Screen Scream

MRA Vario Screen


Ka bought a Vario screen for my birthday, which arrived promptly from HPS enough for me to fit it on Thursday night for a Friday test.

Starting off, I was impressed that where with the original screen I need to close my visor tightly up from about 3mph the Vario made visor 1/2 down possible up to about 45mph, although a strong side wind could gust cold air into my eyes from the side. The protection continued from maximum adjustment all the way to 70mph. Anything much quicker introduced similar high-frequency turbulence about the helmet that made my eyeballs shake enough to make life unpleasant at Motorway 80mph speeds. Still, a good run up, which seemed to only suffer from the stronger winds near Aldershot.

The trip back was into a stronger head-wind. Once released from the traps at Farnham I quickly discovered 60mph to be too shaky to see anything, and the vibration was violent enough to give me nausea where I chose to try and ignore it. I tried adjusting the screen's aerofoil from flat to fully up, but there was little change. To be honest, the original screen is easier to manage than this was in the wind as the turbulence frequency is much lower and less wearing.

One other factor was that the ear-plugs I've been trying, which do reduce fatigue a tad, were unwearable on Friday as they've made my right ear a little sore from Thursday's ride home where the helmet shoved it in just a little too hard for comfort. This made any wind turbulence far more annoying and may have affected my tolerances.

As the conditions were so different between morning and evening rides the jury is still out, but given that on Saturday I rode at 35mph along the Stokes Bay sea front in a heavy side wind, which produced the same effects I am worried that this is an expensive non-starter. I'll give it a little more time to see if I can find a sweet spot but if it's no better then I'll just have to ebay the thing.

Given that I am not excessively tall, I am surprised the airflow doesn't get passed fully over my head as advertised for the, "taller" rider. At full elevation and tilt I can still trace the airflow with my hand from the screen to about half-way up my sweed.

Harsh Judgement


The fact I have any question over this screen at all is highly disappointing. It has a week to convince me otherwise.

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