Anyone have a problem with tall screen + rain spray?

Hi there,

as I find myself out in grotty weather a lot at the moment I have noticed a rather annoying rain-based problem.

My screen is a Givi tall screen - not the one with the lip. It is about 1.5 inches shorter than stock so I can see over the road crud that sticks everywhere at the moment.

In a rather wet downpour on the motorway I found rain was:

a) Working its way up the screen and spraying off in my face
b) puddling inside the screen, dripping into the airflow from the front cowling / nose vent and hitting my visor...
c) ...then dropping down and pooling on the dash on the small lip at the bottom of the main speedo aperture

All in all not very useful. I can only think of stuffing an old rag down between the top of the dash and the inside of the screen, as couriers often do.

Does anyone have a more elegant solution to the problem?

Thanks all

G'day mate, I went from the useless OE screen to the Givi Airflow soon after buying my Silver Wing. I used to get rain droplets coming through the gap between the clamps on the Airflow lower section. I stopped that by fitting a five and a half inch length of self-adhesive SAENG Micro Swirl screen edging across it. (I'd had some I'd bought many years earlier).

It must be very effective because it's been almost six years now and I'd almost forgotten it was there. A length of thick self-adhesive black rubber draught excluder across the top of your dashboard or where ever the problem would probably work as well.

Bore da Meldrew, thanks for the reply that looks just the ticket.

In the interim, I'll give the draught excluder a go - I look forward to that wrapped around my face tomorrow morning.

Cheers

Giles

Going to look thru my mc junk box in the AM. I have some of that SAENG stuff left over and will try. And see what happens. Cannot hurt anything----might make long trip in rain more pleasant

Is a long ride in the rain unpleasant? As long as you've got good rain gear, your visor and specs aren't misting up, and there's no discomfort from a badly fitting helmet and ear plugs you're good to go. I've found the Silver Wing to be pretty good in the rain, especially if you've fitted the Givi Airflow screen and Honda leg wind deflectors which are very efficient at motorway/autobahn speeds.

I've covered quite a few 200 to 300 mile rides where I've been perfectly happy and singing to myself as I make my way to a ferry port or hotel in the rain. The Wunderlich wind deflector mounted on top of of my Airflow gives me the option of looking over it, or through the 'letterbox' between screen and deflector, and moving my head occasionally into more turbulent air clears any rain droplets off my visor.

I'm leaving my Blizzard handguards on the Silver Wing permanently so that should stop my gloves from getting damp when I can't be bothered to wear my rain gloves, and I've now got the option of a heated jacket in colder conditions.

For me the only inconveniences of wet weather riding are digging around for cash or cards to petrol/gas or food when you've forgotten to put your wallet or cash purse in an outer pocket. Of course this is minor bugbear compared to the rigmarole of dancing around frantically releasing your appendage for a call of nature from multiple clothing layers in a men's restroom/toilet while juggling gloves and helmet as you attempt to go 'over the fence' or 'through the gate'!

(I was very impressed with the restrooms in the Buc-ee's store in Texas we stopped at on our recent holiday in the US, I counted 30 spotless urinals. In contrast the pair in the dance hall in Luckenbach were like a pair of chipped enamel cattle troughs!)

Found the SAENG strip in the third junk box-----mounted and will see that happens. I do not mind riding on rain---long trips keeping feet dry important to me. I use Wolverine waterproof Wellintons or Tingley over boots $35 from Aerostich, if other boots are worn.

Dry hands important, too----carry several pair of waterproof overmitts and can usually make entire day in relative comfort-----But think good heated grips might help,too.....next new bike will have them.

Of course proper professional quality riding clothes help,too--waterproof.

that lil area behind the windshield is kinda where you're actually getting a vacuum.
You wouldn't want to but what really needs to happen is a small slice out of the windshield to let air pass thru, cancelling the vacuum issue , helps out with buffeting as well.

