New to ST, questions

So as some of you may know, I bought my '05 ST1300 last month. I am very happy with the bike so far. I've only had time for 3 rides but I've put 1,500km on the bike so far. After the bit of riding I've done I have a few questions about the bike.

1) Is there a way to reduce the back pressure when the windscreen is fully up? When I ride with it fully up I actually have to brace my arms against the downward pressure on my helmet and from behind pushing on my back. I love having the windscreen fully up when I'm not on the twisties as it is super smooth and quiet like that and I can even ride with my visor fully up! But because of the back pressure I can only put it up for short periods of time before becoming uncomfortable. Is there a windscreen that would help with this? Maybe one with an adjustable vent like on the Goldwing or the 2016+ Concours 1400?

2) Does anyone else get a "wobble" at 120km/h+? Especially with the windscreen fully up? I've read about this "wobble" in a couple of reviews and from what I got from it is that it is a quirk of the bike but that it doesn't really effect stability. I know the bike had the steering head bearing checked when it was certified and passed no problem so I doubt it could be that. Thoughts? Solutions?

Riding season is almost done up here in Peterborough, ON. In fact, I am on vacation next week and will be winterizing the bikes, packing up the patio set etc. I'd rather do it a week or two early while it's still warm than be one day too late and have to wash and prep the bikes in 4c weather!

Thanks everyone.

Best solution I have found for the screen back pressure is.........lower the screen. I ride with it down below eye sight about an inch or two.

That will help your wobble too.

Read about and inspect your preload adjuster for the rear shock. I bet it is real low or empty. Haven't met one yet that wasn't. That will help too.

ToddC

I do what Todd does with the stock screen. I also have a large CalSci screen with cutouts at the base. They must have some positive effect as the back pressure is about the same as the stock screen. And the CalSci is much larger than the stock screen therefore more potential for increased back pressure.

As you've mentioned vent's you've already figured out that getting air under the screen is key to reducing the back pressure and turbulence.
I saw a thread somewhere here which described adapters to increase the gap between the screen and fairing. I suspect that would help a lot. That feature is what makes the Madstad screens so effective on other bikes.

Morrissey said:

1) Is there a way to reduce the back pressure when the windscreen is fully up? When I ride with it fully up I actually have to brace my arms against the downward pressure on my helmet and from behind pushing on my back. I love having the windscreen fully up when I'm not on the twisties as it is super smooth and quiet like that and I can even ride with my visor fully up! But because of the back pressure I can only put it up for short periods of time before becoming uncomfortable.

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I've had my ST1300 for only 16 months. Like you, when I first got it the back pressure with the windscreen up was really noticeable. I hadn't felt that with any other bike and it was quite disconcerting. But I've gotten used to it over time. So I would say not to worry about it all that much. By this time next year you'll barely notice it. At least that was my experience.

I keep the windshield just below eye level and don't get any buffeting on my helmet. With it full up I feel its too easily moved around. My bike wobbles at around the same speed as yours, I think of it as more of a "squirm" than a wobble but i found after servicing the pre-load adjuster, it was much better, not gone away but significantly reduced. I have a 2005 also.

I do have the rear suspension adjusted as soft as it'll go because I ride solo and it helps me reach the ground a little easier when it sags under my weight! What is involved with servicing the pre-load adjuster?

Thanks

Morrissey said:

I do have the rear suspension adjusted as soft as it'll go because I ride solo and it helps me reach the ground a little easier when it sags under my weight! What is involved with servicing the pre-load adjuster?

This

Thanks

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This should get you started.

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?106715-ST1300-Pre-load-Fluid-Replacement&highlight=

The 'back pressure' is a result of the eddying behind you as you and the bike punch a hole in the air. The air whips around your side and over your head and rushes to fill the empty space behind your back. You can see a simialr effect in a stream as the water passes a large boulder or bridge pillar. For a while, the water flows upstream.

The larger or higher the fairing, the bigger the hole, the more back pressure.

I like to look over the top of the screen and adjust it so that it is just below my eyeline. The standard screen is bad fir this as the airflow is then directed straight into my face - so i have a screen with a small flip- up, which lifts the flow iver my helmet. That helps.

