The Broken RS Windshied Air Vane syndrome…..

[KCinSB]

 
  Has anyone here spent the time and effort to come up with a fix for the fragile WS Air Vane? The design was less than robust to say the least! Plastic pivot shaft with a plastic tab for a stop screw to bear on. Mine was working OK until a garage drop some years ago that broke the upper fairing upright portion. Now that is replaced, and a replacement decent windshield is installed. Going down the road, I really miss that Air Deflector, or whatever it is properly called.
  Curious if anyone here has come up with a fix?  I know there are some handy guys out there…….     

[Laitch]

Going down the road, I really miss that Air Deflector, or whatever it is properly called.

The parts fiche at MaxBMW calls it a slipstream deflector.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

I have repaired mine when the whole thing broke off the deflector.  Just drilled a hole and screwed it back on with a 2-56 machine screw.  Don't know what to do in your case.  Maybe someone can 3D print a new thingie that can be attached like I did with mine.

[frankenduck]

Have you tried using it with just the one side holding it up? That MIGHT work.

I don't know about you guys but I always keep mine in the full up/forward position because that seems to be where it's most effective. If I were going to attempt a DIY fix then I'd keep it simple and just try to make something that would hold it in that one position and not worry about keeping it adjustable.

And remember that those adjustment "arms" at the ends are hidden under the black plastic "rabbit ear" trim inside of the fairing support arm. So whatever you do doesn't have to look pretty. It just needs to work.

Perhaps you can drill a small hole in the remaining pivot pin on the bad side and then epoxy a screw into that to hold a makeshift "arm" in place.

[KCinSB]

I’m in the mental rework ideas / sleep on it mode. Don’t laugh, sometimes I flash on a good idea after a day or 2. The RS is never going to be as good for the Buffeting problem, but this missing piece does make a noticeable improvement when it’s there!

[frankenduck]

There's no question in my mind that despite how small and insignificant it appears it does a very good job.

I once purchased a used RS that was missing the deflector and the prior owner had installed a Laminar Lip to replace it.

https://www.laminarlip.com/k100rs.php



From what I could tell riding around the OEM deflector and the Laminar Lip produced about the same results.