MRA Vario windscreen | GTAMotorcycle.com

MRA Vario windscreen

Morrissey

Morrissey

Well-known member
Forum Sponsor
I have had a Givi windscreen on my Bandit 600 for a few years now. It's worked well enough up until now, but I am starting to commute to work on the bike now and I find it is extremely noisy over 100km/hr. I never really noticed it before as I ride almost all back roads when out for a pleasure ride between 90-100km/hr. My commute is 85 km one way, Peterborough to Whitby, usually taking 115 to 401 both ways, occasionally taking a back way home. The noise is very tiring, especially when heading in at 5:45am for a day shift and on the way home from an evening shift at 11pm.

Does anyone here have experience with a MRA Vario windscreen? It has 7 possible positions for the lip so you can tailor the wind to your liking. Suzuki started putting them on their touring version of the Bandit 1250 and GSX1250F a while back. So I'm specifically looking to hear your experiences with noise and buffeting.

Cheers
 
I have one on my Triumph Sprint ST - works great. I have it at the highest position for highway travel and don't experience any buffeting. In the middle of the summer, especially in the city I will put it in the lowest position so that I can get more airflow at my chest level.
 
How about wind noise? That is my biggest complaint at highway speeds.
 
Dunno about the vario but if they make a Madstad screen for your bike I have one of those and it's great. Very adjustable, comes in different styles and heights.
 
If you have not done so yet, please consider using earplugs. HUGE impact on highway riding for your commute in a positive way. Just buy some cheap orange ones. Keep the baggie and use them number of times before you toss and use another pair. I also just switched to a Shoei GT-AIR from an older HJC CL-16 and that alone cut wind-noise significantly. Promise though - earplugs for wind noise, and then the vario-windscreen will be more for wind buffeting issues more than noise.
 
Last edited:
Bagman, I've been wearing custom molded ear plugs for rides longer than 15 min for about 10 years now. You are right, they do make a huge difference. Currently wearing a Shoei TZR helmet. Still finding the wind noise to be very bothersome at highway speeds. Trying to see if I can solve the problem or at least significantly reduce the problem with a simple windscreen swap or else I will be considering the possibility of getting a different bike.
 
I still get the full wind hitting my helmet, but that's partially due to the setup of my bike. It's a sport-tourer with a heavy lean towards the sport side so the windshield is fairly low. The stock windshield would hit me around mid-chest, with the Vario it hits me around the top of my shoulders. The Bandit's windshield is naturally a bit higher, but I'm not sure if the Vario would raise the wind above your helmet which is what you would want to eliminate wind noise. Check some of the Bandit specific forums, there's probably someone who's tried it and has posted some results.

Morrissey said:
How about wind noise? That is my biggest complaint at highway speeds.
Click to expand...
 
I did an LSL handlebar conversion on my SV650S, and then swapped my ZG double bubble for the MRA Vario windscreen to raise the airflow. It seems to work fine for airflow, but I still catch a lot of wind. The difference is that it allows me to adjust the flow to make sure I'm getting clean air as opposed to turbulent air. Because I still catch a lot of air, it makes no material difference in wind noise at highway speeds. I wear earplugs for noise control.
 
I have the MRA Vario Touring screen on my Blackbird. My single complaint about the original screen was that at any speed over 100 km/h, lots of buffeting and noise. Now with the MRA Vario, even with the flap in the lowest position, no buffeting at any speed, plus a much quieter ride... Highly recommended!
 
I have the Mra vario screen on my Versys, love it. I think wind noise is reduced, but I wouldn't say it's quiet.
 
Nother vote for the Madstad.
Despite being smaller than the Clearview on the Burgman ( powered so height adjustable ) - the Madstads ability to be both raised and tilted let me fine tune it so less turbulance at my helmet than the Clearview.

Original setting from previous owner was funneling a lot of engine noise up ....very annoying...little bit of tweaking and happy rider. I think its the tilt feature that is the trick. I noticed BMW had the same tilt and height on their 650 scoot.

Very slick bit of engineering..

phpaDATet.jpg


vsfront1.jpg


http://www.madstad.com/s.nl/sc.7/category.488/.f

You might have to call about your specific model
 
Last edited:
Sounds like a lot of thumbs up for the MRA. MacDoc, I'm sure the madstad will do the trick, but that thing is fugly on the GSX650F on their site! Looks fine on a V-Strom though.
 
That's the key - it works. Can't comment on the Vario but can on the Madstad - put on 400 km today mix of slow and slab and never ever even once thought about the buffeting even on the QEW at 140.
 
I have an MRA on my 1250 Bandit and it is excellent. It does not have the adjustable wing on it as I have never found my self wishing I had it although I thought I would add it when I first got the windshield. The cut outs that alleviate the vacuum created behind the screen are what set the MRA apart. I am just over 6'1" and have the seat raised on the bike. The air is very calm behind the screen and I can feel the air being directed at about my forehead and up when sitting up.
That said I highly recommend the MRA Vario with the flap though.
The other "tall" or "touring" windshields for the Bandit are often worse than the stock one for buffeting.

PS. In relation to your noise question, noise has never really bothered me. I do not wear ear plugs as I find it throws off my balance. (Almost always have music piped in through the Sena).
I hope I don't start noticing it now that you have mentioned it!!!
 
Last edited:
I had a MRA years ago on my ZR7s. I'm 6'2" and thought it would help the buffeting. But all I can remember from that time is that was a bit better than the stock screen but the difference wasn't worth the price that I had paid for it.
 
Morrissey said:
I have had a Givi windscreen on my Bandit 600 for a few years now. It's worked well enough up until now, but I am starting to commute to work on the bike now and I find it is extremely noisy over 100km/hr. I never really noticed it before as I ride almost all back roads when out for a pleasure ride between 90-100km/hr. My commute is 85 km one way, Peterborough to Whitby, usually taking 115 to 401 both ways, occasionally taking a back way home. The noise is very tiring, especially when heading in at 5:45am for a day shift and on the way home from an evening shift at 11pm.

Does anyone here have experience with a MRA Vario windscreen? It has 7 possible positions for the lip so you can tailor the wind to your liking. Suzuki started putting them on their touring version of the Bandit 1250 and GSX1250F a while back. So I'm specifically looking to hear your experiences with noise and buffeting.

Cheers
Click to expand...

I had one on my last bike and one now on my VFR800. MRA's windshields are high quality, very thick unlike the paper thin zerogravity shield i was using before. The adjustability is really nice, if its windy/rainy/cold I can pop the shield up and deflect most of the wind, if its hot I can put it down and get some air. They're more expensive than other windshields but fully worth it if you do any sort of touring.
Forum Sponsor
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom