[Jack the Lad]

Does anyone know which year model RS bars should fit a 2020 1250R?

I think any of the later R1200RS bars should fit, but I'm not absolutely certain.

I've failed dismally to achieve air management nirvana on my R so I'm interested in trying lower bars on the basis that they will move my head lower and closer to the screen - seems that the distance between helmet and screen makes a huge difference. The closer you get, the quieter it is. Beginning to think that I may still be an RS person at heart - the RT is too much plastic and the R perhaps not enough..

TIA...

JtL

 

[Panzermann]

You could check part numbers on the online parts fiche, but my understanding is that the RS bars haven't changed since the 2015 1200.

 

[Jack the Lad]

Yes! Thank you. I check parts on Max's fiches all the time - just wasn't thinking!

This R is just SO good - just a shame that it seems just about impossible to manage air flow so that life at higher speeds is reasonable. Fine to about 65 or so, but beyond that most of the joy is taken out of the experience by doing the bobblehead dance.

Troubling and not sure what the solution may be. RS bars may just create a pretzel posture - I'll find out.

 

[Lee F]

There's a optional low bar for the R1250R that's about $300 cheaper than RS bars.

 

[Jack the Lad]

Thanks, Lee - being a cheapie, I was going to try eBay first. There are usually a few around.

Alex

 

[theles92708]

One man's meat is another man's poison! I have a 2016 RS and am looking for an R handlebar (or Wunderlich conversion kit) but I am in Vietnam. otherwise it would make a perfect trade Just in case you find your lowbar on eBay, I would be interested in buying your stock bar & top clamps. Thanks!

 

[Pale Roadster]

Yes! Thank you. I check parts on Max's fiches all the time - just wasn't thinking!

This R is just SO good - just a shame that it seems just about impossible to manage air flow so that life at higher speeds is reasonable. Fine to about 65 or so, but beyond that most of the joy is taken out of the experience by doing the bobblehead dance.

Troubling and not sure what the solution may be. RS bars may just create a pretzel posture - I'll find out.

I found the best solution for me was getting a helmet that cut air really clean. I have an AGV K6, but I would bet any race type sport helmet by Shoei, Arai or other top maker would be great too. Mostly depends on your head shape I think for fit from brand to brand.
I find it is much cleaner and smoother with no windshield at all. Even at elevated speeds, 70-80 mph no problem. Triple digits and you'll be looking for a place to hide, but my BMW touring screen didn't cure that either.

 

[Jack the Lad]

I use either a Quantum or Schuberth 4 for various reasons, so the helmets are quiet enough.

It's less a problem of noise, more one of head vibration.

Playing around, I've found that if I scoot up closer to the screen, most issues go away, so it is a turbulence problem.

Based on a number of years riding rather than a degree in aeronautics, I think if I can get closer I should - in theory - be able to arrange things so that my chest gets little turbulence and my head is in clear laminar-flow air. Despite a little naughtiness at considerably higher speeds a couple of days ago, I'd be very happy if I can get things to work as I want up to 90, which ought to be achievable.

Experience also says that there are a number of other variables, not always obvious, including shoulder width and choice of clothing.

I'll keep playing with screen height & shape and balance vents, and hope it works out OK. And if it doesn't, that makes it trade-in time.

 

[Jack the Lad]

One man's meat is another man's poison! I have a 2016 RS and am looking for an R handlebar (or Wunderlich conversion kit) but I am in Vietnam. otherwise it would make a perfect trade Just in case you find your lowbar on eBay, I would be interested in buying your stock bar & top clamps. Thanks!

I have ordered a used RS bar set from Australia, for less than 1/4 the price of a new set which is just stupid-expensive. Sorry but I'll be keeping the stock bar as, one way or another, this isn't a forever bike and stock always seems to be best from a resale perspective, assuming I don't reuse the saleable farkles of which there are now an abundance.

It may also be that the RS bar is too low in which case I'll swap back.

I do find myself lusting after an RS...

 

[Panzermann]

Interaction of air flow past the screen and mirrors can cause turbulence and hence head-bobble if your helmet isn’t firm fitting. Angling the mirrors back as far as practicable can reduce this (spilling air outwards) but doesn’t change the air velocity past the helmet.

 

[Jack the Lad]

Oh I wish that was true for me with respect to the helmet fit! The last few relatively inactive months haven't been kind to my waistline and if anything my helmets are now a hair too tight - they started out as a comfortable version of just-right tight but now...

From an air management perspective, I'm finding the R to be one of the most difficult bike to find happiness of all the bikes I've had, and that is now quite an extensive list.

I've tried with and without mirrors, stock mirrors and small CRG mirrors with some difference but not enough to matter much. Using 6" lengths wool taped onto various parts of the screen and other places, I'm reasonably sure it is the air going into turbulent flow as it leaves the boundary layer on the screen itself. Will play around with a bigger balance vent to see what happens.

The best air management I ever experienced was on a Guzzi California fitted with an old handlebar-mounted screen by the Swanee Company. It was a bit like a thin version of the HD batwing fairing (a notoriously bad screen) but with giant balance vents. I really like completely naked too, but only at very genteel speeds.

 

[TheDivaDanielle]

Any year will work. I had a RS bar on my R. Cost me $75 for it on ebay

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

 

[Jack the Lad]

Yes, thanks. I sent you a PM on the topic, but this picture sort of answers my question close enough.

Looks like the bar ends are about 2-3" above the gas cap, as measured from the ground?

