Wind Noise

[Doc Brown]

the only point I hate about my T7 is the wind noise that gives me a headache after about 150kms. I am 1,80m tall (thats about 6 feet) and I am using the standard seat. Starting at about 70kph the noise is massive, like in a storm. I read about 40 pages about this problem in the German forum where people tested with all kind of self made screens, even double screens and cut to size helmet visors.

I bought the Kedo height adjustment kit which really works brilliant but doesn't solve the problem. Though it can lift the screen up to 70mm and lower it about 15mm (lower than original). But it does not change anything. Like others I think it has to do with the width of the screen. Most aftermarket screens I have seen look awful, except the Ermax screen. The guys in the German forum have been testing with all kinds of constructions and it seems smaller people like me seem to have more of a problem. One of my riding buddies is very tall (1,95m) uses the high rally seat and does not have the problem while my best friend (as tall as I am) has exactly the same problem.

We tried different helmets, even MX helmets but the problem is still there...
 

Anyone found a solution?

Cheers Doc

[Danot86]

Hey Doc.

 

I'm the same height as you and still looking for a solution to reduce the amount of wind at freeway speeds. The windscreen options in Australia are very limited and expensive. 

 

One thing that's helped a lot has been my custom ear plugs with a headset built in. I commute 2 hours a day at 110km with no complaints of noise..mostly just wind. 

 

Maybe try something like this to help with the head aches.

 

Dan

 

[Dougie]

Other people have suggested lower screens for people about our height (6’ish). Aleksandar has one on his supermoto. I tried it without a screen yesterday and it was smoother air but the clocks wouldn’t last long like that, and there was still a bit of buffeting. I have the screen adjuster too and it helps a bit but not that much. Next is the cut visor behind the screen (another thread here) and the cut down sports screen. I’m on a rally seat. We need to sort this out finally as a group .Maybe we can solve world peace first though and come back to it

[Alan M]

I have the same problem, I’m around the 1.8M height.

 

 I thought at first it was my helmet, bought another helmet which had great reviews for low noise level, same problem.

 

 I’ve tried a set of better earplugs and they do make a difference but not sports bike quiet.

 

 I recently fitted the powerbronze winglets and height adjustable screen. I’ve tried it back to back with my mates standard bike and to be honest I can’t tell any difference. I’m guessing they’ll help on a rainy day but don’t think they reduce the wind noise.

 

 My guess is custom earplugs might be the best solution.

[T7Dave]

I think a few small things all help a bit.  I have a quiet helmet (Neotech 2) and I wear ear plugs.   On long highway I wear the solid foam Howard Leight MAX ear plugs.  For most riding I wear the Alpine motosafe race ear plugs.

I also added the winglets which move some of the wind to the sides but don't reduce the noise.  The thing that helps the most is a spoiler.  I have a MRA vario spoiler of an old bike which I think makes the most difference in the noise.

 

I would like a large windscreen on the highway but I will break it offroad and I hate looking through a windscreen.

[yobinad]

8 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

the only point I hate about my T7 is the wind noise that gives me a headache after about 150kms. I am 1,80m tall (thats about 6 feet) and I am using the standard seat. Starting at about 70kph the noise is massive, like in a storm. I read about 40 pages about this problem in the German forum where people tested with all kind of self made screens, even double screens and cut to size helmet visors.

I bought the Kedo height adjustment kit which really works brilliant but doesn't solve the problem. Though it can lift the screen up to 70mm and lower it about 15mm (lower than original). But it does not change anything. Like others I think it has to do with the width of the screen. Most aftermarket screens I have seen look awful, except the Ermax screen. The guys in the German forum have been testing with all kinds of constructions and it seems smaller people like me seem to have more of a problem. One of my riding buddies is very tall (1,95m) uses the high rally seat and does not have the problem while my best friend (as tall as I am) has exactly the same problem.

We tried different helmets, even MX helmets but the problem is still there...
 

Anyone found a solution?

