Opinons on the Mirror/Fairing Wind Deflectors

sfeighner

Looking for some insite regarding both the mirror & fairing wind deflectors. I had added the mirror deflector to my previous bike, the NT700, and it did make a big difference. Anyone care to comment on their effectiveness on the ST?

Thanks
 
A lot of people speak highly about them. I have them but never rode my bike without them so I can't comment about how much improvement there is. The one gotcha is it you want to run MCL Highway Wings and have short inseams. The lower deflectors cut into your legs or so I hear. I have 36" inseams so I don't have an issue with that.

Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt using Tapatalk.
 
I rode for 2 years without the lowers and 2 1/2 years without the mirror deflectors before installing them . I love them! I also have the Helibar risers and having the extra wind protection (in heat or cold) on the hands is great. As for the lowers, a little more rubber between me and the engine does not hurt on warm days! ;) I also have longer legs, so I don't have the problem of the lowers cutting into my legs.
 
I have been on both with the deflectors and without on the ST and they sure knock off a bunch of heat. I would not have an ST without them now as they work great!!
 
970mike said:
I have been on both with the deflectors and without on the ST and they sure knock off a bunch of heat. I would not have an ST without them now as they work great!!
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:1st: what he said.

I have bar risers on also and it keeps the cold air and rain off your hands.

My :tc1:
 
I also ran with and without... they helped keep cold wind and rain off the hands, didn't feel any heat to begin with.
 
I have the lowers and the MCL wings. I also have a 31 inch inseam. Luckily, I lost the left inspection cover (that is not the lucky part). When I use the wings my legs fits perfectly through the opening left by the missing/removed inspection covers. On hot days, it can get pretty warm, but, I only use the wings to stretch for a few minutes.
 
I have both, and I recommend them. The MCL wings (first generation) work OK with my 32" inseam.
 
Not only are they an improvement for cold, hot rain and highway ...... They make the bike look stylish, sofisticated, faster, cooler, chic, classy, snazzy .... you get the idea.
 
Highrider said:
Not only are they an improvement for cold, hot rain and highway ...... They make the bike look stylish, sofisticated, faster, cooler, chic, classy, snazzy .... you get the idea.
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And that's what's important. Thanks for the input, I have placed my order.
 
I've added them to my '09 that I bought at the dealer last month. This past three weeks riding out to California and back they were much better than the wind deflectors I had on the '03 I'd had for the past 4 yrs. I'm worried about their durability but they worked well deflecting heat and rain during the 8000 miles I have on the bike so far. Does anyone know if the glue on these things will hold up long-term?
 
hortok said:
I've added them to my '09 that I bought at the dealer last month. This past three weeks riding out to California and back they were much better than the wind deflectors I had on the '03 I'd had for the past 4 yrs. I'm worried about their durability but they worked well deflecting heat and rain during the 8000 miles I have on the bike so far. Does anyone know if the glue on these things will hold up long-term?
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I have had no problems with the glue on the deflectors but several have had problems with losing the inspections covers.

Here is a fix for these https://www.st-owners.com/forums/sh...ing-Deflector-Inspection-Cover-fix&highlight=
 
I've been on the Baker site and found the upper deflectors for an ST. Who makes lowers? I want to deflect more air on my legs for heat dissipation.
 
hortok said:
I've added them to my '09 that I bought at the dealer last month. This past three weeks riding out to California and back they were much better than the wind deflectors I had on the '03 I'd had for the past 4 yrs. I'm worried about their durability but they worked well deflecting heat and rain during the 8000 miles I have on the bike so far. Does anyone know if the glue on these things will hold up long-term?
Click to expand...

My bike has been in service 5 years and 96,000 miles and the adhesive tape used for the deflectors has held up perfectly. I replaced the push rivets that secure them a couple of times. If the rivet fails or is installed improperly you can lose the cover.
 
I just installed the mirror and fairing wind deflectors last week and thought I'd share my initial impressions after a 50 mile ride.

The mirror deflectors made the biggest difference to me. There is less wind flow across the hands and forearms which would probably be an advantage in cold or wet weather. The downside is noticeably more windflow focused across the upper arm / shoulder / neck area which seemed to increase the wind noise inside my helmet. Raising the windshield helps some, but does not eliminate this effect. I'm 5'10" and have a Russell Day-Long saddle and Genmar bar risers, so I may sit up a little higher which probably has a something to do with it.

The fairing deflectors made less of a difference to me. I've never had a problem with excess heat coming off the engine, so I can't say how much it helps in that regard. There is a still pocket of air around the shin area, so I'm guessing it will help me stay warmer / drier in cold and wet weather.

I guess I'm not ready to give either a thumbs up or thumbs down yet until I've had them on for awhile and see how they perform in many different conditions. My guess is I'll simply adapt to them like any other change I've made to the bike.

These are simply my observations... YMMV!
 
I never had much issue with the heat coming off the engine before I installed both upper & lower deflectors. I previsouly installed Suzuki V-Strom handguards on my handlebars, so when I installed the stick-on Honda mirror deflectors, it was for appearance purposes alone.

Now the lower deflectors are a different story altogether. They have performed great for disrupting the flow of rainwater and cold air away from my legs. However, while many seem to like them for deflecting engine heat during warmer months, I find they work a little too well at deflecting airflow. My legs feel hotter now because there's insufficient air moving around them to dissipate heat ... heat from the sun which warms my black riding overpants. Hence, I will often stick my feet on the MCL highway blades solely to get my legs out in the air, and cool 'em down.
 
hoowasat said:
Now the lower deflectors are a different story altogether. They have performed great for disrupting the flow of rainwater and cold air away from my legs. However, while many seem to like them for deflecting engine heat during warmer months, I find they work a little too well at deflecting airflow.
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I've found the same to be true. I had them on my '05 for about 2 years and was happy until one side (fairing) started to loosen just before a long trip. Rather than mess with re-attaching I just popped them off and found that the increased airflow around my legs and torso was actually better for heat dissipation. I've never re-installed them and don't miss them. The mirror deflectors I've retained.
 
I did a post mortem report on another thread about the outcome of my wind deflector installation, but figured I'd do it here since this is specifically about it.

I am very pleased with the heat reduction now that I have them. It's amazing to me that an additional 1 inch of fairing real estate could make that much difference. Surprised that the Honda boys didn't work this one out. I didn't bother with the mirror deflectors.
 
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