How Do I Determine Windscreen Height? | ANSWERS

Q: I ride a 2012 Ducati Diavel . Ducati sells two or three smallish windscreens for it, which many riders say do very little to keep the wind off them. Frankly, the wind doesn't bother me that much since I'm a weekend joy rider, but maybe I don't know what I'm missing. It might be nice to have some wind protection on cool mornings and in the fall. The idea behind a large windshield is obvious, but I'm not sure about the value of a small "flyscreen." Do I want the air to be flowing over my head and around me, or is it sufficient to simply break up the air so it doesn't pound me in the chest? If I go with a big one, how do I determine how tall it should be? Most important, how on earth do I make a choice when I can't try one out first?

Ken Smith / Clinton, NJ

A: To answer your last question first, you really can't. You can check web forums to see which windshields are preferred by riders with the same bike as yours, but in the end you're taking a chance that you'll like what they like. Or maybe you could mock one up with plywood, cardboard, and duct tape, but then it's likely Ducati will send someone to repossess the Diavel should you so much as try.

Weather protection is always a compromise between aesthetics and bike layout, with a dash of personal preference thrown in. The Diavel, with its tall, pullback bar and low seat, puts you in a neo-cruiser stance, which is an inherently difficult layout to serve with effective aerodynamic protection. You could probably find and mount a windscreen that gives you “full” protection, but we’re willing to bet it would be hideous.

The larger the windscreen the more critical its aerodynamics can be. A see-through barn door might seem the way to go, but you’re not only dealing with pushing oncoming air aside but also finding ways to let the airflow reattach to the low-pressure bubble behind the windscreen with a minimum of turbulence. Usually, when you see a really tall screen, it’s sized to move the reattachment point above the rider’s head to minimize turbulence. That means you also have to look through the screen, so it’s now imperative that you keep it spotless.

Our advice would be to try one of the small “flyscreens” available for the Diavel and be happy with whatever additional protection you get. These small fairings or windshields won’t have enough effect to cause bad aerodynamics—usually displayed as head-rocking turbulence—but they’ll do just enough to take some windblast off your chest. That’s all you’re hoping for, and that sounds like all you need as a weekend joy rider.