Problem with new XXL Clearview

[phochief]

Received my new Clearview XXL windshield for my RSV and there might be a problem. For some reason at night I am getting a LOT of refraction (not reflection) from oncoming headlights causing them to appear double. It's like there's two sets of headlights, a second "ghost" set appearing about 3 to 6 feet below the real ones. It's really annoying because the lights are being refracted all the way across the shield in my vision. If I lower my head several inches I can make the refracted lights go up until they are on top of the actual headlights. I noticed earlier in the day that I could see a bit of distortion through the shield's sweep about 4" below the top when I moved my head up or down so maybe that's the problem. Or I was wondering if it's the extra thickness of the plastic that causing the refraction. I have a Clearview on another bike but don't have any refraction like I do on the new shield.

 

Anybody else run into this problem? I just emailed Clearview and waiting for a reply.

 

David

[RoadKill]

Received my new Clearview XXL windshield for my RSV and there might be a problem. For some reason at night I am getting a LOT of refraction (not reflection) from oncoming headlights causing them to appear double. It's like there's two sets of headlights, a second "ghost" set appearing about 3 to 6 feet below the real ones. It's really annoying because the lights are being refracted all the way across the shield in my vision. If I lower my head several inches I can make the refracted lights go up until they are on top of the actual headlights. I noticed earlier in the day that I could see a bit of distortion through the shield's sweep about 4" below the top when I moved my head up or down so maybe that's the problem. Or I was wondering if it's the extra thickness of the plastic that causing the refraction. I have a Clearview on another bike but don't have any refraction like I do on the new shield.

 

Anybody else run into this problem? I just emailed Clearview and waiting for a reply.

 

David

 

I do not believe that's normal. I ride to work in the dark alot and have never had that affect. I also have the XXL, but mine has the tint and vent. Clearview is a great company and I bet they will do something for you. Be patient.

 

Jay

[WIKD]

Definitely not normal. Mine is the XXL with tint and vent and have never had that problem.

[OB-1]

I also have the XXL with vent and have not experienced glare or double vision from oncoming headlights. I do/did have a problem with sunlight reflecting off the gas cap causing a reflection in the windshield in my normal field of vision. My wife fixed that problem by making a black cloth cover for the gas cap.

[RossKean]

I wonder if this is an optical effect of the windshield or whether the light is reflecting off something (i.e. helmet visor, tank chrome etc.) and back onto the shield? Do you wear a helmet with visor? Just a thought...

[Missionary Rider]

I also have the XXL with vent and have not experienced glare or double vision from oncoming headlights. I do/did have a problem with sunlight reflecting off the gas cap causing a reflection in the windshield in my normal field of vision. My wife fixed that problem by making a black cloth cover for the gas cap.

 

Ditto - no extra glare

Ditto - except I made my own from black duct tape

[phochief]

Thanks for the info guys. Mine also has the vent, but it's not tinted. I already got an email from John at Clearview and he's going to run it by production to see what they say.

 

By the way, I'm not sure when Clearview started making their shields with all holes and no slots, but that's how this one came. Maybe they made other design changes that could be causing the problem.

 

I'm removing it and putting the stock shield back on. Too dangerous with the way it is.

 

Thanks again for you input.

 

David

[phochief]

I wonder if this is an optical effect of the windshield or whether the light is reflecting off something (i.e. helmet visor, tank chrome etc.) and back onto the shield? Do you wear a helmet with visor? Just a thought...

 

Thanks for the suggestion RossKean but the ghost lights are still there with or without a helmet on and I laid a towel over the tank just to be sure. I do have a little bit of reflection from the gas cap but not that bad.

 

David

[Mariner Fan]

Thanks for the info guys. Mine also has the vent, but it's not tinted. I already got an email from John at Clearview and he's going to run it by production to see what they say.

 

By the way, I'm not sure when Clearview started making their shields with all holes and no slots, but that's how this one came. Maybe they made other design changes that could be causing the problem.

 

I'm removing it and putting the stock shield back on. Too dangerous with the way it is.

 

Thanks again for you input.

 

David

 

The change to all holes is a good thing since at least one of the members here had their windshield blow off.

 

Now, you did take the protective plastic off the the windshield? Just kidding..

[WIKD]

I also have the XXL with vent and have not experienced glare or double vision from oncoming headlights. I do/did have a problem with sunlight reflecting off the gas cap causing a reflection in the windshield in my normal field of vision. My wife fixed that problem by making a black cloth cover for the gas cap.

 

Same here but I painted the cap black. No problem now.

[Guest Xavatar]

I believe I probably received the very first Clearview shield (tinted and vented) with all holes and no slots. I was in contact with John at Clearview the whole time they were redesigning it. I have to say I love my shield. I have no refraction or reflection issues at night. My shield is clear as a bell and I love it!

