Adventure bikes like Suzuki’s V-Strom 650 often seem trapped between two worlds, intended as they are to function well both on the road and off it. The windscreen on my 650 was a good example of the sort of compromise that results from this identity crisis. I ride primarily on the road, and there, while the short, narrow stock windscreen blunted some of the wind’s pressure on my chest, it also created a noisy, turbulent, head-buffeting wake that annoyed and fatigued me in equal measure. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who thought there had to be a way to improve on the 650 V-Strom’s windscreen. Cee Bailey’s thought so, too, which is how the Perfect Strom came about.
When it comes to managing airflow, who better to turn to than a company that makes windshields for airplanes? Cee Bailey’s Aircraft Plastics is one of only a handful of companies certified by the Federal Aviation Administration to make windshields for general-aviation aircraft. The Perfect Strom is made of .187-inch aircraft-grade acrylic, and comes in 21-, 23-, 25- and 27-inch heights; the two tallest sizes are also available in three tints—light gray, dark gray and light green—which aren’t recommended for night riding.
Because I like to look over, not through, a windscreen, I opted for the 23-inch model; the V-Strom’s windscreen mount is adjustable for height, so I could raise the screen another inch or so if I needed to. Installation took only a couple of minutes; the holes in the Perfect Strom lined up perfectly with the ones in the windscreen bracket. The only tool required was a Phillips screwdriver.
As it turned out, the Perfect Strom worked fine at the lowest setting. Cee Bailey’s says it was designed primarily as a sport-touring windscreen, and in that role it shines. The head buffeting caused by the stock windscreen all but vanished, and along with it a lot of the noise. Now the air tumbling over the top of the windscreen just grazes the top of my head, incidentally improving airflow through my helmet’s top vents on hot days.
At its widest point—about 11 inches from the top—the Perfect Strom is about 18 inches across. That’s not enough to keep the wind off your hands, but it’s a lot better than the stock windscreen. At speed on the highway, the still-air pocket behind the screen and in front of the rider is impressively large. The windscreen’s edges are hand-polished, and the entire screen is distortion free. Speaking subjectively, the Perfect Strom complements the V-Strom’s styling to the extent that if it did nothing else but look good, it would be worth having. Fortunately, it works as good as it looks.
The Perfect Strom windscreen fits 2004-and-later 650 and 1000 V-Stroms, and has a suggested retail of $160 (21-inch), $170 (23-inch), $180 (25-inch) and $190 (27-inch), with tints running an additional $20.
For more information: Cee Bailey’s, 6900 Acco Street, Montebello, California 90640; (800) 788-0618; ceebaileys.com
Sadly they no longer make any MC screens.
I don’t know why but it could be due to poor feedback from those difficult to please customers that left many negative Yelp ratings. Mine has performed perfectly since 2008, I am very sad to not be able to replace it if the need should arise.