KTM screens

As witnessed in the looooong MTS 1200 thread, screen efficiency is highly personal. It depends on the height of your torso and where you sit on the bike and how you sit on the bike.
I personally find the SMT screen absolutely fine. I mean, it's no R1200RT screen, or even an R1200GS screen, yet it is fine for me. I actually prefer it to the R1200RT, as surprising as this may sound! The RT's screen is extremely noisy in its lower position. The more you raise it, the less noise there is... but you end up having to look through it if you want an acceptable level of noise and I really don't like having to look though a screen. It kind of distorts the view. Moreover, when in its high position I get a pushing force on the back of my head. Most unpleasant.

On the SMT there is turbulence in the shoulder and neck area, but the head is fine. I avoid highways like the plague, yet I can cruise on them with the SMT very decently at good speeds (up to 100 mph without any problem).

I noticed once or twice the "nodding dog" issue you mention when carrying a passenger, but this would happen only for a very specific position of the passenger that could be very easily altered. It probably depends on the passenger's torso height as well.

Anyway, Silvercub, a most respected contributor of this site, has had an SMT for 2 or 3 months now and had a few issues with the screen (head buffeting). He apparently solved it by making the stock screen shorter. He'll probably come here and give more details himself.

How do you like the SMT? I come from sport bikes too (R1, Gixxer 1000...) and the SMT is the best road bike I have ever owned. Mine is undergoing its 30,000 miles maintenance right now.

Thanks ninou for handing me the poisoned chalice!

To address this problem fully would involve pages of text, the loss of any shred of respect I might otherwise have garnered on this site plus the necessity to adopt a degree of logic, conspicuously absent in my other posts.

Most of the donkey work has been done on the M*lt#str~d~ thread; it's very much a case of too many variables to get one satisfactory answer. The odd drifting organism (they don't get much odder than a plankton) has offered some kelp in the shape of a new and improved vario screen.

Here are a few pointers, based on my SMT experience.

The standard screen aimed the airflow at the bottom of my visor, around the venting system. Bad reverb, man. By raising my upper body slightly on the footpegs, I found a position where the noise abated which for me was approx 25mm bum off the seat. The airflow now hit my neck.

I decided to lop 25mm off the screen. As an insurance policy, I ordered the Givi touring screen from these guys http://www.cmcbikes.com/givi-screen-ktm-990-smt-09.html
Not much outlay and I could evaluate/modify this too, if the need arose. I also ran a semi-scientific test with standard, touring and no screen. As the Captain say, the lower the 'screen', the cleaner the air (actually, the SMT looks quite good naked).

Out came the sticky tape and Dremmel. To my amazement, I made a half-decent job of it! Fingers crossed, I hopped on and nipped down the test track. A significant improvement.

Whilst the stock screen was on the workbench, I took my pillion of choice out with the Givi in place. The airflow was now directed to the top of the helmet, so quieter than stock but (surprise, surprise!) increased turbulence for rider and pillion.

Some general observations:
*The SMT does seem to be prone to buffeting in crosswinds.
*You could try the spoiler option, such as this Touratech one - http://www.touratech.com/shops/008/product_info.php?products_id=6609&osC...
*I believe Puig makes a shortie screen too but haven't found any pics
*I suspect that the handguards also contribute to dirty air but haven't tested this yet
*If you want to carry out a bit more exploratory work on the move, loose textile gloves are quite useful in evaluating airflow
*How much 'playing around' are you prepared for?

It would be interesting to hear from other SMTers.

"I suspect that the handguards also contribute to dirty air but haven't tested this yet"
... this is a good point, that I've never heard mentioned before.

I think it's good because a few weeks back I rode a Tiger 800 and last week I rode a Tiger 800 XC. The XC has slightly wider bars (2.5"?) and come back towards the rider a smidgeon to. And there's a slight difference in seat height between the two models too. But otherwise the ergo's are exactly the same, except the XC has hand-guards.

I didn't notice any buffeting on the stock bike until beyond 80 mph, but I did notice it above 60 mph on the XC - still comfortable up to about 90 mph. It's difficult to gauge how much this was down to the fact that it was slightly breezier the day I rode the XC and the dimensions are very slightly different between the two variants, but the extra turbulence could well have been down to the hand-guards causing dirty air as they are not particularly streamline looking to me?

Had similar problems on my SMT, take a look at this thread, all my details and pics in here :-

http://www.ktmsmt.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3251

Cheers,

Poucher

Noooo, don't give up Col, or next you'll be hankering after a Multistrada .....

P

Nice work Poucher,

There's obviously more to you than the shades and flared nostrils suggest!
Your handguards look smart too and obviously more aerodynamic than the mutant chemical containers KTM see fit to supply as standard. Details etc. appreciated.
It's not just the touring screen that's a carbuncle, patrick916!

I'm off for a Welsh tour this weekend, so will have a chance to test with the guards off. Otherwise the mods are working well.

I've also finally succumbed to a Scottoiler, in readiness for winter. Shuggie's softly softly approach has won me over!

It's okay Poucher, I did read to the end of the thread on the ktmsmt site.

Did you modify the handguards yourself or are they aftermarket jobbies?

It's strange that this site includes gratuitous pictures of our canine chums from time to time. Buster, however, is the Daddy. Did he ever pillion?

Hi Silvercub,

Just checked the part no on the actual handguards last night and it reads :-

780 02 980 000

You can get these handguards in two widths, narrow or wide, these are the wide ones I think.

Roundincircles, the urbane motorcyclist. I have a question.

In your quest for the sublime screen I believe you tested, amongst others, Palmer Products' adjustable jobbie. Any joy? Did you acquire the smoky screen also, perchance?

I ask as kit & caboodle now available for the SMT and I thought I might give it a whirl.

For the benefit of the KTM collective, I have fitted the rather good Givi touring screen for winter riding. By getting into a crouch (sounds dirty that) I can bask in clean air and avoid excessive salt spray on visor. Good but still not perfick. A bit of adjustability and greater offset from fairing could tip it!

Any thoughts, experience, speculation even, appreciated. Experience always best!

I currently use the Palmer adjustable spacer thingy on my MTS with a MRS screen as the Palmer screen cracked after being hit by a 100mph rock. I went to Palmer and tested his products on my bike so I had a direct comparison. He fitted the bits and is located in Braintree, Essex 20 minutes from Stanstead.

I'm reticent to recommend because it's about your ergo's and cruising speed. I can say that at low speeds there is improvement over stock but the MTS has poor air flow at speed because it has Donny Darko mirrors and separate hand guards / indicators that cause swirl.

So try before you buy is my 10 penarth. It is an excuse for a weekend blast.

Now I have shifted to the 'Orange-side' I wanted to chip in with my opinion. Only about 500 miles on my SMT so far but I am loving the Givi screen. The standard isn't too bad but the touring one was rubbish. I have swapped out my handguards as well which my also be helping but, for now, I am sticking with the Givi screen.