Wind in your face...

[ArcsSparks]

It's not about the wind it's about the those big north Carolinian bugs, I have riden in places where you couldn't see thru the shleid after the the bugs If anyone knows Connies swamp (between Williamston and windsor on 64)on a warm summers eve about dusk, you can witness too

[CaptainJoe]

I think it all depends on the speed and duration of your ride as far as windshields are cncerned. Temperatures also come into play early and late in the year. Bugs and rain are other factors to consider. I can't imagine riding around lake Okechebe? without a windshield in peak black fly season.. (We need an emotioncon with a bug in it's teeth.) well, just imagine this one with a fly where that hole is for now...LOL

 

If your on an interstate putting down some serious mileage a day (+500) at speeds of (+65) this ol boy is gonna want a windshield with goldwing vents to protect me from the wind buffeting/noise.

 

If on the other hand, you just want to putt down back roads, my favorite, at (-55 mph) and put down (-300 miles)or less, I'd perfer not to have a windshield at all...

 

I'm toying around with the idea of making a aluminum bracket that bolts into the area of the stock windshield. It could possibly be canted back to allow the stock windshield to shed rain more efficiently. It would allow you to quick disconnect you windshield. Then:

I could take another stock windshield put a QD bracket on the bottom of it, and cut an area that would leave +- a 1 1/2" - 2" section of windshield on outer edge. Then streetch some screen door screen across and fasten. Have to figure that part out... Possibly rabbit a 3/16 grove around inside edge of windshield and use regular screen door cord so as to make it maintainable... My thinkin on this is if you get into an accident your gonna want whatevers in front of you to "breakaway".

 

 

If you had a little container(to hold windshield or windscreen) above luggage rack you could swap them out in seconds.

 

As our bikes are set up now it takes what, 30 min to take shield off and button fairing back up?

Update...

Actually I stand corrected. There are two screws on top inside faring to hold chrome topper on and 6 or 7 screws to hold windshield on... so maybe a couple of minutes to take off. Regardless, it's not something you'd want to do very often as it would end up rounding the mounts out...

Edited April 16, 2011 by CaptainJoe

[twigg]

In most cases it's just a matter of setting the windshield up correctly.

 

The top of the windshield should be roughly at nose height. To get it right:

 

Get the bike on a level surface and place an object on the ground, fifty feet in front of the bike. Sit one the bike in your regular riding position. The correct screen height is where the top of the screen, your eyes, and the thing on the ground are all in a line.

 

Mark the screen and cut it, or have it cut, at that height.

 

This is the screen height that gives you the best of both worlds. It provides near 100% protection from wind, rain and insects because the airflow lifts that stuff up and will strike your helmet at forehead height, with most going right over you .... That is, you will be able to ride with your visor up and have no wind in your eyes; yet you can also see straight over the top of the shield for the clearest view.

 

For me, for example, at six foot ... The ideal screen height is between 19 and 20 inches from the bottom of the screen to the top. The stock VR screen is 22 inches, with the tall screen coming in at 25 1/2 inches. Both are too tall and force me to look through plastic at the road. There is nothing good about that.

 

Fortunately, cutting screens is very easy.

 

You buy clothes that fit ... why settle for a screen that only comes in a couple of sizes.

[CaptainJoe]

I hear what your saying, but I actually like to look thru the windshield

"taking cover".

 

Out west and south of here it gets VERY HOT... thus the reasoning for a true QD wind"screen"...

 

Heck actually, there are quite a few days here, when I wish my windshield wasn't on at all.

[RandyR]

I really miss the switch adjustable windshield that my BMW K1100 had.

 

It was very nice. Could run it all the way down to get some wind on my face, or all the way up for maximum rain protection. Or half-way if there was fog and I needed to look over the top of it.

[cecdoo]

In most cases it's just a matter of setting the windshield up correctly.

 

The top of the windshield should be roughly at nose height. To get it right:

 

Get the bike on a level surface and place an object on the ground, fifty feet in front of the bike. Sit one the bike in your regular riding position. The correct screen height is where the top of the screen, your eyes, and the thing on the ground are all in a line.

 

Mark the screen and cut it, or have it cut, at that height.

 

This is the screen height that gives you the best of both worlds. It provides near 100% protection from wind, rain and insects because the airflow lifts that stuff up and will strike your helmet at forehead height, with most going right over you .... That is, you will be able to ride with your visor up and have no wind in your eyes; yet you can also see straight over the top of the shield for the clearest view.

 

For me, for example, at six foot ... The ideal screen height is between 19 and 20 inches from the bottom of the screen to the top. The stock VR screen is 22 inches, with the tall screen coming in at 25 1/2 inches. Both are too tall and force me to look through plastic at the road. There is nothing good about that.

 

Fortunately, cutting screens is very easy.

 

You buy clothes that fit ... why settle for a screen that only comes in a couple of sizes.

 

 

Your point only addresses half the equation for me, I mostly ride 2 up, my wife sits alot higher in the rear, so what goes over my head hits her square in the face. I need to make adjustments for her as well, her clothes dont fit me, dont ask how I know:yikes: At 5'5" I always look thru the windshield never over, so everyone has a different setup that is rite for them. Craig

[twigg]

I hear what your saying, but I actually like to look thru the windshield

"taking cover".

 

Out west and south of here it gets VERY HOT... thus the reasoning for a true QD wind"screen"...

 

Heck actually, there are quite a few days here, when I wish my windshield wasn't on at all.

 

Looking through the windshield is okay, if that's your thing, but threre are very real problems with it.

 

They are plastic, so they scratch and age ... it really doesn't matter how careful you are, looking through plastic isn't brilliant. They are not optically clear, whatever the manufacturers say and they give a distorted view.

 

None of that matters very much, until you really need it to matter, when it's too late.

 

They are compromised by dust, rain is a nightmare and they keep off so much wind that you roast in summer. Cutting a screen to the point where it gives the maximum benefits while reducing the disadvantages to a minimum makes sense for most folk ... even if not most folk here, I dunno.

 

Clearview make an excellent screen, with a very large vent ... but it's not cheap.

 

I have never really suffered much in the way of buffeting with a well set up screen, except in strong cross winds, where the bigger screen actually hurts not helps. The normal wind you experience is just part of the reason for riding.

 

The VR, by the way, has about the quickest detaching windshield I ever saw. It must take at least 40 seconds to remove it

[twigg]

I really miss the switch adjustable windshield that my BMW K1100 had.

 

It was very nice. Could run it all the way down to get some wind on my face, or all the way up for maximum rain protection. Or half-way if there was fog and I needed to look over the top of it.

 

Those German engineers have had some very good ideas over the years.

 

That was one of them