Wind buffeting

[Davidtav]

So I have a Suzuki V Strom 650. New in November. Done 2000 miles on it. I like most things about this bike. But the wind buffeting is so annoying. It shook my old helmet so much that the vent fell off and was lost. Slightly better with a different helmet. But my head is still shaking. Tried the screen in every position. Tried a eBay wind deflector. Nothing really sorts it. It does bemuse me that Suzuki have made this bike for 20 years plus and haven’t sorted this. I actually think the problem is from below. Not the screen. By moving my hand I can feel a blast from low down. I’m thinking of fabricating acrylic deflectors to attach to the crash bars I fitted. What do you reckon?

[Simon Davey]

I saw someone on YouTube do just that, they added wind deflectors lower down, which cured the buffeteing.

I don't think it was a Vstrom, but wind is wind, phrrrrrrrtttt.

 

Also, does your bike have vents for the windscreen, to relieve/equalise the negative pressure behind it? I'm thinking of putting my ZZR screen on little spacers to allow this to happen.

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

Buffeting can be caused by some really unexpected sources. If you are feeling a blast of air from lower down maybe it's the crash bars themselves that are causing it? If they are the only non standard parts added maybe that's worth checking.

 

Or ask on a forum that's specific to that bike, see if other owners are having the same issue.

[Davidtav]

13 minutes ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

Buffeting can be caused by some really unexpected sources. If you are feeling a blast of air from lower down maybe it's the crash bars themselves that are causing it? If they are the only non standard parts added maybe that's worth checking.

 

Or ask on a forum that's specific to that bike, see if other owners are having the same issue.

I understand that. But the buffeting was happening before I fitted the crash bars

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

1 hour ago, Davidtav said:

I understand that. But the buffeting was happening before I fitted the crash bars

OK - so not them then. Get some lengths of wool and tie them to various bits of the bike. They'll act like tell-tails on boat sails and you'll be able to spot the flow of air easier. 

[Gerontious]

Wind dams are a fairly popular modification - perhaps check if this is a known issue with a fix. Often the fix starts with an owner making them and then later one of the parts manufacturers copies it.  Turbulence is a common problem on the Africa Twin and there are all sorts of ingenious fixes. But as with anything what might work for one person won’t for another. It can be a rabbit hole. What I did was sidestep all of that and put on the shortest screen I could find. Thus I get a clean air flow rather than one that’s disrupted by the screen - which is the primary cause. 

[fullscreenaging]

I had a Givi Air Flow screen on my Versys 1000. I went through a lot of screens until I found the Givi. It’s was brilliant. I could ride with my flip front up at speeds up to 90mph. 

Here is a link to a write up https://www.adventurebikerider.com/article/givi-airflow-screen/

 

Air pressure can make a difference to buffeting. On cold day when you get low pressure you will get more than on a hot day with high pressure. The Givi combatted this as it has a massive scope for adjustment. 

[S-Westerly]

I've looked at getting an after market screen and if I do I'm looking at possibly a  Givi or a Calsci one. The trouble is they are by definition big and not very attractive to the eye. This is where vanity comes into play. Also I've done long motorway ride with the OEM touring screen and survived so do I really need to be in a bubble of silence (relatively).?

[RideWithStyles]

On 02/04/2024 at 17:42, Davidtav said:

So I have a Suzuki V Strom 650. New in November. Done 2000 miles on it. I like most things about this bike. But the wind buffeting is so annoying. It shook my old helmet so much that the vent fell off and was lost. Slightly better with a different helmet. But my head is still shaking. Tried the screen in every position. Tried a eBay wind deflector. Nothing really sorts it. It does bemuse me that Suzuki have made this bike for 20 years plus and haven’t sorted this. I actually think the problem is from below. Not the screen. By moving my hand I can feel a blast from low down. I’m thinking of fabricating acrylic deflectors to attach to the crash bars I fitted. What do you reckon?

just

Edited May 14 by RideWithStyles