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Laminar Lip

skiphunt

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My eyes are going blurry from reading all the varying reviews of various windscreens. I've decided that for around town and short weekend trips, I'm fine with the stock screen... but for longer rides on the interstate or touring, I'll need something.

So, of the options that you can just pop on when you need it... I think I'm going for the Laminar Lip. I'll only put it on when I'm going on a longer trip. Just need to decide if I'm getting the smoked or clear. If I pull the trigger on one, will report back if it does the trick or not. I've not been able to find any nc700x users who've used/reviewed one, but by the looks of the photos, it might be just what I'm looking for.
 
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Just talked to Laminar Lip in California... the guy didn't sound like they really had much experience with the nc700x at all. Confidence after the call sort of plummeted. These chunks of plastic are all so pricey... the Laminar Lip looks like the on/off solution I'm looking for, but with no one out there reviewing them on the ncx... not sure I want to be the guinea pig for $100.
 
Looking at the pictures, it doesn't look like it will fit at all on the stock screen. Are you considering putting it on the Honda touring screen?

I couldn't find prices on products at all, despite the presence of a cart.

I'm also not sure how the darn thing works either. They talk about a reverse airfoil which makes little sense to me. They also talk about air coming under the windshield but their pictures are not good enough to show if they are deliberately sending air under the lip as well as over.

I'll be very interested to read about your experience with it if you buy it. I couldn't take away very much from the testimonials on the site either.
 
By the way, there are several vendors that make clamp on windshield extenders that pivot to direct air. They allow air to go underneath them to reduce turbulence inside the air pocket and are height adjustable. These get some good reviews here mostly. They seem to cost around $135 so even more than the one you were considering. I don't remember their names without a search.
 
Looking at the pictures, it doesn't look like it will fit at all on the stock screen. Are you considering putting it on the Honda touring screen?

I couldn't find prices on products at all, despite the presence of a cart.

I'm also not sure how the darn thing works either. They talk about a reverse airfoil which makes little sense to me. They also talk about air coming under the windshield but their pictures are not good enough to show if they are deliberately sending air under the lip as well as over.

I'll be very interested to read about your experience with it if you buy it. I couldn't take away very much from the testimonials on the site either.

There's actually one thread here where a guy used it and seemed to like it.. but it ended up flying off at 55mph. He says it was his fault because he kept prying at it and unhooking it constantly while mounting it.

The photos on the site look like it's indeed mounted to a stock screen HERE

They don't offer a smoked in the shorter version, but will make it for you for no extra charge if you want it smoked. I'm leaning toward this. The other option of the MRA vario gets fairly mixed reviews and claims of noise. The reviews of the Wunderlich are scarce.

What I like about the Laminar is that it extends the stock screen at the top and at the sides. The other two options just add a little height but are adjustable. Can't really decide but leaning toward the shorter Laminar Lip in smoked. The touring one just looks like too much screen to be held on with only the lock/velcro. The design of the shorter one looks like it flows with the stock Honda one better.
 
The Laminar lip on the stock screen will most likely not work. Depending on the rider it may change things on a much larger screen.

I have tried it on another bike with stock and aftermarket screen with similar air flow to the NC........it did not have a positive effect.
 
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The Laminar lip on the stock screen will most likely not work. Depending on the rider it may change things on a much larger screen.

I have tried it on another bike with stock and aftermarket screen with similar air flow to the NC........it did not have a positive effect.

It looks like it extends a good 3-4 inches on each side AND a good 5 inches at the top. It's hard to imagine that wouldn't have a positive effect. Wish I could find more people who've tried one before I drop the dough. I can't even find anything of a general consensus with any of these screens. For every convert to one screen or the other, you can find someone else who says it's horrible.
 
The Honda touring screen is taller than stock by a similar amount and I'd say the reviews are mostly negative here.
 
It looks like it extends a good 3-4 inches on each side AND a good 5 inches at the top. It's hard to imagine that wouldn't have a positive effect. Wish I could find more people who've tried one before I drop the dough. I can't even find anything of a general consensus with any of these screens. For every convert to one screen or the other, you can find someone else who says it's horrible.


You stated you read all the windscreen threads ( or a lot of them)........the ones that talk about relief when looking just over or through the top of screen have real merit when talking about a positive effect on noise and buffeting and general comfort. The general conscience until, that height level is reached things get worse before they get better.........and that needed screen height varies with the riders size and tolerance and past experience.
 
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People are of all shapes and sizes and have differing sensitivities to pleasure and discomfort. What type of windshield that works well for one could well be terrible for another even on the same bike mounted exactly the same way. This matter is quite hit and miss and requires a fair amount of trial and error.

If you are curious as to how a Laminar Lip works the biggest clue is in the name. If you Google laminar flow or look at Google images of a venturi then put the two together ......... the separation between the two pieces of the shield creates a venturi effect that speeds up the air passing between the two pieces. As the air is sped up, it's pressure drops and as we all know, Mother Nature abhors a vacuum. To help raise the pressure back to normal some of the air that would spill around the sides of the windshield are pulled into the stream flowing into the bottom of the gap. This reduces buffeting around the sides of the shield. As the flow moving across the front of the shield passes the top edge of the shield it matches up again with the stream that was forced through the gap. As the two separated flows come back together off the top of the shield the higher velocity stream coming up behind the shield helps the entire flow remain laminar for a slightly further distance which reduces turbulence off the top of the shield. If you Google 'images of leading edge slats' and invert that you can see how the term 'inverted airfoil' makes a good description. The gap between the two pieces bends the airflow upwards to create higher area free of turbulence for the rider behind such a device.
 
