[pauljo]

This first tank of gas already had 5 or 6 miles on it with the big windscreen and trunk still on the scooter. I also rode pretty hard yesterday, testing performance without regard to economy - including one run up to 115 mph. After doing another 65 miles this morning, I filled up at the 140 mile mark.

I wasn't expecting a lot, but hoped it would be a little better than the 43 mpg I had been averaging. I got 48 mpg!!!

I'll try to restrain my throttle hand a bit on this next tank and see what I get. But I think it's already safe to say that the Remus pipe was not responsible for my drop in mileage...

 

[pauljo]

Shoei Helmet & stock windscreen

In my tests yesterday I noticed that my old Shoei RF-800 was much quieter than my other helmets when riding behind the short stock windscreen. The problem with the Shoei is that it is an XL size - and I really should have an XXL. So I can wear it for a couple of hours OK, but any longer than that and I tend to get a headache. It is also a bit heavy.

Last night I checked a bunch of websites, and everybody is selling the new Shoei RF-1000. It appeared that the RF-900 is discontinued.

I stopped in at my dealer while out riding this morning. They had a new RF-1000 in the XXL size. But they also had a residual supply of RF-900s, including an XXL. Both XXLs were White (There was a Black RF-1000 also, but after the Ted White Sheepskin episode - I thought that the white color might reflect heat better.)

I compared the two helmets. I found that I preferred the older RF-900 design - it fit me better. So I dickered with the salesperson awhile, and ended up getting 25% off of their asking price. So I now own a white RF-900. I then got him to give me 10% off of a light grey tinted faceshield for the helmet.

I test rode the new helmet for about an hour. It fits comfortably, and wind noise is not bad - slightly reduced from the RF-800. There is no buffeting at all. The ventilation didn't seem to be any more effective than the RF-800's, even though it had been slightly redesigned.

The main thing I don't like is that there is a whistling noise that occurs when my head is pointed straight forward. If I cock my head slightly to the left or right, the whistle stops. I tried opening an closing the various vent controls, but that didn't get rid of it. Has anyone else experienced this? If so, is there a known way to get rid of it?

 

[bergaboo]

8) I also have a dl1000 and an an650. dont know yet what my milage is butI know which one I like the best for all around comfort. the berg can't be beat. My poor wife has a silverwing and wishes she had choosen a bergman :lol:

 

[Ted White]

Pauljo:

Great news. 5mpg is a significant increase, all due, apparently, to a smaller windscreen and the Givi trunk removal.

Have you tried riding it without the windscreen? The cowl over the instrument cluster looks like it might do as much as some of those little sportbike bikini windscreens. Might work for me as I'm only 5'9" - but you are, as I recall, rather tall.

I had a helmet whistle in the position you describe. As soon as I tilted or turned my head ever so slightly, it disappeared. But I'm not much help here. It was with the RF900 but I can't recall which bike/windscreen combo. I had a brief encounter with a Yamaha Vino 125 scooter (very nice for slow moving traffic in an urban environment) to which I added an aftermarket windscreen, and that might have been it. I believe I either moved the windscreen up or down, or tilted it, and the whistle disappeared. As you're riding now with stock windscreen, you might try raising or lowering your head a bit to see if that affects the whistle.

The RF900 must have been completely whistle free on my Suzuki SV650, my Suzuki Bandit. my Kawasaki W650, and my Honda F3, or I would have absolutely remembered, as I had each bike for over a year.

I am still getting mpg's in the mid fifties on the AN650, but I've got the stock windscreen, no trunk bag, 34 psi front, 36 psi rear, and I weigh only 145.

 

[pauljo]

Results of my second tank of gas with the small windscreen and the Givi trunk removed - 51.9 mpg. Quite an improvement from 43 mpg!!! The best mileage I had previously gotten before starting with the add-ons and modifications was 51 mpg. So I'll say at this point that the Remus exhaust is definitely not adversely affecting gas mileage.

I filled up the tank and reinstalled the Givi trunk, and put all my contingency stuff back in the underseat trunk. I've added at least 20 to 25 pounds of weight by doing that, but I think the bigger question is whether the Givi trunk creates enough aerodynamic drag to significantly impact fuel mileage. I'm hoping for at least 48 mpg on this tank. If I get that, the Givi trunk will stay on.

I returned the Shoei RF-900 helmet for a full refund today. I could not deal with that loud whistle and the poor ventilation - the old RF-800 flows more air, doesn't whistle, and suppresses wind noise about the same as the newer model. I kept the new smoke color faceshield and put it on my RF-800. I looked at the newest Shoei RF-1000 again, but it simply won't work for me. They have changed the mold to fit the round head folks (like Arai helmets) and it doesn't fit my more oval head shape well at all.

