Can you see in the rain?

[eazyduzzit]

My wife and I got caught in the rain once on the interstate and we got wet before I could stop, but that didn't bother me as much as not being able to see.

I have an '05 RSTD with a tall windshield, and I wear prescription glasses without a face shield. The combination of water drops on the WS and my glasses made it feel dangerous.

 

We are planning a trip this coming week and it looks like we may run into some rain. Any of you have any pointers for me to improve visibility?

[Tom]

I use Plexus or sometimes Pledge on the windshield but I always have a face shield as I can pull it down and at least wipe it off to see.I switchwed to a Clearview windshield on my RSV and it helped alot but I dony know if they have them for the RSTD?

[sarges46]

I could not see throught the large windshield either. I got a smaller one that I could see over without straining. I also have a shield on my helmet and find it works wonders. I've been caught without the thing and couldnt see squat with my glasses on. Keep the shields polished so that the water beads off easier helps too.

[eazyduzzit]

Keep the shields polished so that the water beads off easier helps too.

 

Polish with what? I have tried car wax on my windshield, but it seems to make it worse in the fog.

[sarges46]

Plexis is great stuff. Lemon pledge works.....dont use anything like windex as it eats the thin layer that covers the windshield and makes it cloudy.

[VTirelli]

Best solution for me was the lower windshield that I can look over in the rain. I have a flip down visor that I snap onto my helmet if it looks like rain just to keep the rain off my face.

[dragerman]

I chopped 4 1/2 inches off my windshield for that very reason. Now I can see the road from over the windshield about 25 ft in front of the bike. Got caught in some very heavy fog twice this week and each time was late at night. The water particles that collected on both sides of the shield did not allow me to see through and I keep it well polished with Plexus. if not for being able to just see over the top I wouldn't have been able to see at all.

 

Coatings like Plexus helps and I won’t be caught without it, every little bit helps. I even put it on the outside of my glasses and face shield. However as you slow down I find it becomes less effective. With darkness, water particles (usually full of road dirt) collecting on the shield (both sides), reflections, limited visibility, road spray from other vehicles, compromised traction and all the other hazards (did I mention CRAZY drivers) ... If I have to be out I want to see where I’m going! I don’t like looking through a shield in anything other then daylight and sunshine.

Edited November 8, 2008 by dragerman

[Snarley Bill]

My wife and I got caught in the rain once on the interstate and we got wet before I could stop, but that didn't bother me as much as not being able to see.

I have an '05 RSTD with a tall windshield, and I wear prescription glasses without a face shield. The combination of water drops on the WS and my glasses made it feel dangerous.

 

We are planning a trip this coming week and it looks like we may run into some rain. Any of you have any pointers for me to improve visibility?

the best thing you can do is cut your windshield off so you can see over it. rain ain't nothing wait till it fogs up. you have to stand up and ride. i cut my rstd windshield off the 1rst month i had it. in fact i cut all my windshields off. i will tell you how to do it if you pm me, and it will look like a factory job. very easy. bill

[KiteSquid]

I use RejeX on my windshield, glasses and a snap on face shield that I keep handy for the rain.

 

Best stuff I have ever found for plastic, glass and paint.

 

 

It was originally used on military helicopter canopies and LOTS of aircraft parts!!!

 

GREAT STUFF!!!!

 

Read the thread HERE for more information

[Guest cyote61]

I use a tall clearview and the faster you go when it rains the easier it is to see

[royalstarjac]

I got a Showchrome windshield 4" shorter and 3" wider than stock. I also usually carry a clear face shield to put on the helmet in the rain. Without the shield water gets behind my glasses making it hard to see, not to mention the sting of rain hitting me in the face at 60 mph.-Jack

[SilvrT]

If you cut the stock windshield down in order to see over it (like 4.5 inches as mentioned here)... what affect does that have on wind against your body, helmet, passenger, etc? Is there more? Does it hit you differently?... what?

[Chinto]

Certainly being able to see over the windshield helps but only if you have a face shield on the helmet, otherwise you are still blinded by your glasses. I have been in the rain with and without the face shield and it is MUCH better with the face shield. You may also want to look at a finger squeegee to clear the face shield. The link below shows an example of one. Some gloves have a squeegee or microcloth built on the finger for the same purpose.

 

http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Aerostich-VeeWipe-Squeegee-p-16506.html

[Chinto]

The links below are examples of gloves with built in face shield wipes. I have and use the polar tex glove shown below which works very well when it is cold and wet. Hope this helps.

 

 

http://www.tourmaster.com/xcart/product.php?productid=108&cat=9

 

 

http://www.tourmaster.com/xcart/product.php?productid=109&cat=9

[Venturing Sole]

If you cut the stock windshield down in order to see over it (like 4.5 inches as mentioned here)... what affect does that have on wind against your body, helmet, passenger, etc? Is there more? Does it hit you differently?... what?

