Cut down windshield

[BigBoyinMS]

Do any of you guys have a cut down windshield; meaning at least 3-4" under your line of sight? If so, what do you think of it? Like it? Hate it? Does your head get buffeted too much?

The previous owner had installed a Clearview but the top of it is directly at my line of site level so I'm always trying to sit up or I'm slouching. Actually, I hate to look through a windshield; much rather look over them. I'm considering cutting 2-3" off this Clearview but just wondering if I should go taller instead.

[got2mnytoys]

I have a shorter windshield ,don't like to look thru rather look over , , I get a little more wind but not bad, but when I have a passenger they complain that the wind buffers them

[CMIKE]

I was thinking the same thing...about cutting the windshield. Mine has a small scatch on the top of it from when we hauled it in a trailer...windshield hit the top of the door going in. My Windshield is stock and it is about 3 inches above my line of site. With my deficite of height...I cannot stretch to see over it. I like the protection from the wind but...really concerned about not being able to see if I get caught in a rain storm and behind a 18 wheeler. You know it is gonna happen at some point.

We plan on doing some serious multi state traveling next spring/summer.

I have also heard of passengers complaining about the buffeting with a shorter windshield.

I was wondering if I could cut it myself without messing it up to bad. I may see about getting one of those from Yamaha...wider than stock and maybe a little shorter.

What do you cut it with? Dremel tool? Jig Saw? Circular Saw? Chain Saw?

Anybody got some experience with cutting one off?

 

Give us a detailed blow by blow of how it went.

Bigboy...maybe you can try cutting it and let me know how it went. hell I may even be willing to give you a hand if we can get off work around the same time.

[kj4v]

I have had this done for years now and swap windscreens in the spring to the shorter type. I have not had any complaints from the passenger about any extra wind problems.

Get some painters tape or masking tape and tape both sides, also take a towel and cover the dash and tank area as the plastic will get everywhere. Then I measured from the chrome trim to where I wanted to cut and put a mark on both sides, I then used a chalk line and popped a chalk line on the tape. I used a jig saw to cut mine, but remember that plastic will melt so don't run it at full speed and take your time. This makes a flat cut across the wind screen. After it is cut take some fine Emory cloth or sand paper and touch up the edges, be sure not to let it slip and make extra scratch marks:yikes:. It works good for me and have had many comments about it.

You can make an arch by using a pencil and a string, find the center of the chrome accent trim and where you want the highest point to be and swing the pencil from one side to the other and then check each side to make sure they are the same measurement.

Just as an idea I suppose one could take a piece of plastic sheet and lay it on the front of the windscreen mark that and cut the mark and use that for a template for an arch and would be more accurate then a string and pencil. Good luck with whatever you do.

[mike_kelly_68]

I just installed the Cee Baileys 9 inch. Changed the wind a lot. But what is evn better is that it changed the handling. I had been thinking about going to the narrower front tire, but changed my mind. The bike does not have as much down force on the front wheel and it is easier to handle. Bike seems like it is 200 lbs lighter. I was thinking about removing the lower windscreen from the fairing to let more air under the fairing and not push it all over the top.

[BigBoyinMS]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

I didn't think about the passenger and the buffeting. I actually bought this bike for when we both can ride together and I set-up my Road Star just for me. I'm wanting to sell my Roadie and get another Venture to strip down just for me. Kinda like a H-D Streetglide. If so then I'll probably swap out the windshields and cut down the Clearview.

LoL If I had any more room in the garage I would already have another... like the red one in Houston.

[JerryK]

Big Boy,

I've cut 2 of my windshields my self plus have tall wide winter windshield too. Can't have too many different ones LOL....Easy to change too.

One thing I've learn the hard way was not to put duck tape on it. I would put duck along line to be cut so saber saw didn't scratch it. The duck will blemish the windshield. You'll notice if you get it in the light just right it shows some coating gone. Now I use masking tape. After sawing I use a big fat file I have and shape windshield with that. Run the file long ways from side to side and you can shape it easily.