Cheers Doc

I'm 1,92m tall.

My helmet is a schuberth C3.

With stock seat and windshield, above 60Km/h just had turbulence. Couldn't even ear the motor.

The solution to me was powerbronze adventure sports screen and yamaha rally seat.

[Dougie]

Did that sort it out yobinad? Or at least as good as it gets?

[ADVUSA]

4 hours ago, T7Dave said:

I think a few small things all help a bit.  I have a quiet helmet (Neotech 2) and I wear ear plugs.   On long highway I wear the solid foam Howard Leight MAX ear plugs.  For most riding I wear the Alpine motosafe race ear plugs.

I also added the winglets which move some of the wind to the sides but don't reduce the noise.  The thing that helps the most is a spoiler.  I have a MRA vario spoiler of an old bike which I think makes the most difference in the noise.

 

I would like a large windscreen on the highway but I will break it offroad and I hate looking through a windscreen.

The Howard Leight MAX ear plugs appear a couple steps above in design of my current standard ear plug.

Are these advanced sound reduction or?   They're also expensive w cords and the non-corded are not as pricy.

 

What is your opinion of these plugs?

[Rich TT]

3 hours ago, yobinad said:

I'm 1,92m tall.

My helmet is a schuberth C3.

With stock seat and windshield, above 60Km/h just had turbulence. Couldn't even ear the motor.

The solution to me was powerbronze adventure sports screen and yamaha rally seat.

Exactly the combination I have and it works. Rally seat and powerbronze sportscreen and I'm very similar height. It works well. Cheers Rich

[T7Dave]

55 minutes ago, ADVUSA said:

The Howard Leight MAX ear plugs appear a couple steps above in design of my current standard ear plug.

Are these advanced sound reduction or?   They're also expensive w cords and the non-corded are not as pricy.

 

What is your opinion of these plugs?

They had the highest dB rating.  I think because they are a bit fatter.  The done side, they block all sounds.  Try an industrial supply place for a better price.

[yobinad]

4 hours ago, Dougie said:

Did that sort it out yobinad? Or at least as good as it gets?

Now i have no turbulence at all.

Also don't have wind protection at all

[Doc Brown]

4 hours ago, yobinad said:

I'm 1,92m tall.

My helmet is a schuberth C3.

With stock seat and windshield, above 60Km/h just had turbulence. Couldn't even ear the motor.

The solution to me was powerbronze adventure sports screen and yamaha rally seat.

 

Great that it works for you like it works for most tall riders. Doesn't help me though and using a higher seat when the original one is almost too high would be self-defeating.

Cheers Doc

[whisperquiet]

I wear earplugs and installed the Moto Pumps windshield adjuster......great product that reduced wind noise and turbulence with the stock screen.

 

Yamaha T7 Windshield Adjuster — MotoPumps - The Best 12v Inflators on the Planet

---

Billet Aluminum Windshield Adjuster for the Yamaha Tenere 700 T7

 

[DazR]

The noise is probably from the wind hitting your shoulders and chest.  Try taking a hand off the bars and see if the intensity changes.  You might need some larger side wings to go with your screen.  I dont have a prob with larger screen and I am 6.1 tall.

[Toei]

I suspect Madstad Engineering is our best hope for wind protection + less turbulent airflow.  The last I checked with them they needed a donor T7 to design the screen/brackets to.  If that's still the case (that was several weeks ago), then a Florida owner needs to step up!  You'll get a free screen for your trouble.   

[Doc Brown]

8 hours ago, whisperquiet said:

I wear earplugs and installed the Moto Pumps windshield adjuster......great product that reduced wind noise and turbulence with the stock screen.

 

Yamaha T7 Windshield Adjuster — MotoPumps - The Best 12v Inflators on the Planet

---

Billet Aluminum Windshield Adjuster for the Yamaha Tenere 700 T7

 

May I ask you how tall you are? And are you using the standard seat. It seems people over 1,85m don't have the issue especially when using the high seat.

