmyId=2323
I was thinken the 118.00 dollar one.
The motor was rebuild about 15000 miles ago and works great, and The train of thought was taller gearing more speed less RPM.  My son and I did a trip last year and we ran 5  to 6 thou for 1200 miles and they both didnt miss a beat. But I guess I just want to baby the old girl but still go like hell.
Ya she will hold together, its what she was made for.

[TrueSpin]

Honestly, a windshield doesn't do a whole lot on these (at least as far as I can tell).

Mine is a little larger than that, looks like the Slipstream Turbo model (at 132.99~ on Dennis Kirk).
It blocks wind to the chest and hands, and pushes the air towards the top of the helmet.
For what it's worth, I typically run without it because it has only a mild effect anyway.

I recently rode a Shadow ACE with the factory windshield and it was quite miserable for someone of my height. Constant buffering of the helmet from the wind, and this is with a screen that comes to about the bottom of my visor. Wind was pretty forcibly pushing my head down. Not comfortable.

[TwoTired]

Those look like the National cycle types.
I have National cycle plexistar 2 (old style) on my Cb550 F.  It needs to be mounted on forks and bars so that you JUST peer over the top of it.  If it were covered with mud you can still see the road.  It is far far better than nothing.  It will take the wind blast off your chest, and from trying to take your helmet off.  There is still some wind noise around the helmet, but not much buffet, if the semi trucks and Winnebagos aren't upstream.

You do need to have the windscreen angled to deflect rather than block the wind.  Blocking the wind makes a lot of turbulence behind it. Deflecting the wind, much less so.

It does NOT work as well as the Vetter Windjammers or the Quicksilver.  If you want fatigue free touring, get one of those.

Cheers,

[Bankerdanny]

I have a siliar looking screen on my 550k. I'm tall (6-4) and my chin is about even with the top of the screen. I get some of the buffeting that TrueSpin mentions, but the relief of the pressure from my chest during highway time makes it worth while. If you spend 90% of your time around town or going relatively slow on secondary roads I don't know that a screen is that beneficial. But if you are going to log interstate time I think that they are very worth while.

Fuel economy wise I haven't noticed any difference. I get 45-48 with or without the screen.

[DJ_AX]

I also have the Plexistar 2 windshields.
I like to put it on when the temps get around 40 degrees F and lower.
Makes a HUGE difference in riding temps! And shivering sucks!
With it I can comfortably get in a few more months of riding each year 
Adjusted correctly it kills the wind just right! Shoulder checks on the freeway are way easier!
And I like that it's all clear as it doesn't kill the look of the bike.

[BobbyR]

The stock gearing is optimal for keeping you in the in the torque band and any reasonable speed. If you lower that you can wind up lugging the motor which is much worse than revving. These motors were built to rev and they run much better after an nice highway run. We are all too used to our cars with overdrive.

I bought one of those windshield and I am not very tall. I can;t seem to get rid of a a very rapid eye blurring buffeting. Maybe it;s an incompatibility with a full face helmet. Maybe I will tinker with it some more.

[DJ_AX]

If it's just a mild awkward head buffeting.
I've found that after several rides one can develop a counteractive muscle memory that seems to smooth it out.

Like walking on a slackline.

[BobbyR]

If it's just a mild awkward head buffeting.
I've found that after several rides one can develop a counteractive muscle memory that seems to smooth it out.

Like walking on a slackline.

This is a real high frequency buffeting, so rapid the vision blurs.

[brooze72]

I have a siliar looking screen on my 550k. I'm tall (6-4) and my chin is about even with the top of the screen. I get some of the buffeting that TrueSpin mentions, but the relief of the pressure from my chest during highway time makes it worth while. If you spend 90% of your time around town or going relatively slow on secondary roads I don't know that a screen is that beneficial. But if you are going to log interstate time I think that they are very worth while.

Fuel economy wise I haven't noticed any difference. I get 45-48 with or without the screen.

+1 Bankerdanny my thoughts exactly, with the upright riding position it takes the wind pressure off the chest at speed.  I'm using a small Spitfire screen.

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For the most part I do a lot of 100 mile at a time riding on the wk ends ,but when I have
gone on the longer trips I would like to get the pressure of the chest. When you get a
head wind all day, it gets tiring for this old buck.
Well I think I will get one. If I don't like it, it wont be the worst thing Ive ever blowen a 100 $$ on.

[Gordon]

The stock gearing is optimal for keeping you in the in the torque band and any reasonable speed. If you lower that you can wind up lugging the motor which is much worse than revving. These motors were built to rev and they run much better after an nice highway run. We are all too used to our cars with overdrive.

I bought one of those windshield and I am not very tall. I can;t seem to get rid of a a very rapid eye blurring buffeting. Maybe it;s an incompatibility with a full face helmet. Maybe I will tinker with it some more.

I use this same style of windscreen (National Cycle Street Shield) on my K1 in the Winter.  I don't think the problem is specific to full-face helmets as I always wear one and have not had this buffeting issue.  Where does the top of the windscreen fall in your line of sight.  As TT said, it should sit just below your line of sight.  At that height it doesn't interfere with your vision but still directs the flow of air just over the top of your helmet.  When riding with mine on I can put my hand up and feel exactly where the air is going.  The way I have it set the stream of air just barely hits the crown of my helmet as it goes over. 

[Duanob]

You should find a local place to buy the windscreen, that way if it just doesn't work for you can exchange it for one that works. There seems to be a lot of factors involved such as bike size, rider height, useage. I'm 5'6" on a 550. I bought a 15" wide by 17" high and it works for me for short jaunts on the freeway, I can still tuck out of the wind and it's way better than nothing. But if I were to go on a longer cruise around the country I think I would invest in a bit larger screen. For me a 17"w by 20" would be perfect to keep me out of the wind but if you're 6'4" you'll still be quite exposed. At least on a 550. A 750 might be different.

[BobbyR]

I am 5'8" and I think I really need to lower the screen and get some sort of more aggressive angle. It is a Spitfire. I may have to cut it down since I had lowered it to a point it was cover some of the headlamp. At one point in my testing I could not pull over and to see where I was going I had to grab the top and bend it way down.

[Duanob]

What size is yours Bobby? I have the Spitfire as well but it's a small one. Not cafe size but pretty small. the top isn't quite level with the mirrors. For me it fits pretty good for around town.