Stock, Cee Bailey, laminar lip

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Dec 5, 2014
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After the stock windshield, I tried the Cee Bailey plus four. I used it for over a year, and found it was only better than stock at full height. I didn't like looking through the windshield and the buffeting was still considerable. Next put back on the stock and attached a laminar lip. Tremendous improvement, almost no buffeting at all. I am riding the NT now more than the Silverwing. I have dropped the NT twice now riding it where I shouldn't on dirt roads. Had a terrible time getting under it enough to pick it up. Can crash bars be added to make it easier to pick up?
 

Phil Tarman

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Charley, I've had the same problem with picking up the NT that you talk about. I know a few people have had crash bars on the NT, but don't know if they help.

As to windscreens, I used the CeeBailey for most of my miles, probably for over 100K. I had two of them break, but liked them better than the stock one. Now I've got the National Cycle VStream and think it's a significant improvement. I've never tried the laminar lip.
 
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I have run a stock, a CeeBailey +2 and a National VStream is currently on my NT
I may try a Wunderlich to clamp onto the top to see if I can create that elusive "cone"
 
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Dec 16, 2010
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Port Townsend, Washington
Chris, I loved the video. That didn't work that well when I was on a rutted dirt road and fell over down slope. It would have been nice with a flat rubber mat under it as she had.

Terry
 

Phil Tarman

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Terry points out one of the difficulties -- when the bike falls downhill, it's hard to get down under it. Also, anytime it falls if it falls so it's resting on the panniers, the wheels aren't touching the ground and then when you try to lift it, it slides on the panniers. If you can't get the wheels to get some traction, it's a booger to pick up.
 
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Dec 5, 2014
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Daboo thanks for the video. I tried the method in the video but the bike kept sliding away from me as I pushed with my legs. I couldn't believe that I wasn't able to pick it up. Only 25 years ago I was able to pick up my gold wing. I am going to lay down some carpet and practice. I don't want to get in that situation again. It made me feel old and helpless at only 72.
 

mikesim

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[video=youtube;jlUY8DWNzy0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlUY8DWNzy0[/video]

She does it while holding a microphone in one hand...

Chris
Yabbut, where will those babes be when you need 'em?

Mike
 

Warren

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The technique shown in the video is sound but as others have pointed out a real would situation might make getting your bike upright more difficult than is shown. Many years ago while doing a U turn on a country gravel road at night I layed my Z1 down in the middle of the road. I tried and tried until I was exhausted and could not get it upright. It was like being on a bed of ball bearings. I keep imagining a pick up truck barreling down the road at 100 miles an hour. Finally with the last ounce of strength I had I was able to get it righted. Never want to have to try that again especially at my age.
 

Phil Tarman

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Out in eastern Colorado, there are miles of dirt roads that are pretty easy to ride when they're dry. But rain changes that drastically. I had done a baptism at a country church for a couple whose wedding I'd performed at the same little church about three years before. Just as I got to the church, it started raining lightly, but there was lots of lightning and very high winds. At the very moment I put the water on their baby's head, the wind and thunder stopped. After the service, they invited me to the mother's uncle's home about four miles away. I tried to get out of it, saying that I didn't want to get caught on those roads if it rained since I was on my Concours and not in a car, but finally said I'd stop by for "just a few minutes."

Well, we got there and went in and it began to pour down. Like a fool, I stayed drinking coffee for about 45 minutes. I had two choices of routes back to the pavement, both about 12 miles. I squirmed my way east and got to a T-intersection. I managed to get around it and then came to a 90-degree banked turn. By then the top three inches of the road had turned into a glutinous substance that closely resembled brown snot. As I started around the banked turn, the rear wheel of the bike would slide down to the inside of the turn. I'd be to the edge of the road and then have to just try to go back up the incline, then turn and feel the rear slide back down to the inside. It took me 45 minutes to get around that curve!