I have found that it looks hot with my 6 inch one one but mess's with glass's and helmets....You'll find that a little taller is cool. Cut a stock one down or cut a wide one down is my preference.

 

 

 

 

JerryK

[JerryK]

Wanted to add that I really like my Yamaha Tall Wide Tinted windshield. I keep it clean and really ride lots of miles looking through it. It's great if it gets cool,rains,or just makes a long ride more comfy for my 60 yr old body LOL Last couple years I run one of the short ones when it gets too hot for a month or two here in Ohio. I ride 20K plus a year and have to say that the tall, wide is the most comfortable almost anytime.

 

JerryK

[footsie]

You can by the show chrome windshield from parts unlimited for less than 100 dollars.

It is 4 inches shorter and 2.5 inches wider. I love mine, the extra hand protection is great in cold weather, almost no wind hits your hands.

 

ride on

 

Gregg

[Kidh2]

Do any of you guys have a cut down windshield; meaning at least 3-4" under your line of sight? If so, what do you think of it? Like it? Hate it? Does your head get buffeted too much?

The previous owner had installed a Clearview but the top of it is directly at my line of site level so I'm always trying to sit up or I'm slouching. Actually, I hate to look through a windshield; much rather look over them. I'm considering cutting 2-3" off this Clearview but just wondering if I should go taller instead.

 

Had some cracks in the tall windshield at the bottom screw holes so while I was waiting for the new one to arrive I cut the cracked one at the bottom, drilled holes and installed as a test to see how much difference it made in the wind. Cutting at the bottom was simple and even though it was a little narrower there was not much impact on me but Momma didn't like it on longer rides. too much wind and head buffeting. Got a show chrome tinted shorty for under $100 which stays on the bike most of the time but I swap over to the taller one if we take longer rides. Like JerryK says, very easy to swap.

[Ponch]

This summer I cut down a stock Yammie shield. It was 100 degrees + and I need more air for a long weekend trip. I cut it pretty short and boy did I get buffeting. I did enjoy the trip though. There's no way LilBit could have stood the wind. Looked alright, but Man it sure let lots of air in.

[KiteSquid]

An alternative to cutting your windshiled is to keep it clean, and coat it with sometiing like RejeX or ACE it!

[treeman]

I cut mine down from 16''3/4 to 13/3/4 right under my eyes. its just find, $ 25 /Jig saw; need two guys. about 30 MIN after you got it off.

[GunnyButch]

My wife and I test rode an RSV trike for about an hour with a short windshield and she said it beat her up pretty good, I didn't notice much difference at all. She is used to the smooth ride back there with the taller windshield and didn't like the short one at all.

[Ron Henzen]

Regarding the cut down windscreens, my mate Pat and I swapped bikes on the freeway one day and he said afterwards that he felt his helmet being buffeted a bit at 100kph. I realised this was happening to me also, but needed someone else to bring it to my attention. This is with the standard screen on my 2006 Venture.

 

I thought about this for some time and came to the conclusion that the angle of the screen is to upright (steep). This produces a near verticle obstacle for the wind to pass over, so when the wind hits the screen it's forced straight up and get's clobbered by the wind at the top of the screen, which blows the whole lot over and down onto your helmet, causing a buffeting effect.

 

I took the screen off and examined the mounting lugs in the fairing and decided with some fettling I could mount the screen in front of the lugs instead of behind, thereby changing the angle of the screen so that it had the same angle as the chrome trim at the base of the screen.

 

The effect of this is that the wind is redirected over the screen more gently and thrown over our heads (rider and pillion) instead on top of them. No more buffeting. It even looks better.

 

To achieve this you need to reshape the bottom of the screen, cut some off the bottom corners towards the centre and drill new mounting holes because when you change the angle of a curved surface, the curved alignment of the mounting holes changes. It's a bit fiddly but if you are carefull and mark it out properly it can be fairly straight forward. I used a small angle grinder to cut down the material and you need to just take off the leading cutting edges off the drill bit you use so that the drill scrapes it's way through the plastic instead of biting in and breaking it. By changing the angle of the screen you also lower the top edge while moving it back, about three inchs down and about four inchs back.