 

I have had the factory low boy windshield (about 9" tall). Great for seeing over, but the wind buffets your head pretty significantly. I have had the stock tall shield. Can't see over it, but the wind is deflected nicely. Since I can't see through the rain with it, I cut mine down so that the top edge of the shield is about at eye level. I can see over it if I sit tall in the saddle and I can look through it if I slouch a little. The wind does buffet the top surface of my helmet a bit, but whether open face or full face I can live with it without too much annoyance. I don't ride much two-up, so my passenger doesn't have a point of comparison. I commute to work on my RSV, so all weather visibility is more important to me than wind in my face. For me it's the right compromise. I drew a line with a white board marker where I thought I would cut the shield and rode for about a week to judge whether I was looking over the line or under the line. I re-drew the line a few times moving about a half inch up until I determined I was always looking under the line. I put painter's tape on the base shoe of my jigsaw and followed the line. Used a belt sander with fairly course grit until the curvature was symmetric, then hand sanded with about 100 grit until the edges were a bit rounded and smooth and clear. Looks like a factory job IMHO.

[spgarner]

However being a member of the Soggy Bottom Riders Association, there are things that will minimize your obstacles of not seeing.

 

Keep your windscreened waxed....Dr. Scratch works wonderfully. You can find it at most Walgreens, Cvs Drugstores...thats right. Drugstore. It comes in an orange tube with a black cap. It lets the rain skim off the screen. It also removes scratches that start to accumulate on the windscreen from normal cleaning and wear and tear....

 

Next when you see that you are riding into inclimate weather, stop and put on a set of over the glass goggles, that have been treated with an antifogging agent, and also treat them with Dr. Scratch.... ON THE OUT SIDE ONLY>>>>may not work well with antifogging agent....I haven't tested it yet.

 

It doesn't eleviate all the problems with seeing however it makes it bearable. As a glass wearer myself, I have found that it allows me better focusing ability when my vision glasses are not being splattered with rain drops.

 

 

Then there just comes the time when the rain is so heavy the best thing to do is just find a place to pull over safely. It is hard to do at times.

 

But it makes for a great story about your Ad-VENTURE.

 

Have a great day....

[treeman]

I took mine & cut it to 13'' so i just look over

[Maritimer]

Got caught in fog once and that was enough. When I got home, I cut my stock windshield down until I could see clear over the top of it. I loved it so I went and bought a shortie extra-wide. I still had to cut an inch or so just so I would have clear view over the top. I wouldn't go back. Even with only my prescription glasses on, I still see well in heavy rain.

 

cheers

[SilvrT]

I have had the factory low boy windshield (about 9" tall). Great for seeing over, but the wind buffets your head pretty significantly. I have had the stock tall shield. Can't see over it, but the wind is deflected nicely. Since I can't see through the rain with it, I cut mine down so that the top edge of the shield is about at eye level. I can see over it if I sit tall in the saddle and I can look through it if I slouch a little. The wind does buffet the top surface of my helmet a bit, but whether open face or full face I can live with it without too much annoyance. I don't ride much two-up, so my passenger doesn't have a point of comparison. I commute to work on my RSV, so all weather visibility is more important to me than wind in my face. For me it's the right compromise. I drew a line with a white board marker where I thought I would cut the shield and rode for about a week to judge whether I was looking over the line or under the line. I re-drew the line a few times moving about a half inch up until I determined I was always looking under the line. I put painter's tape on the base shoe of my jigsaw and followed the line. Used a belt sander with fairly course grit until the curvature was symmetric, then hand sanded with about 100 grit until the edges were a bit rounded and smooth and clear. Looks like a factory job IMHO.

 

Good info... what did you use to draw the line with?

[CrazyHorse]

Definitley get a shorter windshield or cut it down so your eyes are just over the top of the shield.

Or get a BMWK1200LT with an electric windshield that you can move up and down on the fly. In the rain or fog lower it clear day raise it.

[bugfish69]

... I drew a line with a white board marker where I thought I would cut the shield and rode for about a week to judge whether I was looking over the line or under the line. I re-drew the line a few times moving about a half inch up until I determined I was always looking under the line. I put painter's tape on the base shoe of my jigsaw and followed the line. Used a belt sander with fairly course grit until the curvature was symmetric, then hand sanded with about 100 grit until the edges were a bit rounded and smooth and clear. Looks like a factory job IMHO.

 

 

I had been riding with my first line drawn for about a week when I got caught in a nasty cold rain. Someone said it earlier; the fog on both sides of the shield were way worse than the water. I use plexus also on my shield and it did not help; especially at night. I have moved my line down another half inch as I always want to look just over the shield, but it's definately being cut off soon.

 

I wear a modular helmet so I can usually keep the water off my glasses and it is much easier to wipe my helmet visor than the windshield while moving.

 

I used a crayon to mark my line. I guess a grease pencil would work well too.

[Bob Myers]

dawn dish washing detergent mixed at about 1% with water and applied to back of windshield, rubbed in real good and allow to dry without rinsing will stop the windshield from fogging on the backside. Works good on the front side too until the rain washes it off.

Edited January 21, 2010 by Bob Myers

[Sylvester]

dawn dish washing detergent mixed at about 1% and applied to back of windshield, rubbed in real good and allow to dry without rinsing will stop the windshield from fogging on the backside. Works good on the front side too until the rain washes it off.

 

Mixed with what? I assume water.

 

[barend]

Yes! my mother used to have a towel in the car soaked in essentially dish water, then dried, to wipe the inside of the car windshield, it cut down on fogging.

[Bob Myers]

Mixed with what? I assume water.

 

I'm sorry, yes it is water mixed.