By then the rain had stopped and the wind was still blowing at about 40-45 mph. I was heading due west with three long hills to go down (and back up) before the pavement. I managed the first two downhills, but just barely. Using brakes was completely out of the question -- even the lightest touch would cause the wheel to lock up. I got to the top of the last long downhill, about a mile and half from the pavement and stopped. When I started down the hill, I was in low with no throttle, but as gravity sped me up down the hill, engine braking caused the rear end to start fishtailing. I shifted into 2nd, and by about 25mph, I was fishtailing again. I was crossing the fairly wide road from one edge to the other and things were out of hand. Finally, down I went, at about 30mph. I wasn't hurt at all and, amazingly, my 'Stitch wasn't even particularly muddy. But picking the bike up was impossible for me. I'd get my butt against the saddle and try to lift, and my feet would slide out from under me in the mud and the bike would slide maybe an inch or two the other way.

A friend lived about 8 miles down the pavement that was still 3/4 mile to the west of me. He was another preacher and he was on the phone doing counseling with a church member. So I stood there and waited for him to get off. After about 45 minutes he did and I asked him to come help me lift the bike. I hadn't seen another vehicle in over two hours. He said he'd be there to help, but needed to get out of his Sunday clothes first.

Twenty minutes later, he still wasn't there, and over the hill behind me came two cars. It was the baby's parents and grandparents. The three men hopped out and came to me, wanting to be sure I was OK and wasn't hurt (this was all about a year after my 3rd and 4th knee replacements). I assured them that I was OK and just needed help picking up the bike. We turned around and the three women already had it up and were holding it for me! And, they were still wearing their Sunday-go-to-a-baptism clothes!

The wind had dried the road enough by then, or I was just close enough to the bottom of the hill, that I was able to get the rest of the way down and was heading up the other side when my buddy and his wife met me and tried to get me to stop. I hollered that I'd stop at the pavement and not before.

By the time I got to my house 50 miles away, that old eastern Colorado mud had dried rock-hard. It took me a long, long time at the car-wash and many quarters to clean the Connie up.
 
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Yes, it makes all the difference what the surface and sub-surface conditions are.
In my very early days I took a dirt bike over a plowed wet field. After a few hundred yards I realized that if I slowed to turn around I would be stuck so I kept going. That is when I got stuck badly. The mud sucked the wheels down like quicksand. It took 2 of us to pull the bike out of the muck and lay it on a tarp to get it out of there. And that was a 100cc dirt bike.
I am sure a 1200 adventure bike in the wrong place could cause some trouble getting out.
I have never tried to pick up the NT from it's side and hope I don't ever need to.

Brad
 
OP
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Dec 5, 2014
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Great story Phil, I especially liked the image of the women in their Sunday best picking up your bike.
 

Sunny

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Instead of starting new thread, I thought of adding my experience here. I have a Cee Bailey + 2 and I was having lots of wind noise. I realized that I need may be a +4 or 6, so after lots of research/thought, I decided to try the windshield extensions / laminar lip.

Got this from amazon, it was delivered in 10 days.

Tried it today and after several adjustments of the extension and windshield height, I was able to find a sweet sport that has reduced the wind noise by ~80%. Today was particularly windy day too.

Biggest challenge was that I was looking through the wind shield and the line between the windshield and extension was very troubling, but little hit and trail I now have a good setup.

Optically the extension has some distortion, but for $40 that is live-able. Some pics of my setup.

I think this is a good farkle, considering it helps you finalize the height and setup you like. If you want a new windshield it can help you decide +2, +4 height.
 

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Joined
Feb 25, 2013
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Jacksonville, FL
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WR250R/KTM 890/KTM690
Stock shield with laminar lip is the correct combination for me. On my first NT I used the Velcro attachment method that worked fine. On the second and current NT I drilled the windshield and attached the lip with the hardware Laminar provided. I am happy with the hardware attachment.
 
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