Yeeter

I always liked Rte 2 through Leavenworth. Then down to Ellensburg and back across whites pass rte 12. (could be part of what is being suggested, my memory fails me since its been a while.....)

Looks like fun guys - but I burnt all my riding time tokens last week on a 5 day cruise through the same area. If you think you will be into central MA area on Sunday send a note and I might be able to sneak away for the afternoon and play. Otherwise will definitely be up for next time through - enjoy!!

Oh, and on the rear I put a solo rack from Ken, with a small trunk from sears (jc Whitney). I Ike that I can lock my helmet in it when parked

I picked up a cortech tribag earlier this year to replace an ancient eclipse Very durable and I like that it's modular so I can make it however big or small I want for that particular trip Haven't tested it in heavy rain yet

Some good suggestions here. I grew up in SE Ohio and like the 550 suggestion (between Athens and Marietta). Also enjoy the trek through McConnelsville (sp??) If you dont go that far east - check out the Old Mans Cave area for camping. Some great campgrounds in that area. I second the Hocking Hills recommendation. Just outside of Athens to the west is a town called Albany - lake Snowden is a great campsite and in the summer has some bluegrass and regular music festivals. (or did a decade ago....) You could trek west through Albany on old route 50 through McAuthor (or come at it from that angle on your way in) if you get a little east try rte 78 through Pleasanton. If you go south from Athens you can head toward Galipolis - might be putting you too far away from IN. In general - look on a map for something with a hard surface and you pretty much cant go wrong!!! Some of the best twisties to be found in the region, with beautiful rolling hills........ making me nostalgic. :)

I have a 1 hour commute through crappy Boston traffic jams (the problem with Boston is, that there is NO way to avoid the traffic). With the heat up and sitting gridlocked moving at about 5-10mph, I didnt like the traffic. Then it speeds up before slamming the brakes again (traffic standing waves). I created a less traveled route - much longer distance but 35-40mph through some little towns with lots of farms and country to see. I now LOOK FORWARD to the ride in, and yep, its a nice break to start the day as well as wrap it up. The long route, as you say, is preferred And hello to the white VFR in the Chipolte parking lot in Woburn the other day.....

I have been chasing this issue for a while now - here are some observations from my experience (ymmv) I did a fly in drive out when I bought my latest bike. I was unprepared, in that I didnt really take the several hundred mile two day trip home that serious - just like another sunday ride. So a couple of LONG days with lots of wind noise (no ear plugs). I did learn that if I crunched my shoulders up and pinched off the flow around the base of my helmet, it helped a lot. (note I have an Arai helmet). But much too much road noise, and much more than I ever remember from my '00 that I had for a few years (but Im old now, and have little kids, so dont remember all that well anymore..... but I digress) So I tried a vario touring screen. It has a small secondary screen at the top lip that can be adjusted to change the slipstream height. It seemed to help a 'little'. Very small improvement, so off with that. Then I took the screen off entirely for a bit. BIG IMPROVEMENT! So decided that I liked the smooth air better than the buffeting where the two screens I had tried seemed to hit me for my size and riding position (note that I DO believe your individual size, riding position, helmet, and clothing ALL have an impact). So I just cut about 3 inches off the stock screen and I like it much better now. Also, I got one of the windjammer skirts. As mentioned, wind coming around the base of the helmet is a big contributor. Closing this off with the windjammer DID help. Yes it makes fogging more frequent, and also is harder to get the helmet on/off. But it helps so Im using it (I should note that wind noise is my #1 detractor from enjoyment when riding the VFR) Google 'helmet skirt' and you will see there are products out there that the racing guys use all the time - I bet they work well. Also note that I believe my leather riding jacket is not the greatest, and I can create a minor effect by how its fastened around the collar and top buttons. But its not an option for me not to wear it, so until I go with something different its what I have. Finally - I ALWAYS WEAR EAR PLIGS. The soft foamies. But I will switch to some ear plugs for music at some point, and do like the looks of those custom complete ear designs. Hearing is a lifetime! Loss is irreversible (I have severe hearing loss in one ear already and want to protect what I have left). If you ride without hearing protection you WILL suffer hearing loss (just my opinion) In summary: +1 on the wind jammer +1 on a helmet that gives you low wind noise (varies by individual) +1 on cutting the screen back and riding in the clean airstream +10 on ear plugs :)

Thanks for the comments and feedback! The stock screen isnt cutting it (no pun intended.....) The MRA screen is improved, but only slighty. My jacket and helmet could very well may be part of the problem - do note that it is the same jacket and helmet I used when I had my 2000 VFR, and I never recall it being a problem (note that it has been a few years, my mind has failed, and I may not remember things all that well). No downside to continue to experiment before cutting: I have a different helmet I can try. My primary is an Arai, the second is a kbh. I have read various helmet threads and am up for getting a new helmet if this helps... just not ready to start experimenting on $600 tests. I DO believe a helmet skirt would help, since with the stock screen I can scruntch my shoulders up around the neckline of the helmet - shutting down the gap, and improving the wind noise dramatically. Using a helmet skirt full time would be a little bit of a pain (but would do this if that is what it took) I can try with, and without a jacket. Heck, I could try a test shirtless with ky jelly slathered all over me (its not obvious to me why I would want to do this.....) I can try different riding conditions (traffic, etc) - but - if its not a comfortable ride when cruising along in clean air, Im not sure optimizing for traffic and other situations is worthwhile. I can try the above at different speeds (I have already tried up to about 100 mph.. or more.... will leave it at that). Do note that the MRA is an improvement over the stock screen up to about 50/60 mph. Of everything I have tried to date, removing the screen entirely has had the most dramatic effect Stay tuned.......

I know a LOT has been posted on this. I have a 6th Gen and have been plagued by wind buffeting since new. I recently added the Vario Touring screen..... limited help - the best setting was with the shield all the way flat. So I removed the screen entirely and tried it - WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!!! Smooth, quiet air stream (I could even ride without ear plugs!!). Next step is to cut down the stock screen. Given how smooth it ran with no screen at all, its not clear I could cut it too much.... maybe just offering the instruments a little protection. And put my brand new Vario up for sale (dang... $150 down the tube on that one) Really surprising to me just how severe the wind buffeting really is with the stock screen, essentially ruining the enjoyment of riding. The aftermarket screen very marginal improvement. Anyone considering trying a new screen - TRY IT WITHOUT A SCREEN FIRST! Might save you the expense of iteration.