A couple months back I made a thread about wind/helmet noise, and things haven't improved. I went down a helmet size to M, got a windjammer, and have even learned all the best positions at different speeds to reduce the noise. But my ears still ring after long-ish rides...
In a last-ditch effort to "save" my fairings I am going to ditch the windshield and see how much that helps my wind noise problem. This has been initiated by me losing one of my earplugs (motosafe reusables) which forced me to drop from the high-attenuation filters to the medium filters which I still had two of (came with an extra silicone plug-thing but not extra filters). The simple fact that I can hardly stand the noise with what are still quite decent plugs is just hard to stomach any longer. Also, the high-attenuation filters I was using pretty much deaden everything, and the wind noise is still unbearable in certain positions. I think the noise that the turbulence makes is amplified by the earplugs (I think the LF noise is just going straight into my ears through my bones), so I'm really just trading one deafening roar for another.
We all know the fairings were an afterthought on the GS, and it seems like this riding position doesn't mesh with sportbike fairings. Even if I had a perfect seal around my neck with the helmet, the turbulence still gives me a bad case of bobblehead. I can stand up doing 60-70 and not get half the noise I do sitting down at 35, so it is most definitely not just my helmet.
I also came across this advrider thread: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=582127 (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=582127)
Elektrojake is much taller than me, so it is quite possible that a touring screen + laminar lip might put the air over my head, but I'm not 100% enthusiastic about that look. I would be more willing to go naked than with a huge out-of-place windscreen on a faired bike.
Also, the fact that with one ride his son found it to be insanely noisy reinforces my thoughts that it is indeed the bike, not my helmet/plugs. This is somewhat reassuring when most other riders seem to be amazed that I could be that sensitive to wind noise.
I shall post my results here. Wish me luck.
Yes good luck! Sounds like you have done a lot of experimenting to fix your problem so I see what you are saying about the fairings paired with the GS's riding position. I look forward to reading what your findings are. I have a 98 E and wear a pretty cheap full-face helmet and I can't say I've ever been bothered by wind noise. (But then again, I have no other bike to compare wind noise, turbulence, etc to since my GS is the only motorcycle I've ever ridden.)
Quote from: ShowBizWolf on September 18, 2014, 09:31:43 AM
Yes good luck! Sounds like you have done a lot of experimenting to fix your problem so I see what you are saying about the fairings paired with the GS's riding position. I look forward to reading what your findings are. I have a 98 E and wear a pretty cheap full-face helmet and I can't say I've ever been bothered by wind noise. (But then again, I have no other bike to compare wind noise, turbulence, etc to since my GS is the only motorcycle I've ever ridden.)
I'm in the same boat the other way around. I've never ridden another bike outside of a parking lot to know what "normal" wind noise is. Hopefully this fixes my problems, because otherwise I'll have to disrobe her and convert her to an E. I got the GS initially because it was a decent looking offer and had fairings, but I can also dig the naked look. I would certainly miss the fairings in colder weather, though.
I'd try taking the windscreen off. I have a 97E (my only bike, mind you) and the wind isn't terrible with no farings and a cheap, full face helment. I only recently started wearing noise cancelling headphones (which block some wind noise and provide some soothing music) on my rides home.
I only get bobble head occasionally from group of vehicles or if I'm stuck behind a truck. I usually find a car and ride 2 seconds behind them, they dirty up the air so it's not as much force being pushed against me. The only way the wind noise goes almost completely away for me is if I tilt my head up slightly so that I can't glance and see the speedo.
Lastly, they sell reusable earplugs at walmart for $2-3. Remington makes a pair that are silicone, orange, and have a string between them as well as a plastic carry case. I used to wear those when the harriers were hovering over our shop on Cherry Point, worked pretty well.
Quote from: enrgizerbunny on September 18, 2014, 09:48:27 AM
I'd try taking the windscreen off. I have a 97E (my only bike, mind you) and the wind isn't terrible with no farings and a cheap, full face helment. I only recently started wearing noise cancelling headphones (which block some wind noise and provide some soothing music) on my rides home.