I use exactly the same height adjuster and it makes no difference, except at higher speeds (over 120 kph) when it is fully up.

 

 

7 hours ago, DazR said:

The noise is probably from the wind hitting your shoulders and chest.  Try taking a hand off the bars and see if the intensity changes.  You might need some larger side wings to go with your screen.  I dont have a prob with larger screen and I am 6.1 tall.

We tried a lot of things and came to the conclusion that the noises and turbulences come from the sides of the screen, not the top. That explains why moving the OEM screen up and down makes no or almost no difference. If I get up and the head is just above the edge of the screen it is immediately quiet. My buddy, same height as I confirms that.
Yesterday we tried 4 different helmets, a Shoei sports helmet being the most silent but the difference is only just noticeable.

I am keen if additional spoilers could change anything...

 

@all: Good to see that others have the same issue. Thank you all for your answers and positive contribution. Really most appreciated!

Edited April 25, 2021 by Doc Brown

[whisperquiet]

I am 6’4” or 1.93 meters and have the 41mm taller Yamaha Rally seat installed.

 

[Liquidape]

On 4/24/2021 at 3:44 AM, Doc Brown said:

the only point I hate about my T7 is the wind noise that gives me a headache after about 150kms. I am 1,80m tall (thats about 6 feet) and I am using the standard seat. Starting at about 70kph the noise is massive, like in a storm. I read about 40 pages about this problem in the German forum where people tested with all kind of self made screens, even double screens and cut to size helmet visors.

I bought the Kedo height adjustment kit which really works brilliant but doesn't solve the problem. Though it can lift the screen up to 70mm and lower it about 15mm (lower than original). But it does not change anything. Like others I think it has to do with the width of the screen. Most aftermarket screens I have seen look awful, except the Ermax screen. The guys in the German forum have been testing with all kinds of constructions and it seems smaller people like me seem to have more of a problem. One of my riding buddies is very tall (1,95m) uses the high rally seat and does not have the problem while my best friend (as tall as I am) has exactly the same problem.

We tried different helmets, even MX helmets but the problem is still there...
 

Anyone found a solution?

Cheers Doc

Have you tried taking the stock mirrors off?  I found that with them removed and using the fold out mirrors on my hand guards reduced the turbulence quite a bit. 

[NvNick]

I too believe a lot of it is from the mirrors. I rode 250 mi yesterday with some friends  on all highway and kept trying to move around to see what changed. If i was off center of the bike the noise reduced. The next time i ride it i am going to remove the mirrors for a test. Woke up to snow today so it wont be today.

[Aleksandar13]

7 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

May I ask you how tall you are? And are you using the standard seat. It seems people over 1,85m don't have the issue especially when using the high seat.

I use exactly the same height adjuster and it makes no difference, except at higher speeds (over 120 kph) when it is fully up.

 

 

We tried a lot of things and came to the conclusion that the noises and turbulences come from the sides of the screen, not the top. That explains why moving the OEM screen up and down makes no or almost no difference. If I get up and the head is just above the edge of the screen it is immediately quiet. My buddy, same height as I confirms that.
Yesterday we tried 4 different helmets, a Shoei sports helmet being the most silent but the difference is only just noticeable.

I am keen if additional spoilers could change anything...

 

@all: Good to see that others have the same issue. Thank you all for your answers and positive contribution. Really most appreciated!

So I've been playing about lately with the side screens... Attached are the side screens from power bronze which actually reduce wind noise substantially .. I've removed them because I'm not keen on the look of the bike from the front... I'm getting abused verbally by @Rich TT calling them elephant ears... Much prefer the original ones but the noise is higher... Two photos attached.

Aleks 

[Doc Brown]

3 hours ago, Liquidape said:

Have you tried taking the stock mirrors off?  I found that with them removed and using the fold out mirrors on my hand guards reduced the turbulence quite a bit. 

