Choosing a windscreen is not easy. Other people's experiences are not much help. Not only are we all different sizes and shapes but we sit with different postures and have widely differing levels of tolerance or acceptance for windscreen height, buffeting and noise. Over time, I've wasted considerable money equipping motorcycles with windscreens that didn't work for me. Experience has taught me that I will never get calm, still air from a windscreen I can look over. I don't want to look through a windscreen. Consequently I strive for an acceptable compromise of height, buffeting and noise. Although I'm normally a form-follows-function person, on the uniquely styled KTM 690SM appearance is important to me. It's personal, of course, but only certain shapes are acceptable -- something angular to complement the lines of the KTM. Fortunately, Slipstreamer's $145.95 SS-28 Sport Fairing is such a shape. This fairing/windscreen is available from discount online sellers for more than 20% off and no shipping charges. I decided to gamble. Knowing the hardware would not fit the oversized KTM handlebars and forks, I ordered a dark smoke tinted universal windscreen based on it being listed as fitting a Honda 919.

The fairing/windscreen arrived via UPS. I unpacked it and promptly set it on the KTM 690 with little hope it could be modified to fit the oddly shaped headlight nacelle, much less coincide with the turn signals. But with no modification at all, it actually fit into a more or less logical place in relation to headlight and controls. A gap between fairing and headlight didn't bother me as they now do such openings intentionally to relieve the low pressure area behind a windscreen. The fairing/windscreen didn't even look bad, especially from the front. There was hope. I had mounting hardware from a broken Parabellum windscreen for a DR650. By combining parts from the Parabellum and the Slipstreamer, I came up with a rather secure handlebar mounting. The bottom of the fairing nestled snug against the headlight nacelle on each side, resting on the turn signal mounts, restrained from moving down or farther back. The strut mounting points on the windscreen seemed likely to be near the center of pressure. The windscreen felt solid. It seemed lower fork mounts might not be needed at all. The final touch was replacing the trim appliques on the sides with orange KTM stickers.

An 80 mile test ride suggested only minor re-positioning to move it out a little farther from the clutch and brake levers. There was no flutter, vibration or flexing, even at 100MPH. The height was ideal for me: body protected from wind up to about mid-helmet, acceptable levels of buffeting and wind noise. Sitting up unusually straight or ducking down both increased the noise level indicating I couldn't improve on height without something very different. There is little if any air coming up between the headlight and fairing. There is an updraft from around the fork legs ahead of the tank, coming up through the space allowed for steering movement. Not likely caused by the fairing, it wasn't noticeable without it. Other motorcycles have had this characteristic, fine in summer, not good in winter as cold air gets the rider on the chin. The worst I remember was my 2001 R1150GS although this may be as bad. I won't know how much it may bother me until really cold weather.

Back in the garage, the re-positioning went well resulting in a fine-tuning of all mounting hardware. Only time and miles will tell if this windscreen actually works for me as different conditions such as strong, gusty crosswinds can make a windscreen unacceptable. For now, I have reason to believe this gamble has paid off. This should not be construed as a recommendation. I can't possibly guess what might be acceptable to another rider. I'm making compromises here that might be unacceptable to most riders and after all, my installation is a spare-parts special that could not easily be duplicated. And finally, my needs may be unique. How many riders will be using a street supermoto for a winter touring bike?