A screen for The Scream

I have named my KLE survival bike "The Scream" since all the cool survival bikes have a name.

In order to get to the various shows, I have to do a lot of motorway miles. I have learned from other bikes that a screen reduces wind noise, buffering on the helmet (fnurrkk) and general rider fatigue. So I am fitting a screen to the bike.

The Screen and the luggage rack are for motorway use only, I remove them when entering the bike in any custom bike show, and for short local rides. I also have a telescopic sliding mudflap under the number plate, which I use on wet days to keep my back dry.

I used to have a screen on it before, but I re-worked the front end of the bike last summer, so the old screen wouldn't fit.

That earlier screen was made from a flat sheet of polycarbonate and bent/cut to shape. That wasn't the best of ideas. So, for screen #2 the better idea is to buy a pre-made screen, and fabricate my own brackets to mount said screen to the bike.

I bought a screen for a modern Africa Twin. It's a black, extra tall screen made by Puig. I made brackrety out of steel to mount it. I mounted the breackets on the front of the screen so that if I go flying over the handlebars I will hit plastic first rather than steel. But on a test ride I found it to flex a lot, and was a bit narrow. So to stiffen it up I bought another sheet of polycarbonate and "lined" the inside of the screen with it. I had to cut part of it away where the bars hit it. The net result is a stiffer screen and a bit more weather protection.

THe bit I added is at ugly, but hey, its only on when used on motorways.




Much bending, cutting and welding required to make the exo skeleton.
















This and the next 3 photos show the finished item. The lower sections of the additional polycarbonate have been painted black.






The picture above shows the bike in full motorway touring spec: Screen on, luggage rack on, mudflap extended.


The first test for this screen will be this weekend, 25th June, as I go to an apocalypse event called Haven, near Shrewsbury. All being well I shall use it for the long haul from Scotland to the R&S in August.

Yep, it's ugly.













but isn't that a normal thing with/on a rat? function over looks.

Bike`s evolving nicely.
Maybe Touratech do a screen for that.......?

magnamaniac wrote:Yep, it's ugly.

Yep, so job well done!

The screen was a success. It cut out about 2/3 of the wind noise, and allowed me to have tunes in my earphones, so was a success all round. The GPZ engine was worked hard by sitting at motorway speed all the time, but it got me there and back OK, about 14 hours of mostly motorways.

booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooring ride, but excellent weekend?

magnamaniac wrote:booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooring ride, but excellent weekend?

Yes, you have hit the nail on the head.

Scotland has wilderness, England has the events.

From where I live, if I want fun riding I go to the Highlands, and wild camp with a small number of friends. If I want to get to an event in the Southern half of England I will meet 100 or more people, which is a different kind of fun, much more sociable. But I have to use motorways for the bulk of the journey.