That is indeed a good idea, I did not even think about that. Thank you!
 

3 hours ago, NvNick said:

I too believe a lot of it is from the mirrors. I rode 250 mi yesterday with some friends  on all highway and kept trying to move around to see what changed. If i was off center of the bike the noise reduced. The next time i ride it i am going to remove the mirrors for a test. Woke up to snow today so it wont be today.

As I said somewhere already I am unable to wrench the next 3 to 4 weeks as I am ver y busy, which sounds a bit weird considerig I am unemployed, but live is crazy sometimes. I am looking forward reading your report of the "mirrorless" ride.
 

1 hour ago, Aleksandar13 said:

So I've been playing about lately with the side screens... Attached are the side screens from power bronze which actually reduce wind noise substantially .. I've removed them because I'm not keen on the look of the bike from the front... I'm getting abused verbally by @Rich TT calling them elephant ears... Much prefer the original ones but the noise is higher... Two photos attached.

Aleks 

 

 

Thank you for the pics Aleks, much appreciated. Well, I have to say I agree with @Rich TT, these "ears" don't make the T7 look like a beauty.

Thanks for all your input guys, that's just great. I'll come back as soon as I can go ahead with further tests, but will always read (and if necessary answer) your posts.

Have a great day!

 

Doc

[Danot86]

Borrowing inspiration from Madstad engineering. I've used some spare steel around work to mock up a bracket and windscreen to see if their method (as close to as I could get with scraps) eliminated most of the issue we are all complaining about here. I am 6ft tall, agv ax9 helmet and sitting on the oem rally seat. Tested the new rig out the last two nights at 120kmh and to my delight...it was quiet. No buffeting..could ride with visor open. Wind just passes the sides and top of the helmet. 

Will head to the hardware store this weekend to get some Perspex sheeting to make my own windscreen. 

[Danot86]

It's a bit ugly at the moment...but I reckon the Perspex will clean it right up. 

[Supertenuri]

To me this worked. Givi deflectors, Givi wider screen with 395mm ( 15.5")  hight . Little Yamaha spoiler on top (upside down). I can nicely see over this system. The little spoiler ment a lot with noise. My own shortness is 5.9 ( 180cm).

[A A Ron]

On 4/24/2021 at 1:44 AM, Doc Brown said:

the only point I hate about my T7 is the wind noise that gives me a headache after about 150kms. I am 1,80m tall (thats about 6 feet) and I am using the standard seat. Starting at about 70kph the noise is massive, like in a storm. I read about 40 pages about this problem in the German forum where people tested with all kind of self made screens, even double screens and cut to size helmet visors.

I bought the Kedo height adjustment kit which really works brilliant but doesn't solve the problem. Though it can lift the screen up to 70mm and lower it about 15mm (lower than original). But it does not change anything. Like others I think it has to do with the width of the screen. Most aftermarket screens I have seen look awful, except the Ermax screen. The guys in the German forum have been testing with all kinds of constructions and it seems smaller people like me seem to have more of a problem. One of my riding buddies is very tall (1,95m) uses the high rally seat and does not have the problem while my best friend (as tall as I am) has exactly the same problem.

We tried different helmets, even MX helmets but the problem is still there...
 

Anyone found a solution?

Cheers Doc

Hey Doc.  My advice is simply to ignore the wind noise.  I've chased wind noise and turbulence on every ADV bike I've owned (before the T7) - two KLR650s, two VStrom 650s, and an Africa Twin - without much luck.  The only thing that helped at all were super tall windscreens that I had to look through instead of over - don't like that.  Even then I'd typically get some turbulence on the top of my helmet.  I always ended up going back to stock.

 

Or maybe try a quieter helmet.  I've got the HJC RPHA 90 for highway use.  It's fairly quiet on the t7.  I'm 6 foot tall like you.  And I wear earplugs for long days on slab.

 

Maybe not the advice you were seeking, but you can drive yourself crazy trying to eliminate wind noise.