I did about 100 miles this morning, wearing the RF-800. Not so bad. I'm actually doing OK with the tiny stock windscreen. I never thought I'd say that... And it looks pretty cool - sportier.

While I was at the dealership, I met a guy who was just about to purchase a Burgman 400. He has been monitoring our forum for information - but hasn't joined yet. After talking for awhile, he started leaning toward getting the 650 instead. I'm not sure what he eventually went for, but I think we have another Nebraska Burgman rider now. Both he and his wife were very pleasant.

 

[gary.b]

Pauljo: Yes the taller givi screen was fitted when i did these tests.I found the standard screen causes too much noise, because i`m 6ft 2in tall.To clarify m.p.g. test, constant country riding 58 m.p.g. constant town riding 45 m.p.g. 50%town & 50% country riding 52 m.p.g. This is of course on a different octane of petrol Shell Optimax a higher cleaner petrol than is normally avaliable over here,i`m not sure of the octane value.The tests were done on this grade of petrol only and not the standard octane.It is supposed to keep the engine and fuel injection system clean.Hope this helps.

 

[pauljo]

I rode 150 miles today, to get a mileage reading with the stock windscreen and the Givi trunk on the 650. A little in town, a little interstate, and a lot of country two lane with several vigorous passes - and three attempts at top speed on different roads. 51.4 mpg (versus 51.9 on the last tank with the short windscreen and no trunk, and no top speed attempts). I'd say that the half a mile per gallon drop was more due to the top speed attempts than the Givi trunk, so it does not seem to be hurting mileage at all.

What it did do, was knock a few mph off of top speed. At 106 mph I could feel a slight wobble develop, and at 108 mph - it was pretty much maxed out. I got 109 on one run, but it took a long time to get from 108 to 109. This compares to 115 mph (no wobble at all) without the trunk.

Acceleration was still good up to 100 mph - quite strong up to 95 or 96.

So the trunk doesn't hurt fuel mileage, but costs about 7 mph top end. Not a big price to pay for for almost doubling storage capacity, and giving me a convenient place to stow my helmet, jacket, gloves, etc. when I stop somewhere. It also provides another set of brake lights and improves the ride. The springs on the Ikon shocks are stiffer than the stock ones. The trunk adds some weight at the back that helps counteract the stiffer shocks - the ride was a bit harsher with the trunk off.

So for now, the trunk stays on, and so does the stock windscreen. I do not want to go back to the 43 mpg and loss of performance that the XXL Clearview was causing. 8 mpg times 4 gallons = 32 miles of additional range on a tank of gas.

 

[pauljo]

Just a side note on the windscreen experiment. On a two lane road, when you meet an oncoming big rig that is hauling along at 60 mph plus, you can get hit with a pretty awesome wind blast. If the wind is blowing across the road from the left (the far side of the truck), it seems to gather the wind up and hurl it at you. This is a fairly common thing to encounter in this area of the country.

With the bigger windscreens, it was like hitting a wall. The windscreen would flex on those rubber mounts a lot, and often the whole scooter would shudder. If I was riding with my visor open a little, it would invariably slam shut with a loud bang at the same time. I would kinda cringe when approaching an oncoming truck on a high speed two lane - because if the wind was blowing from the left, it was not going to be pleasant.

I've noticed the last few days, that the scooter with the smaller stock screen mounted, cuts through those "wind walls" much cleaner. You can feel the wind swirl around you as the truck passes, but the scooter doesn't shudder, the windscreen flexes less, and my visor even stays cracked open most of the time (it only got blown shut once today - and more gently than before).

Just another reason that I'm starting to like that teeny windscreen.

 

[Ted White]

Pauljo:

I tried an experiment today. I removed the stock windscreen entirely and went for a twenty mile ride in varying wind conditions, from no wind to nasty gusts of 30mph.

What I expected turned out to be the case. A great reduction in helmet wind noise. That part was nice. What was not nice was the wind pressure on my torso at higher speeds, and, of course, exacerbated when driving into a strong headwind. This is no doubt due to the vertical position of your torso, which is the common position on maxi-scooters. If I was on a naked bike, such as a Suzuki SV650 or a mini-screened Bandit, my torso would be canted forward at close to a 40 degree angle. This counters the wind blast and actually unloads your wrists.

Now comes the unfortunate part. When I tried to put the windscreen back on, I was defeated by the rubber mounts. I couldn't get the flanges back through the holes in the windscreen.

I'm sure you must have encountered this problem when you installed your Clearview, and others who installed the Givi would also have had to figure out how to do this.

I would greatly appreciate some tips here.

 

[pauljo]

Ted,

I've done this more times than I care to admit..

First, pull each of the four rubber nuts completely out of the retaining bracket. This can be a little tough, you have to kind of pull-twist-pull until you get them out.