 

 

Xavatar

'04 Midnight RSV

[phochief]

I took the bike out for another ride tonight to do a little test. I'm 5' 11", but if I were about 2 or 3 inches shorter I wouldn't even see the refracted ghosts. Apparently I'm right in the sweet (or should that be sour) spot where I'm getting these anomolies.

 

Wonder if I could take a photo of them.....hmmm, that might be interesting.

 

David

[phochief]

 

Now, you did take the protective plastic off the the windshield? Just kidding..

 

 

 

 

Plastic? What plastic?

 

[BigShell]

I believe I probably received the very first Clearview shield (tinted and vented) with all holes and no slots. I was in contact with John at Clearview the whole time they were redesigning it. I have to say I love my shield. I have no refraction or reflection issues at night. My shield is clear as a bell and I love it!

 

 

Xavatar

'04 Midnight RSV

 

When did you get yours? I got one back in Mar/Apr of '06.

 

When I changed from my short summer shield to my tall/wide ClearView for winter riding I noticed all 6 holes are elongated (like slots) but are closed on the ends like holes. From what I have read the last few months, they must have changed from that to 5 open slots and a hole. Did they go back to 6 closed slots or six round holes?

[phochief]

From what I have read the last few months, they must have changed from that to 5 open slots and a hole. Did they go back to 6 closed slots or six round holes?

 

Mine has six round holes....no slots

[phochief]

Tried taking some photos last night but my cheap camera didn't do a very good job. I couldn't get any shots of traffic coming toward me because the cars were moving (duh) and just blurred across the image. So, I took a shot of some street lights in a parking lot, shooting through the Clearview at the area causing the "ghosts". The photo (below) doesn't show the ghosts very well but they're much brighter than the picture shows.

 

http://site.gps-planet.com/photos/ghost.JPG

[az1103]

Looking at your photo I would say it's the coating. You are getting a reflection on the inner surface coating and it's displaced by refraction through the plastic. I would get rid of that thing.....

[phochief]

Looking at your photo I would say it's the coating. You are getting a reflection on the inner surface coating and it's displaced by refraction through the plastic. I would get rid of that thing.....

 

Heard back from John at Clearview and they're having the windshield picked up so their production guys can take a look at it and let me know what's up. Thing is, I waited so long for it, and now with shipping and inspecting and making a new one and shipping it back to me, I'm looking at another month or more. I think I'll just return it and maybe go for one of the F4customs shields instead.

 

David

[hig4s]

I also have the XXL with vent and have not experienced glare or double vision from oncoming headlights. I do/did have a problem with sunlight reflecting off the gas cap causing a reflection in the windshield in my normal field of vision. My wife fixed that problem by making a black cloth cover for the gas cap.

 

 

Ditto for me,, except I made my own black cloth gas cap cover.

[YamaDuck]

Mine has 4 holes and 2 slots. The 2 slots are on the very outside with the holes on the inside. I don't drive at knight that often but when I have I didn't notice in ghost images. I do get a light going across the windshield in the daytime and if I move my head the relection moves. I'll have to check the gas cap. I'm about the same height as you. I bought my RSV used and it had the Clearview tinted windshield on in when I purchased it. It also has the vent. My problem is it has a couple of bubbles (for lack of a better term) or distortions about the size of a pea. I emailed Clearview and asked them if they sold seconds because I found it hard to believe it could pass quality assuarnce. I have not received an answer yet. A friend has a shorty windshield from Show Chrome. I am thinking about getting that one. I was looking at Clearview but if there quality control is questionable then I'll go with Show Chrome. There windshield is half the price of Clearviews anyway.

[Mike G in SC]

I have the recurve. I do see double refraction around the recurve area.

Nothing serious but it goes away if I lower my head. Is your's recurved?

 

Mike G in SC

[frogmaster]

I also have the XXL with vent and have not experienced glare or double vision from oncoming headlights. I do/did have a problem with sunlight reflecting off the gas cap causing a reflection in the windshield in my normal field of vision. My wife fixed that problem by making a black cloth cover for the gas cap.

 

 

Same as above quote for me. I had a Hand Held Can Cooler that was Black. I cut off the bottom 2", flipped it over and snuggly fits on gas cap. Hope this helps somebody some day. The reflection was annoying to me (Rookie Driver). Safer now

[GB373]

I have the XXL with tint and vent. We just got back from 5 days in Las Vegas for the Southwest StarBQ and we rode down the strip 2 nights. The view through the shield was perfectly clear with no reflections from all the lights. A bigger bonus was that the larger windshield caught the thousands of bugs on the trip to and from Vegas!!