Fitting Aeroscreen to 2015 F800GS‐Australian model

Fitting Aeroscreen to 2015 F800GS‐Australian model
Paige
You know the issues re fitting the screen to 2013 onwards models. Here is my story of how I fitted the screen to my bike.
The right side base bracket bolted to the screen and side support strut. BMW altered the shape of the bodywork so that it is now sloping towards the front and side of the bike.
The mounting clip, which doesn’t contain a nut for further use.
The mounting clip on the underside reinforcing plate‐doesn’t quite line up with the hole in the plate.
My options, apart from having to make new base brackets, were as follows‐
1
Make a new support strut to allow for full lock. This would mean using steel tube in a curved shape, similar to the BMW F800 Adventure.
2
Modify the Barkbusters arms to clear the Aeroflow support strut.
I decided that it was easier to keep the Aeroflow strut and modify my Barkbusters.
I used 1.8mm steel plate for my brackets instead of thicker aluminium, which I didn’t have. I placed the Aeroflow bracket on the sheet and rotated it to both sides to get the approximate shape. This is the brake side
. Here you can see the same angles as the Aeroflow bracket side arms but note that due to the shape of the bodywork on the bike, you have to make the side arms longer and change the angle of the base plate to match the bodywork.
Here are my finished brackets. There is a curve in the screen attachment arm. I did this because the outside arm has to be longer than the standard mounting arm, due to the bodywork sloping to the outside of the bike and making it lower.
The longer arm means that the curvature of the screen causes the Aeroflow plastic to hit the arm. I also used 2 rubber washers instead of one to keep the plastic off the mounting arm.
I deliberately made the base plate longer as the bodywork is thin and very flexible. My brackets are odd shapes because when I made the first one, I found that I had to drill the mounting hole close to the edge. On the second bracket, I allowed for more metal so that the hole was towards the centre.
I used the Aeroflow foam pad but cut it to shape. Rather than use the std clip nut, I replaced the supplied ¼”bolts with metric 6mm Allen head bolts as that is what we use here.
I used the Aeroflow supplied reinforcing plate too, as I think it is essential.
Here is the brake side installed, looking forward. Everything lines up perfectly
Brake side, side view. Note the base plate extends further back to get extra support and matches the size of the underside reinforcing plate
Clutch side installed. I curved the side plate a bit and used 2 rubber washers to stop the screen rubbing on the side plate. Clutch side. Note the mounting bracket is hard up against the black bodywork
Right side showing modified Barkbusters mounting. I had to cut both the thick handlebar mounting arm and handguard arm then make a steel plate that cleared the Aeroflow strut and rejoined the parts.
On the clutch side, I cut and bent a piece of angle steel to connect the Barkbuster parts together.
It was as much work to do all this as it was to make the new base brackets for the screen
Now that it is finished, nobody would know that I had made new brackets. I must admit that I was initially sceptical regarding the rigidity of the screen. The plain bodywork where the lower bracket attaches is very flimsy when you push down on it. However, when the bracket is mounted with screen and side support attached, it has minimal flex.
Paige, that was a very clever move to have both the lower screen and side support strut attached to the same bracket. The transferred wind force down the strut pushes down but the lower screen resists that downwards movement. Well thought out!
I have only just taken the bike for a local test ride and it is looking good, as I expected. I could only take it up to 50 mph in our area but I can already feel that it is a huge improvement on the standard screen. Unfortunately I need to ride at least 45minutes from home to get to our nearest freeway, where I can take it up to 70 mph or more.
I have looked at EVERY available screen for the bike and my experience tells me that their effectiveness probably varies between total rubbish to mildly protective. As usual, your screens make all others look like their design consists of a piece of plastic bent around a drum. I’ll report back after a high speed test
Graham Lawson
Sydney Australia