It was on a Goldwing, not a SW but I made a run from Stockton, CA to Tacoma, WA a trip of 780 miles in mostly heavy rain and winds to 45mph and temps in the low 50F range. The trip was mostly on I5 so almost all of it was at highway speeds. I had good rain gear, the Goldwing was equipped with a good windshield, and proper clothing for the weather. The ride really wasn't uncomfortable, I had considered stopping overnight halfway along but decided to make it in one run. I've had several shorter trips on the big three scooters, SW, B650, and BMW 650GT in similar weather and found all of them not unpleasant. All three scooters gave about equal weather protection as the Goldwing. In fact the only real advantage the big bike had was it's electronic cruise control. Other than snow and ice I don't let weather prevent a ride, the SW is just as capable as a big bike, it's mostly in the clothes one wears for comfort in weather.

i had a tall screen last year on a tour of the west coast in scotland. we went up applecross and it was rain ,wind and foggy. absolutely terrifying in stretches as no vision at all. i was also using a rain x type product on the screen.  when i got home i refit the original screen ,cut the top 1/3 of the tall screen and attached it to the original with small bolts and drilled it so i can altar the height to suit the weather. now its a 3 position screen instead of a deadly one .

Would that now be three "deadly" positions? Or three "improvements" of the original tall screen?

Tim

Dry hands important, too----carry several pair of waterproof overmitts and can usually make entire day in relative comfort-----But think good heated grips might help,too.....next new bike will have them.<<>> my summertime waterproof gloves are a thin pair of cotton gloves with a pair of larger Playtex rubber gloves with long gauntlets, I've ridden in some nasty colder rain in comfort with these.

Why would you carry several pairs of of waterproof overmitts? If they are 100% waterproof, one pair should be sufficient, and overmitts don't really give you that much dexterity for operating switches when worn over gloves. I have a couple of pairs of Rain-Off waterproof mitts which are absolutely 100% waterproof, one is a 2x2 finger design and the other is 1x3 finger, and out off the two pairs the 1x3 finger are the ones I carry in my rain gear bag as they are far better for operating controls.

The thing is the vast majority of the time I can't be bothered to wear them, which isn't a problem with the Airflow fitted as even after an all day ride in heavy rain I'll just have damp gloves and maybe a bit of dye on my hands. In contrast a similar wetride on my Helix with either the OE or Sprint screen fitted would soak a pair of gloves.

I'm not sure heated grips would help in wet weather either, unless you have a screen, rain mitts, or hand guards blocking water and wind to the back of the hands, windchill and wetness will constantly take warmth away from there reducing the effectiveness of the grips.

Neither am I convinced that a pair of cotton gloves worn under a pair of larger Playtex/Marigold rubber are suitable. Apart from the abrasion protection from this combination being almost zero, your hands are just going to sweat inside the rubber gloves, the cotton gloves will absorb some perspiration but you'll still get wet hands from the inside.

I carry several pair of gloves on long/wet trips----I find hands get wet putting gloves on, etc.---so the extra pair/pairs. "BatWing" HD fairings/Heinrich fairings/Avon handlebar fairing---where your hands are really well shielded really do good job of keeping you dry---Genuine Vespa windshield also did good job keeping my hands dry/warm.

Have never asked myself why I ride in foul weather, I just do it.....Funny to see people in the states with crappy raingear and the wet/white tennis shoes....or Harley riders hiding under bridges.

Even on my short local shopping trips, I carry two piece rain suit, but if caught in rain wear only top and let legs get wet as I will soon be home and can change.

A. I don't carry several pairs, the first part of the post is an others separated from mine with <<>> I never had a real problem with sweating and the rubber is more for wind protection and the effects of wind chill. B. A Dry Rider rain suit for cooler weather or a pair of Frogg Toggs for summer use. Calf high Wellington from Rocky Boots well oiled, good regular ridding gloves all have served me well through wind rain and snow. If I want to be perfectly comfortable on trips I'll drive the cage all the rest is a trade off.

