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Thanks for all the great advice.

588 views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  gerald4365 
#1 ·
I have browsed the forum for info on jacks, cleaning, and more.

My particular interest is wind buffeting, and agree that it is really blurred vision that is the problem. I have tried a few things and made several interesting observations.

At 62, age works into the equation, saggy eye lids, or squinting into the sun, eye and brain issues, who knows. 35 years ago when I last rode street bike it was not an issue.

My bike had sat for a while, as the injector cleaner worked it's magic, I changed oil and removed the extra half litre/quart, and installed new spark plugs, the bike ran smoother, and the blurred vision issue improved.

Hope to join a discussion directed at this issue and raise some of these ideas,

Thanks again.
 
#4 ·
The bike is a 2002 Vulcan Classic VN 1500 N FI

It has the stock windshield which comes from National, a custom order for Kawasaki, and they offer no shields to fit my mounts. 37,000 klm, less than 30,000 miles. The shield may have been added latter, but it is incredibly clean, and clear. It is 15 inches high, and has a slide adjustment of just under two inches. So I have tried up and down, and angled with only the top bolts in. I have ordered a 20 inch replacement acrylic from 7jurock, and the lowers. The acrylic will not be as good for clear, but I am using a Meguires detail spray that seems to work real well, on paint, chrome, windshields, and even helmet lenses.

Having a passenger helps, so there is allot to the wind, and the high and low pressure spots. My tires are like new, don't think I would spend money just to check the balance. The tune up, and really any source of vibration will affect your vision. The first 50 miles were the worst, the blur was about half a car wide, at 100 klm, 60 mph. Fresh gas was a big jump, and I suppose just letting the bike run. It has progressively smoothed out. Passenger had no complaints, and commented on how smooth it was.

I am 6 feet tall and sit very upright, back issues. My idea on the windshield is to get it closer to my helmet, and closer to just see comfortably over it. I should end up with it all the way up and allow some air in around the headlight. I thought that was one improvement with all my up down, and angle experiments.


I have gone to a better fit helmet, but have to work around dry eyes, so full face, and full shield, though it is a flip front, to allow glasses. It also has a drop down shade, which when I used that the other day, figured out that my upper eyelid was vibrating, and with the squinting, causing a vision blur. Extra dark lenses was an improvement.

I am at the point now that blur is something I notice under certain wind conditions, but is nothing really bothersome. Reading traffic sign at 70 mph is difficult, but I don't read them driving a car either, though I can see them.

The 1500 Vulcan is as large a bike as I would allow some one to try, if going to a larger bike. Absolutely not a first bike. I am about 400 miles on the Vulcan and have practiced the slow stuff in empty parking lots. I can do the 24 foot U-turn, start off on a uphill and turn, and handle it with accuracy and comfort. I have had quite a few dirt bikes in the in between years, and it took a while to get comfortable with the balance, and the feather the clutch driving which I have not done in a long time. The bike in the 70's was a 1976 Kawasaki, also a twin but both side by side. Loads of miles on that, sold it when I got married, and we pored everything into our business, and are enjoying the fruits of those decisions now. I rode that bike open, and with a fairing and windshield. Never had a wind buffeting complaint then, and there is where I get age of the rider as an issue in the discussion, though my helmet of preference at that time had a duck bill, on a full face, Bell. Duck bill is what I call that 4 inch cap peak, but it deflects the helmet down, and wind up and away from your eyes. The pressure down would stabilize the helmet.

Manitoba Canada, now have bought better clothing to extend the season into cooler weather, and for safety. I know at best it will keep some gravel out of the scratches. Drive careful, watch for acorns. But oil in the center of the car tracks, really that was gone years ago. I will ride the center of the lane, if that is where the best ride is.

I also ride sled, Wife and I have Artic F8's, and those I would recommend as a starter sled even if they are capable of breaking the 100 mph barrier. The low end torque, clutching, EFI, make them handle so easy. Better than any sled I have ridden. Though if it was a sled forum I would get into a skag set up suggestion as well. the F8 is old style wide at the bottom, well tucked in. We have two different windshield heights, no differences other than protection, and when you have trouble seeing you are going way too fast. So helmets, I can try a few. No huge differences there. Though my most expensive helmet is about 250 dollars, so there may be better. The point on the sleds is that there is no upward wind blast like on a Vulcan. And the wide tank on the 2002 EFI, may be part of the issue. On my bike, there is allot of air coming around the tank from below, with possible cause of turbulence at the helmet.

Could have picked "ramble on" as a name. Sep 8 the windshield and lowers should be in.
 
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