A more comfortable ride

Even after buying a new helmet this year I was still bothered by the horrible low resonance "rumbling" of the turbulent air developed by the front end of the bike. Regardless of how I tried to position myself while riding I couldn't get rid of the rumbling noise which is created by the headlight, signals and instrument cluster. I started playing around with deflectors in an attempt to reduce this noise which was was significant enough to require ear-plugs but even they only reduced the noisy buffeting, marginally. I ended up with a final design solution which works so well, I no longer need to wear ear-plugs. It's a vacuum formed piece of clear acrylic. The shape, size and angle turned out to be critical. What this deflector does is create a smooth laminar air-flow which completely eliminates the "rumbling" problem. Now I can actually hear the engine and that sweet exhaust tune!

Nice Fab job scotch !!
Just looking at your instrumentation panel Scotch and thinking if you added a turn and bank indicator and an artificial horizon you just might be able to fly the bike rather than ride it. I see a few do-dads there that don't normally show up on a bike. Are you sure you didn't work in Nuclear?

Nice job! Doesn't detract from the original look of the bike either.

From kawboy: <"......if you added a turn and bank indicator and an artificial horizon you just might be able to fly the bike.....>"

I'm not IFR rated so the additional instruments would not help!
Maybe why I'm so "sensitive" to the noise is I've been flying all my life. "Power" is inherently noisy even with headphones. Years of jumping out of them (interiors completely gutted and even louder) and that same noise with the much lighter skydive helmets at 120MPH (very loud!) and preferring to not use ear-plugs for that, created the "mother of invention" syndrome.
The reduction in sound is now akin to flying my glider. Just a simple and tolerable "swish" of smooth air.
Next project: A large acrylic bubble with only the wheels exposed ! Imagine: A 1300cc Hamster-ball !

Scotch wrote "Next project: A large acrylic bubble with only the wheels exposed ! Imagine: A 1300cc Hamster-ball !"

You're a riot Scotch. Thanks for that !!

Looks like the touring version, small edition to me. Nice job !

Holger