 

I also cut six pieces of firm rubber hose, about 1 cm long to fit behind the mounting lugs, where the screen used to be, so that when you tighten up the screws you won't break off the lugs. the bits of hose support the lugs so the screws go through the hose. The screen rests on the top edge of the fairing exactly as before and there is enough room under the trim to accommodate the button-head longer screws you will need.

 

I can now look through the screen if I slouch or over the screen if I sit up straight. I don't know why Mr Yamaha didn't do the mod' years ago.

 

Ron Henzen

[WIKD]

This summer I cut down a stock Yammie shield. It was 100 degrees + and I need more air for a long weekend trip. I cut it pretty short and boy did I get buffeting. I did enjoy the trip though. There's no way LilBit could have stood the wind. Looked alright, but Man it sure let lots of air in.

 

Looks good Ponch

[Guest Yamahawg]

Mine was already cut down when I got the bike. I must have been about the same height as previous owner. I love being able to look right over the top of it and dont find wind to be a problem.

Never did Royal Star myself but I might suggest that you mark out your curvature (cut line) on a piece of construction paper. Cut the paper and mask tape it in place to the height you are planning on cutting the windsheild down too. Sit in the saddle and look over it. Adjust it to proper eye level for you and then mask the shield and use the templete to draw your cut line. Just my 2 cents worth that may help.

[ken]

Just take it off the bike, cut from the bottom (tape&dremmel) put it back on, looks stock.

[Condor]

Here's a YouTube video of a windshield being cut down. Pretty good info.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQj05Db-C3c]YouTube - How We Cut Down a Bike Windshield[/ame]

[Roadhand]

After running the stock windshield for 2+ years, I opted for the ShowChrome short.

 

It is wider and I can see over it with not problem.

 

The price is 100 & well worth the $

 

I think it looks good as well.

[LilBeaver]

An alternative to cutting your windshiled is to keep it clean, and coat it with sometiing like RejeX or ACE it!

 

I'll 2nd that. A thin coat of auto polish (to buff out any scratches) then a healthy coat of RainX has worked well for me in the past. I must note that I just picked up the RSV that I am riding, however, I have many rain/storm miles on an 82 goldwing that I couldn't see over the shield and it worked great.

[Stratcat]

Do any of you guys have a cut down windshield; meaning at least 3-4" under your line of sight? If so, what do you think of it? Like it? Hate it? Does your head get buffeted too much?

The previous owner had installed a Clearview but the top of it is directly at my line of site level so I'm always trying to sit up or I'm slouching. Actually, I hate to look through a windshield; much rather look over them. I'm considering cutting 2-3" off this Clearview but just wondering if I should go taller instead.

 

I have a Show Chrome that is 3 inches shorter and wider, I love it. I am 6' tall and it's perfect for me.

[Aussie Annie]

To Condor and Ron H,

Thanks for the you tube info and instruction on cutting a windshield. Have been wondering how to lower my screen:confused24:Or should I say"how hubby was going to lower it"

________________________________________________________________________

never ride faster than your guardian angel :2133:can fly

[Dusty]

I ordered my cleaview lower for the same reason, I don't like to look through the windshield. My wife says the wind is much worse for her. She now wears a full visor.

[1 Canuck]

When I purchased my Midnight it came with a tall Clearview windshield. When sitting on the seat, I am at the point of slightly stretching upwards to see over it or when sitting normally (slightly hunched over) looking through it.

To see over the windshield in my normal sitting position, I was thinking of possibly cutting the top of windshield in a wide "U" shape, similar to that of the 2002-2003 BMW 1200 CL windshield. This will likely make it look pretty stupid or butt ugly, but I'm more into the functionality.

I don't know anyone that has this model BMW to contact to see if this feature actually works. I also don't carry a passenger so I'm not worried about the buffeting.

If it doesn't work out, or has adverse effects, I'll just continue to cut the remainder off the edges.