That's a REALLY nice looking R! I have too much stuff on mine to get to that level of elegant clean simplicity.


JtL

 

[JanK]

Two points: The helmet really does make a lot of difference. My and my partner's first helmet were Schuberth S1 Pro, supposedly aerodynamically good. Both of us experienced head shake at higher speeds. Now I have Caberg Conda and she has Shark Skwal - no shake at all, even at speeds of 160-170km/h.

And as Pale Roadster said: have you tried taking the screen off? When riding the test bike I noticed that the sports shield deflects air up to around neck height, creating more noise and having the turbulent air hitting around the chin area (I'm 180cm tall). So I had the shield taken off when I bought the motorcycle. I prefer having clean air around my helmet at the expense of a little more air on the torso. The instrument cluster and the tank deflect enough air for the wind to start at a bit above bellybutton. And I actually like having the wind support my torso as I lean forward. At around 90-100 km/h - the speeds at which I do most of the riding - the balance is almost perfect, leading to an effortless forward lean and great balance on the bike.

 

[Jack the Lad]

Two points: The helmet really does make a lot of difference. My and my partner's first helmet were Schuberth S1 Pro, supposedly aerodynamically good. Both of us experienced head shake at higher speeds. Now I have Caberg Conda and she has Shark Skwal - no shake at all, even at speeds of 160-170km/h.

And as Pale Roadster said: have you tried taking the screen off? When riding the test bike I noticed that the sports shield deflects air up to around neck height, creating more noise and having the turbulent air hitting around the chin area (I'm 180cm tall). So I had the shield taken off when I bought the motorcycle. I prefer having clean air around my helmet at the expense of a little more air on the torso. The instrument cluster and the tank deflect enough air for the wind to start at a bit above bellybutton. And I actually like having the wind support my torso as I lean forward. At around 90-100 km/h - the speeds at which I do most of the riding - the balance is almost perfect, leading to an effortless forward lean and great balance on the bike.

I have both an Arai Quantum X and a Schuberth C4 Pro. The latter is better than the former. Both work wonderfully well on the other bikes that I ride.

60-90kph isn't an issue at all. My complaints start at about 120kph.

I bought the bike screenless, and have now tried the three sizes of ZTechnik, a Wunderlich and something else which was useless. The best so far is the Wunderlich Marathon with about 6" lopped off it. Works really well up to about 70mph (~115kph) but not far above that. Quick bursts into triple digits are fine, but any extended time above 70mph isn't fun. And if it isn't fun, why bother? Curiously, at the extreme upper end of the bike's speed range - a place I spend no time but wanted to know about - it all goes reasonably smooth and turbulence free. Presumably by then all air is being pushed higher, further out of the way.

Next test will be the smaller ZTechnik with a Rifle balance vent installed.

 

[Mr. Badger]

I don't know about the 1250 RS but I can tell you that putting the lower and narrower RS bars on my 1200R improved ergonomics, airflow, and the ability to hike my aging body to the inside for turns. Next is bar mirrors because a significant amount of turbulence and buffeting comes off the OEM mirrors.

Learned that last after removing the stock elephant ears for some track laps.

I'd do a parts fiche dive and compare part numbers.

 

[Jack the Lad]

I don't know about the 1250 RS but I can tell you that putting the lower and narrower RS bars on my 1200R improved ergonomics, airflow, and the ability to hike my aging body to the inside for turns. Next is bar mirrors because a significant amount of turbulence and buffeting comes off the OEM mirrors.

Learned that last after removing the stock elephant ears for some track laps.

I'd do a parts fiche dive and compare part numbers.

Excellent, very welcome info - thanks.

I already have CRG Lane-Splitters on the bike, so I'm at least part way there.

Fiche parts dive done, and the RS bars are on their way too..

I share the aging bones part too. 45+ years riding and sometimes it feels like a thousand - no intention of quitting any time soon, but it does mean I know what I want out of a bike and sometimes quite a few changes have to be made to get there.

 

[Toolmantim]

Does anyone know which year model RS bars should fit a 2020 1250R?

I think any of the later R1200RS bars should fit, but I'm not absolutely certain.

I've failed dismally to achieve air management nirvana on my R so I'm interested in trying lower bars on the basis that they will move my head lower and closer to the screen - seems that the distance between helmet and screen makes a huge difference. The closer you get, the quieter it is. Beginning to think that I may still be an RS person at heart - the RT is too much plastic and the R perhaps not enough..

TIA...

JtL

I have 2014 R1200R with Puig screen. Has been noisy and I was getting Buffeting. Last week when out riding I decided to flex the screen back towards my chest to see what happened. Amazing all smooth. Went home put 10mm packers between the screen and the bottom mount, no noise. Going for a 5 day 2000 Km ride around North Island NZ next week so will give more feed back after the trip.

 

[Jack the Lad]

Glad to hear that worked and something I will definitely be trying.

How much do you think 10mm spacers moved the top of the screen back towards you?

The mounts for the Ztechnik make that a little complicated. Effectively the screen is clamped between two parallel surfaces

Once I get the RS bars fitted it will be time to crank up the 3D printer to make offset/split spacers for the four mounting points after some careful measuring - spacing out at the bottom, and accommodating the angle change at the upper mounts as well as lower ones.

Should be a fabulous trip. I was lucky enough to spend a couple of weeks going round N & S islands. REALLY wanted to move to Nelson!