Line up the windscreen over the mounting holes on the bracket. Take a
rubber nut and a screw. Put the screw into the rubber nut, but don't start to tighten it. Using the screw, push the rubber nut through the hole in the windscreen and the retaining bracket. (Pushing the screw will cause that bunched up hump in the rubber nut to straighten a little - and the nut will slide through the holes like magic.) Repeat for the other three nuts. Tighten the screws - get them nice and snug, but don't over torque them.

Other than putting that little front cover back on, you are done.

 

[Ted White]

Aha! That makes sense. Not knowing, I was afraid to pull them out for fear of tearing them. It seemed to me the nut part was too big to go through the hole in the windscreen. Apparently not.

A further question. Would it be easier, in terms of the first phase, to remove the retaining bracket and pull the rubber nuts out from the rear?
That would be one less stressful event for them.

Also, would reinserting them through the windscreen hole and mounting bracket hole be easier with some sort of lubricant? I'm not sure what to use that wouldn't damage the rubber. Gojo lanolin hand cleaner? KY jelly? Bit of detergent?

 

[Randy]

Ted,
It really can be a pain getting the rubber out and in.
Just work at it and the only thing I can add to what Paul said is a little soap on the plugs & hole , I think it helps :?

 

[pauljo]

You don't need lubricant to reinsert them. Pushing on that screw works like magic - they slide right through. I'd avoid lubricants anyway, because some of them could cause the rubber to deteriorate.

I never thought about removing the bracket and pulling the nuts out from behind... Try it if you want to, and let us know if it works. You might be on to something.

 

[Ted White]

Thanks, Randy. Maybe I should just leave the **** thing off until my Clearview arrives. Actually, it looks kind of nasty with it off. It also accelerates better at high speeds, but it's still no fun hanging on in the windblast.

 

[pauljo]

Ted,

I had to do that so many times, that at one point I bought a set of spare rubber nuts from Ron Ayers. Just in case I wore the first set out...

I think I'd encourage you to try reinstalling the stock screen. The Clearview will be a bit bigger and heavier, so if you have your technique perfected you'll be ahead of the game. Just a thought.

 

[Ted White]

Good point. Practice makes perfect. Or so I'm told. However, didn't work for me in the wonderful world of golf.

 

[gary.b]

Hi Guys Reading with interest all the banter on tests with or without screens / trunks etc. I have a question! On the subject of the varying speeds on these test runs, do you have any problems with traffic cops concerning high speed runs?I suspect you are lucky too have enough open roads to try this on without fixed speed cameras as in the U.K.!We cant seem too get enough free road space before we hit Speed Cameras.Any comments!

 

[pauljo]

gary.b

Two lane country roads, in very sparsely populated areas - lots of those out here in Nebraska. Speed limits on them are typically 60 - 65 mph in Nebraska and Iowa. Once in awhile you might encounter a Sheriff, but they are not heavily patrolled. Traffic ranges from light to non-existant. Most folks drive them at 10 mph over the limit. I don't mess around when I encounter the occasional small town. They have speed zones that drop down to 35 mph, even 25 mph sometimes - but these speed zones only last for a mile or two. I keep my speed right on the mark around the towns. I also do not typically ride more than 10 mph (actual) over the limit out there. I will exceed that on a pass, but I slow down when the pass is complete, limiting my exposure.

But I was trying to determine some efficiencies here... and I don't have ready access to a racetrack, so I took advantage of a few stretches of rural road with long visibility and no traffic. Back in New England, where I used to live, it would not have been feasible.

On the Interstates, the speed limits are 60 - 70 mph. I'll run them at 10 mph over (indicated), which is only about 3 mph over (actual). There are more heavily patrolled.

 

[allwalk]

Well I just checked mine again today after a weekend of 2 up riding. About half city driving and the other half highway driving doing 10kms over the posted limits at most times. I averaged 22.7 kms / litre giving me a range of 340 kms on a full tank. I filled up at 293 kms on the gauge and after filling found I still had 2.1 litres available in the tank. This works out to 52.8 imp mpgs and a tank range of 211 miles.

Thats with new OEM screen (Canadian Edition) 2 up total combined rider weight of 310lbs

 

[gary.b]

Pauljo
It seems you are like myself, very aware of speed limits when it comes to built up areas, but let it go when circumstances are suitable.I tend to ride the same routes and know the speed limits in built up arears and also when to cane it so to speak!Do you find the side stand cut out switch a pain in the arse when stopping to park or put in the garage as i find it much easier to put it onto the side stand than try to hold the bike horizontal while disembowling from the bike and then put it on its centre stand?. Maybe Suzuki should follow the Piaggio X9 500 and put a centre stand lift switch on it to aid parking instead of trying to hold the bike and lift your leg up at an awkward angle! I some times have problems because of where i live.