You stated you read all the windscreen threads ( or a lot of them)........the ones that talk about relieve when looking just over or through the top of screen have real merit when talking about a positive effect on noise and buffeting and general comfort. The general conscience until, that height level is reached things get worse before they get better.........and that needed screen height varies with the riders size and tolerance and past experience.

Ya know... I actually did OK on the 7hrs of interstate. It wasn't great, but any 7hr ride on the interstate is going to be a bit uncomfy unless you're on a Goldwing. ;)

Trey here has a bigger screen. He let me test ride his before I bought mine. I might see if he'll let me try it again just to compare the stock screen with his larger one. The only thing I really need to head out for some camping is the Shad SH40 cargo top box. That's already been shipped, but the fittings are delayed by about a week.

So far, I've only got the 2.5hrs from Bartlesville to Edmond, OK and the 7hrs from Edmond to Austin via Interstate. I've gone off on a few errands and so far all I'm looking for is a little relief at highway speed for longer trips. That being said, I really don't have enough time on the bike yet to know exactly what I need for wind deflection, before wasting money experimenting.

Of all the options I've seen, the one I like the looks of and adjustability of is the smoke Puig with built-in deflector. Can't seem to find them in stock anywhere or a price. Will likely just hold off for now since everything seems like a crap shoot.
 
People are of all shapes and sizes and have differing sensitivities to pleasure and discomfort. What type of windshield that works well for one could well be terrible for another even on the same bike mounted exactly the same way. This matter is quite hit and miss and requires a fair amount of trial and error.

If you are curious as to how a Laminar Lip works the biggest clue is in the name. If you Google laminar flow or look at Google images of a venturi then put the two together ......... the separation between the two pieces of the shield creates a venturi effect that speeds up the air passing between the two pieces. As the air is sped up, it's pressure drops and as we all know, Mother Nature abhors a vacuum. To help raise the pressure back to normal some of the air that would spill around the sides of the windshield are pulled into the stream flowing into the bottom of the gap. This reduces buffeting around the sides of the shield. As the flow moving across the front of the shield passes the top edge of the shield it matches up again with the stream that was forced through the gap. As the two separated flows come back together off the top of the shield the higher velocity stream coming up behind the shield helps the entire flow remain laminar for a slightly further distance which reduces turbulence off the top of the shield. If you Google 'images of leading edge slats' and invert that you can see how the term 'inverted airfoil' makes a good description. The gap between the two pieces bends the airflow upwards to create higher area free of turbulence for the rider behind such a device.

The idea I got on their site was that the inverted airfoil was talking about the shape of the screen, which is indeed is an inverted airfoil. What you are referring to is air passing between the gap between the Lip and the screen it is attached to directing air behind it. This appears to be the exact principle that Madstad touts as its working principle as well, without the backwards curve to the screen. I seriously doubt that the Lip will extend the pocket up over the helmet with its limited height, but it could well reduce turbulence.
 
The reverse kick feature of LL screens would likely increase turbulence it not for the presence of the venturi effect which, as you say, is not exclusive to Laminar Lip or Madstad. The stock NC700X screen even uses it on the high setting. For giggles, if you still have the stock screen installed get the bike up to 60-70 mph and shove a glove or wadded up rag in the gap under the speedometer and see what a difference it makes in noise across your helmet.
 
So a question for you: the Honda touring screen is also free to let in air under the screen, yet users complain about turbulence. I'm not sure I understand what is happening here. Is it that in one case, air is just allowed into the pocket, reducing a vacuum sort of backflow into the pocket with attendant turbulence; and in the other, air is directed to flow up the back of the screen converging with air moving up the front of the screen to help it continue up over the helmet?
 
So a question for you: the Honda touring screen is also free to let in air under the screen, yet users complain about turbulence. I'm not sure I understand what is happening here. Is it that in one case, air is just allowed into the pocket, reducing a vacuum sort of backflow into the pocket with attendant turbulence; and in the other, air is directed to flow up the back of the screen converging with air moving up the front of the screen to help it continue up over the helmet?
I am sorry.... I was speaking in generalities, not to specific windshields. There are all sorts of attendant factors that affect how well a particular design works then there is the subjective differences between riders to dirty things up more. Just because there is a gap at the base or vent holes that allow air to pass behind the windshield doesn't mean the install works well.
 
I'd like to think the ability to intuit air flow in nature around us can be learned. They say that the late Dale Earnhardt could "see" the wind passing around race cars ahead of him and "see" where to place his car to best gain advantage from the draft.

I don't claim to have that ability but I have flying and sailing in my background with the book and applied knowledge it exposed me to. On sailboats we have various visual aides like tufts of yarn and apparent wind indicators to help "see" the air flow across the airfoil of the sails and how flow is affected when we change the shape of a sail and the angle it presents to the flow of wind. The same can be done riding along when we move our hands around us to sketch out where the airflow is clean and where it is dirty. With this knowledge we can think out what a possible change in rake or height might do for us. It is possible that I spend entirely too much time thinking about this stuff. Forgive me.
 
Well, this is odd. I noticed from this board that the stock screen is actually partially adjustable. Mine is on the low setting, so I went ahead and moved them to the top setting. It's only about an inch and I didn't really expect it to make any difference. But, I just went out and it seemed like MORE turbulence instead of less. The wind is kinda weird today here in Austin, so I think I'll leave it in the top position through the weekend to see if it's really a degradation or improvement. I did try putting my hand atop the stock screen while at around 50mph and it felt like the wind was getting diverted over my head. Not very scientific, but it has me rethinking the lip options.

What I don't like about the Laminar Lip is that they claim you can attach and reattach up to 20 times before you have to replace the fasteners. And that's only if you do it just right. I'd hate to find out I pushed it too far before replacing the fasteners with a windshield lip flying at my fact at highway speed. ;)
 
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