Another windshield dissapointment

[Dale_K]

My unusable windshield collection is now up to three. Maybe "unusable" is too strong a word - but I haven't found one yet that gives me enough quietness and calmness. I started with the BMW touring screen, which the previous owner had installed on my used R12R. Not tall enough. The second was a 22" Parabellum. Also too short for my 6'3" body. Today's dissapointment was the XL CalSci. Nice quality but it doesn't really work either. Kind of skinny at the top. Not quiet with pretty bad buffeting. Also too short. It could be 3" taller and I would still be able to see over it.

I've ridden coast to coast 4 times on cruiser bikes with big stock windshields so I know it's possible. Tomorrow I'm going down to the hardware store and buy some sheet plastic and make something up that I can tape to the Parabellum just to experiment with something taller. Pictures to follow eventually.

[xprof]

Dale,

Sorry about your windscreen problems; we've all had them! I'm 6'1", not as tall as you, with a fairly long torso. The CalSci XL was a bit of a disappointment for me on first ride, but spacing out the bottom mounts only 1/2" made a big difference for me in buffeting, and this forum has heard back from guys who have spaced it out 3/4" and even 1". You might try that, since it costs only the price of the screws and the spacers, and is totally reversible. Once I had spaced it out a bit the buffeting was cured, but I too was bothered by how narrow the screen was at the top. I talked to Mark about making one wider, but he was resistant, saying that he didn't want to make a "barn door" (of course, a barn door was just what I wanted). So I added SAENG swirl edging, and that widened the "pocket" by a couple of inches, enough do do it for me. The 4 feet of swirl edging costs about $50. I ride open-faced all the time, and I'm completely comfortable now with the CalSci. I feel like I'm looking a mile over it, but the airflow still goes above my visor, so I have both good protection and great visibility. Last week I found myself in a 50mph headwind, a full Mojave Desert gale, so strong that we couldn't stop and take pictures because the wind threatened to knock our bikes off the sidestands, and yet I drove 100mph straight into it, in total comfort! Sure hope you find Windscreen Nirvana someday too, my friend.

[lowflying]

Maybe it's too much to expect from the R. Maybe an RT is what you're after. If not, then a certain amount of "embracing the naked bike experience" might be in order. The R is a good bike but it is what it is.

Cheers.

[ka5ysy]

You really need to play with the tilt angle on the CalSci screen. I have been playing with mine and found that using a one inch spacer on the bottom really made a huge difference in the helmet buffet to the point I started noticing strange noises. After a while I realized I was hearing the normal mechanical noises of the engine which I have not been able to hear due to wind buffet noise. It is an amazing experience

Only downside of this angle is that the bottom of the screen is out ahead of the headlight, and at night there is a reflection apparent at the bottom of the screen. I am still working on this problem, but it is not that big a deal.

[Dale_K]

Thanks for the tip about spacers. I'm not familiar with the swirl edge stuff but I'll look it up on google.

I'm going to keep tryiing things before giving up on the bike (barn door windshield). Maybe even trying a different helmet. My rides on Harley FLH's and my Valkyrie were mostly done with open face helmets. There's less wind noise that way. I actually carried two helmets on my 6,500 ride from Maryland to California to Maryland on the Valkyrie. Open face for 90% of the ride and switched to full face in the rain or in winds over 30mph (Kansas).

[thepeacebullgrunt]

I have a "Shakespearian" question !

Is a pair of custom earplugs, a very well designed helmet for aerodynamic and acoustic
wearied with the right gloves and jacket can compete with an unusable windshield ?

Not to mention also a kidney rest integrated in the seat...

And eventually a good layer of prehistoric grade mammoth grease from head to toe
in order to increase aerodynamic slickness, air proofing and waterproofing.

[xprof]

Dale, the swirl edging can be got at SAENG.com. They also sell a thing called a Wing Tip, that I used happily for years to make a windshield taller. It looks kind of funky, and it costs as much as a whole shield, but it worked very well for me. As to the prehistoric mammoth grease, you'll have to ask Frederic where he gets it; maybe it's a French thing...

[celticus]

You might try these guys.
http://www.fairingscreens.com/Motorcycle_Wix.htm
Someone on this forum had notted panties because their english is less than perfect but the person ( who rides a Moto Guzzi) who recommended them to me really likes his F1 windshield. I have not tried them.