I only get bobble head occasionally from group of vehicles or if I'm stuck behind a truck. I usually find a car and ride 2 seconds behind them, they dirty up the air so it's not as much force being pushed against me. The only way the wind noise goes almost completely away for me is if I tilt my head up slightly so that I can't glance and see the speedo.
Lastly, they sell reusable earplugs at walmart for $2-3. Remington makes a pair that are silicone, orange, and have a string between them as well as a plastic carry case. I used to wear those when the harriers were hovering over our shop on Cherry Point, worked pretty well.
Thanks for the suggestions. I bet those harriers were pretty dang loud. I also have some of those remington plugs, but it's hard to get anything connected like that to fit under a helmet. I have a few other pairs of plugs also, but they stick too far out of my ears to work in a helmet. I was considering buying some decent disposable foam plugs, but I'm convinced that the turbulence transfers noise straight through the helmet and through my scull to my eardrums. I don't experience this low-frequency rumbling when I go without plugs (but that's also not good noise-wise).
I'm in the process of removing it now, so we'll see before the end of the day whether I'll be riding naked in the future or not ;)
Well, I removed the windscreen before I left work and WOW, what a difference!!!
I almost couldn't believe it was true, so I tucked in and got the signature roar that I couldn't escape before unless I tucked in. Not sure about you, but the normal riding position is much preferable to tucked in on a GS 9 times out of 10, so this trade off is definitely worth it. No more bobblehead!
I didn't get any higher than 60, but 60 was as quiet as a library compared to before. I'll try to hit 80 omw from the gym and see how it holds up at speed.
The only downside I see is the weird look, but I don't care if that tells you anything about the noise.
I would guess that the wind screen was directing the dirty (turbulent) air right at your helmet. Bobble head gave it away for me. I'm not experienced with motorcycle airflow, but I love to jump out of planes.
Airborne?
Marines, but never any military jumps, purely for personal entertainment.
Quote from: enrgizerbunny on September 18, 2014, 07:12:03 PM
I would guess that the wind screen was directing the dirty (turbulent) air right at your helmet. Bobble head gave it away for me. I'm not experienced with motorcycle airflow, but I love to jump out of planes.
You would guess right, then. :)
I'm a fairly short guy at 5'5.5" or so on a good day, so the screen was directing the flow right into or under my helmet depending on the speed. I imagine that where the flow is now (chest) is where most riders experience it with the windscreen on.
Who knows, I might try to get a sport touring screen just in case that works, but this has been better than I expected.
I've actually been thinking of trying my hand at jumping out of perfectly good planes...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7eSiIOQ02g
You might find this interesting...maybe make your own conclusions.
Mine: Wind screen doesn't really do much...and I'd never ride (for long) in that low of a position, so wind is directed at my chest, mostly.
Cookie
Omg I am so happy to read that you solved your problem!!! :woohoo:
Just to share my experience with windscreens since we are on the subbie...
One day shortly after getting my GS I was browsing eBay for whatever (bored lol) and I stumbled across an '04 GSXR front fairing for really cheap. I figured eh what the hell, it looked cool to me so I bought it and threw it on my GS.
Then one day when I had my bike at the shop (my cam chain tensioner would not stop leaking no matter what I tried) the mechanic there suprised me when I went to pick up my bike after fixing the leak-- he had a spare piece of clear plexi laying around and he cut it to fit my fairing, giving me a windscreen for free! I was unsure of it at first because I ride a lot with my shield flipped open, riding glasses underneath and the screen seemed to direct the air right into my eyes... but I must have gotten used to it because now I love it and it looks better too. Also if I tuck in behind it, I can't believe how quiet things get!! BUT it truly does feel a bit awkward as you said (tucking in on the GS).
In '05 I bought a Wee Strom, I researched the bike a bit before purchasing. The only complaint other than being ugly as a mud fence in a rain storm was multiple people complaining about helmet buffeting. What a bunch of whiners, it can't be that bad? In the end chopping 3.5 Inches off the screen in the lowest position is the only thing that stopped me from bobble heading at freeway speeds, short riders could get below the buffeting, being 6 ft tall, chopping the screen and putting my helmet in clean air was my only option.
Chopped screen below...
(http://home.comcast.net/~stykers/chopclear.jpg)