A contributing factor is the presence of a top box when riding solo. The air whips behind you, then gets another chance to destabilise the bike as it hits the top box first from one side, and then the other. Put a pillion on the back and the problems all go away - preventing the eddy behind my back and smoothing the airflow beyond the rear of the top box.

Some have found a 'laminar lip ' to be beneficial, as this shapes the airflow before it leaves the edge of the screen, and steers it beyond the rider before it starts to cause turbulance.

Other factors are - rear suspension height. Putting it simply, the suspension needs to be set so that it doesn't reach the end of its travel when you hit a bump. Hoevever winding it up too far merely raises the rear of the bike if the same load is carried - it doesn't stiffen the suspension. The effect of this is that the angle of the front forks is steepend slightly and this 'quickens' the steering and can make the bike feel twitchy - especially when you are getting used to the feel of the bike. Conversely, lowering the suspension (providing it doesn't bottom out), can make the bike feel less twitchy.

Rear suspension damping - if it is too soft, the bike can 'boing-boing' after going over bumps, and can make the bike feel as though it is wallowing around in the bends. This can have an effect on how 'planted' the rear of the bike feels - and this can be the case in turbulent air and crosswinds. The adjuster is at the bottom of the suspension unit, accessed with a screwdriver through that little hole in the footrest bracket.

Tyres. People like to try different types, but the ST1300 is a big, heavy bike and really needs the extra stiffness in the tyre wall. The BT020 F rated tyres are the OEM recommended and are a good ones to start off with, and The Bridgestone T30 GT spec is also excellent. Both are designed for the heavy tourers and have been tested specifically with the ST 1300. Others will have their own preferences, but these two seem a pretty good base line from which to get to known the bike.

Uneven tyre wear - i found the BT021 and BT023 tyre particularly bad for this. They wore down quickly on the sides and would then wander around in bends, and feel less stable at the rear in crosswinds. I often have a pillion, so the airflow is smoothed out, but without a pillion, i guess the eddies behind would result in a similar instability.

I do not have an issue with back pressure as such - that is, I never notice it. I'm a big bloke at 6'4" and punch a much bigger hole in the air than most, but really, it isn't an issue, and have often wondered what the fuss is about. I know it is there as occasionally I see a bee or other large flying insect heading towards me, get caught in the airflow, and then overtake me and smash itself on the inside of the screen - but i haven't felt myself heading in that direction. I've had 2 ST1100s since 2000 and 2 ST1300s since 2007 - the 1300 I found to be much better aerodynamically than the 1100 - particularly since It rides better in cross winds - but I have never kept the original screen - The ST1100 had a taller screen, (PowerBronze) - similar design, complete with nostrils and flip-up, but just about right for me to look over the top and remain out of the airflow. I've fitted BikeQuip screens to both 1300s - a tad wider and a tad taller, but with the flip-up. The adjustable screen doesn't require a taller screen, but the flip-up only came with the slightly taller ones.

tjhiggin said:

I've had my ST1300 for only 16 months. Like you, when I first got it the back pressure with the windscreen up was really noticeable. I hadn't felt that with any other bike and it was quite disconcerting. But I've gotten used to it over time. So I would say not to worry about it all that much. By this time next year you'll barely notice it. At least that was my experience.

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That was exactly my experience too. One of the first changes that I made was to swap the original grips to foam grips which are slightly curved so the weight on my hands is spread more evenly on my palm. I also noticed that by slightly tensing my core muscles (stomach and back), I could relieve the pressure on my hands and I think I now do that instinctively.

It's very interesting that one of my original disconcerting experiences with the ST1300 has completely disappeared. Now, if I could eliminate the turbulence coming off the back of the big rigs, I'd be an even happier camper, but I think I would need to add 2 more wheels to accomplish that

Can only say that sorting out the preload adjuster totally transformed my bike. Still need to sort out the screen issues but that can wait for another day.

When I first experienced this with my brand new ST 10 years ago ( first and only motorcycle I have ever ridden with a windshield) it surprised me . Since then I've come to actually enjoy it . I think of it as a helping hand pushing me along between a the shoulder blades the way my long gone father did teaching me to ride a bicycle. After riding in the rain you can graphically see the area that the back pressure effects because that is the only part of me that seems to get wet !