Mark

[xprof]

Dale, I've been looking at ka5ysy's response about his 1" spacer, which sticks out ahead of the windshield, and I got a radical idea. First (not so radical) I suggest trying 1/2" and 3/4" spacers as well as the 1" spacers. If the 1" spacers are what you want, then consider drilling 4 new mounting holes (radical) 2" lower or so. This should move the front end of the shield back as well as add inches to the height! Drilling a CalSci isn't hard; Mark can tell you where to buy an official acrylic bit, but I drilled some holes (don't ask!) in my CalSci using a hand-held drill and regular bit and backing it up with a piece of wood. Be sure to drill in from both sides and meet in the middle, to ensure that you don't chip out the back side.

[xprof]

Oops! Always check before posting! What I meant to say is "sticks out in front of the headlight".

[ka5ysy]

Dale, I've been looking at ka5ysy's response about his 1" spacer, which sticks out ahead of the windshield, and I got a radical idea. First (not so radical) I suggest trying 1/2" and 3/4" spacers as well as the 1" spacers. If the 1" spacers are what you want, then consider drilling 4 new mounting holes (radical) 2" lower or so. This should move the front end of the shield back as well as add inches to the height! Drilling a CalSci isn't hard; Mark can tell you where to buy an official acrylic bit, but I drilled some holes (don't ask!) in my CalSci using a hand-held drill and regular bit and backing it up with a piece of wood. Be sure to drill in from both sides and meet in the middle, to ensure that you don't chip out the back side.

Good suggestion ! I had not even thought about that to correct the forward edge placement problem. I am teaching a scuba class this weekend so it will be next week before I can try it !

[Dale_K]

I visited Lowes today and bought a 18" x 24" sheet of 1/8" plexiglass for $6.67 and a roll of clear 2" packing tape with the idea that I would just experiment by temporarily placing another layer over the Parabellum extending it upwards to the maximum I can see over. Phase 2 would be experimenting with the angle via the spacers. It looks like the 24" Parabellum would be pretty close to the maximum height I could see over. If the experiment works I'll buy that model.

Turns out I suck at the plexiglass cutting because I shattered it. I'll try again with the finest tooth sabersaw blade I can find.

[Dale_K]

Got a second piece of plastic today and made an extension that created the equivalent of a 25" Parabellum. No joy - in fact the turbulence was worse than the plain 22" Parabellum. Anyway I took one of the thread's participants advice and bought some earplugs. Had a very pleasant ride with no windshield at all. I might keep it that way for the summer months. I need to find some earplugs that don't hurt after 30 minutes but that beats spending hundreds of bucks on windshields.

[bobw]

I have read so many "problem with my windshield" posts that I have set the issue on the back burner. I have a little over 5K on my R this Spring that includes temps in the mid 30's(f), heavy rain and speeds well over 100 MPH. I miss having a faired bike at times, but riding for extended periods over 85 MPH is the only "exposure" condition proper clothing doesn't compensate for (and I tend to ride near "legal" speeds so not a problem). I like naked bikes, they have clean, quiet air and look so sexy. I hope you all find The One that works. Until then.........just ride and enjoy, repeat often.

[hjsbmw]

I have the sport shield. I don't know how riding without it would be, but I suspect it's key advantage is to keep the instrument cluster bug-free. I miss better protection when I go on the Interstate. Extended periods of higher speeds tend to feel as if I am holding on to the bars like a monkey. At country road, smiling at cows speeds I don't miss a larger windshield.
I still intend to try a CeeBailey. If they weren't so damn expensive I'd give the bikini style fairings from Wunderlich or Wuedo a shot.

[lucagoa]

Ka5ysy,

any picture of the Calsi spacing ? I'm very interested in that. I'm also in trouble with windshield, right now I've a Ztechnik and a BMW touring shield and none of the two works for me
Before going to buy another windshield (CalSci?) I would like to have some hints from you.
Thanks
Luca

[Dale_K]

Bringing this thread to a conclusion, today I mounted this windshield to the bike again and went on a 30 mile ride. I am convinced it's simply not going to work for me so I posted a thread in the buy-sell-trade area. $100, which is half the retail price I paid only 2 weeks ago.

As the man says "start your windshield collection today".