I have never found that Heated Grips - I had them on my X9s and first Silverwing - do very much for keeping gloves dry.
For that reason I wouldn't have them fitted.
Handlebar muffs are my 'protection' of choice and although the Givi Universal ones are not thoroughly waterproof they prevent gloves being soaked, simply because the rain is not driving against them.
I have lobster-claw waterproof overgloves which I do wear if rain is forecast; they are very good and serve to keep my hands warm, too.

As for windscreens: I have the Givi Adjustable and as I've adjusted it to suit me, I can see over the top, the draught directing the water over my head which means my visor generally stays dry.

The water splashing up through the gap isn't something I choose to do anything about - it is a feature of the X9 adjustable screen so I became used to it - although I understand others may and do.

I'm not the most experienced motorcyclist - I passed my test in 2002 - but have ridden a few miles in all weathers, benefitting from the wealth of experience, not least in sensible motorcycle-rider apparel, freely-given by other riders and through experimenting have found what suits me.

Thanks, folks.

No matter what kind of gloves you wear they should be tough enough to endure a slide on pavement to prevent a loss of skin. I saw one fellow some years ago that went down and had ground off the skin and most of the meat on the palm of his left hand. AGATT

I heard Frogg Toggs above=not real professional quality riding clothes....and where are the rubber overboots?? Good stuff on your body keeps you comfortable all day. Oiled leather does not keep you dry all day or several days in a row. Boots sold as waterproof, Wolverine, keep your feet dry at least for a couple of days....but nothing beats rubber overboots in my experience.

I carried rubber over boots around for a year or two, a better idea in theory than in practice because most of the time riding you're not in an ideal situation to stop safely to pull them on when it rains. Plus you have the same issues pulling dry rubber boots over damp boots as putting damp or sweaty hands into dry latex or vinyl gloves.

Since my boots are inboard and feet forward, wet feet have never been a problem for me on a maxi scooter, rain drops would drip down onto my boots from the body mounted mirrors of my 650 Burgman which was an annoyance more than anything.

I've been out in torrential rain in my Klim Overland suit and it's laminated Cordura and Gore-Tex shell just shrugs off rain, doesn't wet out, and dries quickly. The unlined Klim, Vanucci Sympatex long johns and long sleeved top, and Keiss fleece heated jacket means I need less riding gear for most of the year.

I'll sometimes wear a hi-vis rain jacket on top just to keep the outfit cleaner from road spray thrown up from trucks on motorways/autobahns.

Secret to get rubber overboots while doing the dance trying to get them on----spray inside of rubber boot with Pledge=they go right on.

My use of rubber boots is limited to days when I know all day will be wet. Underway when it rains, I keep my feet inboard and try to take advantage of the scooter dry feet thing.

I spent over 20 years in Germany where it is wet a lot, lived Tacoma, Washington with lots of rain, over 20 years in Japan where there is rainy season. All places rode everyday.

ATGATT did not keep me from being blessed with many broken ribs, punctured lung, compound fractured pinky finger, broken wrist fractured forearm and enough bruising to make me look like a bad Easter egg dye job, all in one accident and not my fault. I still wear the gear but NO ONE knows the next idiots move on the road. The best we can do is prepare the best we can be aware and hope the guardian angle is riding pillion.

Good riding gear wont save anyone all the time but will reduce some of the damage and perhaps make the difference. I wish I would have a bike helmet when I was thirteen. I got a skull fracture and a good bit of road rash from a bicycle accident. So far motorcycles haven't done me that much damage. In fact almost all of my two wheeled accidents occurred with bicycles. Dangerous things those.

Three position
1 touring screen protection high
2 eye level ,every day use
3 just above normal fitted screen for rain etc
2 minutes to adjust position to suit weather conditions .
 loved the tall screen until it rained . cheap modification and it works