Ducati Monster Forum

Wind sucks and I hate riding in windy conditions (like today's ride). It was horrible. I can't remember where I saw it on here but it was on a red 696. The front windscreen was modern looking and had a slight point to it. Maybe this is the ticket???

What are you guys doing to combat wind?

Driving the car.   [laugh]  Just tucking down further on the bike; chest on the gas tank.  Not in traffic though and then it is just grin and bear it. 

Was it this one?
http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=14553.msg252115#msg252115 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=14553.msg252115#msg252115)

Windy, like when you go fast? Your bike has a very small fairing, so I guess you won't get much help from it. There is no way to avoid the effects of side wind other than to make yourself "small" (I think) Good luck on your search!

It was very close to the picture you linked. It was an outside picture and I swear it had carbon or was color matched. I'll try to look harder.

I'm built pretty stalky (not fat) so I can't get a good tuck going..on top of my snug leather jacket. I wish I was skinny.  :-\

Found it!  Just wondering how good it is...if it's functional.
http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=14253.msg251240#msg251240 (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=14253.msg251240#msg251240)

I'm 187cm, 64 kg. sometimes when I'm alone on the freeway at night I'll just lie down on the gas tank and relax with my chin in the ignition nook. Most comfortable position for me, but I'm too embarrassed to do that when there are cars around. :-[ Maybe if it actually had rearsets and ultra low clip-ons it would look more natural.

Keeping your head down even just a little helps with the wind, though. It's been awfully windy here lately...

1313, that one looks like it might take some of the wind off your chest - if that's what you need. Again; stability and side wind effects won't benefit much.

Yeah I need to get rid of the wind of my chest. I'm like a brick wall.

Who makes this windscreen?

Japanese company called Magical Racing.

Magical Racing makes that windscreen.

But unless you try and rock a touring windshield on a Monster  [puke], you are going to be dealing with wind. Just tuck and hold on tight.  ;D

That's what I thought, thanks. I don't know if I like the carbon look on the white 696. I've been avoiding carbon for mine like the plague.

Rattle can paint solves all. lol

No fairing will help if the wind is a crosswind.  The cross-section of the motorcycle acts as a sail, and catches any wind gusts.  If you want to feel REAL instability on a bike during windy conditions, try riding a  KLR650 that is tall and has a large side profile. 

I'm just trying to combat head-on wind.

in that case... Tuck! ;D

http://www.ducati.com/shop/product.jsp?_DARGS=/shop/search/droplets/ddd_boxproduct.jsp.7_A&_DAV=/shop/search/advsearch.jsp&catid=cat970142&prodid=prod1370111&srch=true (http://www.ducati.com/shop/product.jsp?_DARGS=/shop/search/droplets/ddd_boxproduct.jsp.7_A&_DAV=/shop/search/advsearch.jsp&catid=cat970142&prodid=prod1370111&srch=true)

I saw one of these on a bike at the Ducati dealership near San Diego. It looked skinnier than the stock one and a couple inches higher. If I remember correctly it just covered the bottom of the instrument cluster and went up, so it was as wide as the instrument cluster at most. The guy said it pushed the air over his chest and onto the helmet and that it helped a lot. I think he may have been an inch or two shorter than me. I had them order one hoping to get it for my 600 mile ride home. They got a clear one in, but I opted to wait for the smoked one, which didn't show up in time. I called earlier today, or rather yesterday, and they got it in and are supposed to be sending it to me. I'll post a pic when I get it.

The other thing that you might need to consider is the gear you are wearing while riding. I noticed that whenever I wear a non-riding jacket, I feel the wind a lot more. Obviously, a bulkier jacket will catch more wind, just like a sail. You'd be surprised that even a regular or tight fitting rain slicker can act like a parachute at 80mph. The tighter the jacket, the more wind will flow around you. I noticed a huge difference when I went to a performance leather jacket.

And not sure what kind of helmet you are wearing, but that can also effect the flow of air around and over your head. Try and make subtle adjustments to your head position, up and down. Ever notice how you feel like your head is going to get torn off when you turn your head to check your sides at high speed? Well, it works the same when your head is forward into the wind. Different helmets have different aerodynamic properties. Some helmets are not only lighter and safer, but they have slightly different shapes to help fight the wind. For example, an Arai Rx-7 has ridges that not only help with airflow inside the helmet, but those ridges also act as spoilers to help direct airflow smoothly over the head.
(http://www.araiamericas.com/helmets/images/helmets/rx-7_corsair/rx7_racing_black_55x55.jpg)

So before you go out and buy a whole lot of new gear and mods, at higher speeds try to just sit a little further back in the saddle (even just a couple inches will change your geometry completely), keep those elbows low towards your body and keep that head down. You'll get used to the wind eventually. Now a crosswind...that's something I still can't get used to.  ;)

I THINK I'm wearing proper gear. I have a leather Alpinestars jacket which is tight fitting and a Shoei RF-1000. The helmet is not the problem. I've made adjustments to my head and found that if I tilt my head down just a tad I get less wind resistance. The jacket on the other hand... It acts like a brick wall or parachute with wind straight on.

I wish I could be like the super skinny guys and tuck down really low. That's impossible with my build and tight jacket. I just can't do it.

I have found thru experience that often a taller screen just creates more buffeting at chest up level.

Plus I do not want a larger device attached to the handlebars that can induce steering wiggle from wind gusts.

I would only put a touring screen on a frame mounted body / fairing.

Either sit tall in clean air or tuck below the turbulence level.

I extended my windscreen a bit just so I can tuck in on long hauls and it works perfect. And it gave me a place for the radar detector right in my field of vision. I traced the original on paper then used that as a template for the plexi glass. I used a heat gun to slowly heat it and shape it. Just a thought. Eichh
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3157/3031684369_e40e4aef41_m.jpg)

Sounds funny but do you think a mesh or textile jacket will help any?

Nice work!   [thumbsup]

Mine kinda fills up with air faster than it can "drain" and turns into a balloon. Could have nothing to do with it, but I wonder if there's a reason they make ships' sails out of textile that isn't impenetrable to air...