Last Updated on: July 7, 2026

Spoilers and windscreens again. Guess I might never be done with the topic. Always something new. So here are more reflections or findings.

Cheap spoiler on a KTM 390 Adventure R.

Time and time again bike reviewers, or owners, come back to the topic of wind handling on motorcycles. And stock windscreens. Sometimes new motorcycles even get critique, because the OEM or factory windscreen setup does not work for the person who reviews or rides it.

Reviews are naturally based on personal experiences and personal preferences. Which is why every review should be taken with a grain of salt. Is the rider tall? Short?  Whatever it might be, reflections will or can influence a potential buyer even before the bike has been tested.

And it might also influence the experience. You know, when you’ve seen things, it’s hard to unsee,

New bikes, new challenges

What led me to write yet another post about spoilers and windscreens, was two new motorcycles. Or one brand new, one second hand (new for me). Both came with stock windscreens. It did not take long before I realized some things weren’t optimal. This is the norm rather than the exception.

KTM 390 Adventure R Windscreen, with a cheap spoiler.

The 2025/2026 KTM 390 Adventure R has inherited a windscreen design first seen on 2023 – KTM 790 and 890 Adventure. These came with an opening to allow the airflow to pass on the inside of the windscreen. So that air pressure or airspeed help to stabilize airflow over the edge and contribute to create an air pocket to reduce turbulence.

Well that was the theory I believe. But I don’t know exactly what drove the design. Having owned a 2023 890 Adventure and ridden it for >25k kilometer I can say the principle does work. As one can expect, to what extent it works depends on several factors. To mention a few;

• wind speed or direction.
• travel speed.
• the rider’s height.
• seat position & sitting position.
• type of helmet.
• Balaclava or riding buff
• mirrors, shape and position.

A GPS or display unit mounted above the dash can in theory also impact wind distribution. I don’t think it matters a whole lot though. What is certain is that if manufacturers did design motorcycles with an adjustable windscreen, or offered an add-on solution for adjustment mechanism, then that would probably solve issues for many owners.

The KTM 1290 Super Adventure S on the other hand has adjustable windshield. Many find the stock screen pretty good or decent. For me it almost immediately led to the usual process; finding a spoiler, then evaluate.

My 2021 KTM 1290 Super Adventure S with the same spoiler.

Spoilers and windscreens, simple solutions

Said in another post on this topic, before you start spending a lot of money on an expensive solution, try a cheap one first. Stock windscreens are often made with a purpose. Sometimes they’re even tested in a wind tunnel, on the bike they’re designed for. But a spoiler, while opening up a world of adjustment possibilities, can help you in a lot of ways.

Who makes the call or decision about design though? The design or engineering department? Probably a mix of the two. With medium height riders as benchmark. If you’re over 180cm or 6ft, then highly likely a stock screen won’t suffice.

Over to the spoiler department. And, dare I say, I have tried a few. Interestingly. some of the best ones, with incomparable value for money, I’ve found on AliExpress. So now I went back and first bought one similar to another I had. Things change and products are being improved. The new version seemed better made. Especially the clamps.

2024: KTM OEM spoiler on a 2023 KTM 890 Adventure.

I’d already tried a mono-block spoiler. but it didn’t work optimally. One problem with many spoilers, is how far down you can set them. I had experience with KTM’s own spoiler on the 890. But it is, for being a piece of plastic, quite expensive. So I bought an equivalent on AliExpress. Not quite as refined but for less than a fraction of the cost.

Ended up buying two. One for each of the KTMs. It’s an improved version of a spoiler I had before. Same rough design, I think rounded edges would improve the airflow. So the next I’ll do is to sand down the sharp edges of the spoiler. Which means that I might be back writing about that too!

Time will tell. Cheers 🙂

See also